Automation Algorithms Research Articles

TH‐E‐BRCD‐03: Automatic Treatment Planning for IMRT, VMAT and IMPT

In intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), including intensity modulated X‐ray therapy (IMXT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), the quality of the treatment plan, which is highly dependent upon the treatment planner's level of experience, greatly affects the potential benefits of the radiotherapy (RT). Furthermore, the planning process is complicated and requires a great deal of iteration, and it is often the most time‐consuming aspect of the RT process. There is also a long learning curve to design the “optimal” plan for the newest technology such as IMPT. However, recent optimization algorithm technology development, especially automatically planning based on some kind of machine learning, have reached a point in treatment planning process where treatment plan can be designed without or with minimum human intervention. In this work, we describe the methodology and validation results of mdaccAutoPlan system: this system has the potential to automate IMXT/VMAT/IMPT treatment planning to the extent that human intervention is minimal. For every new patient, the mdaccAutoPlan system could automatically generate plans (the autoplans) that meet or exceed the institution's dose‐volume constraints by one button click in the TPS. The methodology 1) automatically sets beam angles based on a data mining of previously plans designed by experienced dosimetristsand a beam angle automation algorithm, 2) judiciously designs the planning structures, which were shown to be effective for all the patient cases we studied, and 3) automatically adjusts the objectives of the objective function based on a parameter automation algorithm. We compared treatment plans created in this system (mdaccAutoPlan) based on the overall methodology with plans from the plans created by the experienced dosimetrists. The “autoplans” were consistently better, or no worse, than the plans produced by experienced medical dosimetrists in terms of tumor coverage and normal tissue sparing. This lecture will provide an overview of overall methodology in the “autoplan” system and its validation on the treatment planning process in IMRT, VMAT, IMPT and adaptive radiotherapy planning (ART).Learning Objectives:1. Understand the bottleneck of current inverse planning and evaluation process2. Understand the importance of data mining of pre‐existing treatment plans3. Understand the impact of automation on reducing the learning curve of new technologies4. Understand the importance of automatic planning on improving quality and consistence of radiation therapy5. Understand the clinical workflow of automatic planning

GoRoSo: Feedforward Control Algorithm for Irrigation Canals Based on Sequential Quadratic Programming

AbstractThe feedforward control canal problem is stated as a nonlinear optimization problem with constraints on the gate movements. It is numerically solved with the use of the sequential quadratic problem (SQP) method and the active set. The main objective of the resulting GoRoSo algorithm is the scheduling of the gate openings over a programmed operation scenario, and their calculation relies on the use of the Saint-Venant’s complete model over a prediction horizon. A numerical and analytical procedure is developed to quantify the influence of any gate movement over the canal flow conditions for a prediction time horizon. All these influences are lumped together in a global matrix, which is referred to as the hydraulic influence matrix. The GoRoSo algorithm is validated by means of a series of test developed by the ASCE task committee on canal automation algorithms.

A methodology for automatic intensity-modulated radiation treatment planning for lung cancer

In intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), the quality of the treatment plan, which is highly dependent upon the treatment planner's level of experience, greatly affects the potential benefits of the radiotherapy (RT). Furthermore, the planning process is complicated and requires a great deal of iteration, and is often the most time-consuming aspect of the RT process. In this paper, we describe a methodology to automate the IMRT planning process in lung cancer cases, the goal being to improve the quality and consistency of treatment planning. This methodology (1) automatically sets beam angles based on a beam angle automation algorithm, (2) judiciously designs the planning structures, which were shown to be effective for all the lung cancer cases we studied, and (3) automatically adjusts the objectives of the objective function based on a parameter automation algorithm. We compared treatment plans created in this system (mdaccAutoPlan) based on the overall methodology with plans from a clinical trial of IMRT for lung cancer run at our institution. The ‘autoplans’ were consistently better, or no worse, than the plans produced by experienced medical dosimetrists in terms of tumor coverage and normal tissue sparing. We conclude that the mdaccAutoPlan system can potentially improve the quality and consistency of treatment planning for lung cancer.

Intelligent copyright protection system using a matching video retrieval algorithm

Many video service sites headed by YouTube know what content requires copyright protection. However, they lack a copyright protection system that automatically distinguishes whether uploaded videos contain legal or illegal content. Existing protection techniques use content-based retrieval methods that compare the features of video. However, if the video encoding has changed in resolution, bit-rate or codec, these techniques do not perform well. Thus, this paper proposes a novel video matching algorithm even if the type of encoding has changed. We also suggest an intelligent copyright protection system using the proposed algorithm. This can serve to automatically prevent the uploading of illegal content. The proposed method has represented the accuracy of 97% with searching algorithm in video-matching experiments and 98.62% with automation algorithm in copyright-protection experiments. Therefore, this system could form a core technology that identifies illegal content and automatically excludes access to illegal content by many video service sites.

Assessment of an Automation Algorithm for TDR Bridge Scour Monitoring System

Bridge scour is the number one cause of bridge failures. There are high risks associated with scour-induced damages due to their catastrophic nature. Developing real time bridge scour monitoring systems is a pressing task for the research community. Such systems need to be accurate, rugged, and field worthy. Implementing automatic signal interpretation is important to ensure the success of a long term scour monitoring instrument. This paper is part of the efforts to develop a TDR system to monitor the development of scour and sedimentation process. The focus of this paper is on an automation algorithm for TDR signal analyses. It discusses the theoretical foundation of this TDR algorithm for scour depth estimation. The influence of different types of sediments and the conditions of river (including the salinity and the effects of high air entrainment and suspended sediments) on the accuracy are assessed. The study indicates that the scour monitoring algorithm based on extending a physics-based general design equation is accurate under these different conditions. This will help implement a robust algorithm to automate the TDR bridge scour monitoring system.

Development and evaluation of an automation algorithm for a time-domain reflectometry bridge scour monitoring system

Bridge scour is a major threat to the safety of bridges. There is a high risk of scour-induced damage due to the catastrophic nature of bridge foundation failure. The development of an innovative bridge scour monitoring system is a pressing task for the research community. Such a system needs to be fieldworthy, which is a characteristic assessed in terms of accuracy, ruggedness, and automation. Among these criteria, an automatic signal analysis algorithm is generally a prerequisite for deploying a long-term field monitoring program. This paper describes the development and validation of an algorithm for a scour monitoring system based on the principles of guided radar: time-domain reflectometry (TDR). This algorithm is based on the extension of the classic dielectric mixing model to layered systems. The performance of this algorithm is evaluated using experiments designed to simulate different field scour conditions. These include different types of sediments and the variation of river conditions (i.e., salinity of river water, air entrainment, and amount of suspended sediments). The experiment results indicate that the developed analyses algorithm is robust and accurate for scour-depth estimation under these investigated conditions.

A new algorithm for reducing the workload of experts in performing systematic reviews

To determine whether a factorized version of the complement naïve Bayes (FCNB) classifier can reduce the time spent by experts reviewing journal articles for inclusion in systematic reviews of drug class efficacy for disease treatment. The proposed classifier was evaluated on a test collection built from 15 systematic drug class reviews used in previous work. The FCNB classifier was constructed to classify each article as containing high-quality, drug class-specific evidence or not. Weight engineering (WE) techniques were added to reduce underestimation for Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)-based and Publication Type (PubType)-based features. Cross-validation experiments were performed to evaluate the classifier's parameters and performance. Work saved over sampling (WSS) at no less than a 95% recall was used as the main measure of performance. The minimum workload reduction for a systematic review for one topic, achieved with a FCNB/WE classifier, was 8.5%; the maximum was 62.2% and the average over the 15 topics was 33.5%. This is 15.0% higher than the average workload reduction obtained using a voting perceptron-based automated citation classification system. The FCNB/WE classifier is simple, easy to implement, and produces significantly better results in reducing the workload than previously achieved. The results support it being a useful algorithm for machine-learning-based automation of systematic reviews of drug class efficacy for disease treatment.

Blastocyst Microinjection Automation

Blastocyst microinjections are routinely involved in the process of creating genetically modified mice for biomedical research, but their efficiency is highly dependent on the skills of the operators. As a consequence, much time and resources are required for training microinjection personnel. This situation has been aggravated by the rapid growth of genetic research, which has increased the demand for mutant animals. Therefore, increased productivity and efficiency in this area are highly desired. Here, we pursue these goals through the automation of a previously developed teleoperated blastocyst microinjection system. This included the design of a new system setup to facilitate automation, the definition of rules for automatic microinjections, the implementation of video processing algorithms to extract feedback information from microscope images, and the creation of control algorithms for process automation. Experimentation conducted with this new system and operator assistance during the cells delivery phase demonstrated a 75% microinjection success rate. In addition, implantation of the successfully injected blastocysts resulted in a 53% birth rate and a 20% yield of chimeras. These results proved that the developed system was capable of automatic blastocyst penetration and retraction, demonstrating the success of major steps toward full process automation.

An automation algorithm for harvesting capital market information from the web

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an algorithm to harvest user specified information on finance portals and compile it into machine‐readable datasets for quantitative analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe Visual Basic macro language in Microsoft Excel is applied to develop code that is not constrained by the single‐query function of Excel. The core of the algorithm is built around the splitting of the URL connector line and the placement of a continuously updating variable into which are looped as many tickers as there are in the input list. The output is then written to non‐overlapping cells.FindingsNumerical information placed on major finance websites can be harvested into structured machine‐readable datasets by applying this algorithm.Research limitations/implicationsOne significant change in Microsoft Excel 2007 is that the worksheet is expanded from 224 to 234 cells, or to be more specific, from 256 (IV) columns × 65,536 rows (28 × 216) to 16,384 (XFD) × 1,048,576 (214 × 220). These new limits while allowing for a larger number of tickers, still constrain a single worksheet to 16,384 columns. For five fields per ticker that translates into roughly 3,200 ticker symbols.Practical implicationsThe algorithm extends user accessibility to websites that do not provide the facility of simultaneous downloading of information on multiple stock tickers. Furthermore, the procedure automates the downloading of multiple pieces of information (fields) and entire tables per ticker (record).Originality/valueAn exhaustive literature search did not find any paper that discusses a multiple ticker algorithm for web harvesting.

Automatic Contextual Text Correction Using The Linguistic Habits Graph Lhg

Automatic text correction is an essential problem of today text processors and editors. Thispaper introduces a novel algorithm for automation of contextual text correction using a LinguisticHabit Graph (LHG) also introduced in this paper. A specialist internet crawler hasbeen constructed for searching through web sites in order to build a Linguistic Habit Graphafter text corpuses gathered in polish web sites. The achieved correction results on a basis ofthis algorithm using this LHG were compared with commercial programs which also enableto make text correction: Microsoft Word 2007, Open Office Writer 3.0 and search engineGoogle. The achieved results of text correction were much better than correction made bythese commercial tools.

Применение компьютерных технологий при разработке информационной системы предприятия

Biznes-processy of enterprise is examined. Failings are revealed during organization of accompaniment of functioning of the pay system and work in the system of electronic payments. For the removal of failings the algorithms of automation of control of log-zhurnalov of software are offered IS enterprises

The Effects of Automated Decision Algorithm Modality and Transparency on Reported Trust and Task Performance

Research has shown that trust and perceived reliability are key factors in whether a relationship will develop between humans and automation. Presenting automation reliability and automation algorithms are ways to potentially improve this relationship. To explore this question, an experiment was conducted in which an automated decision aid presented suggestions to participants while they managed a simulated city. Based on condition, the decision aid's algorithm was presented to participants in a textual or graphical (diagrammatic) format or not shown at all. Results showed that presenting the decision aid's algorithm, regardless of modality (i.e., textual or graphical) had a direct impact on reported trust and usage. Algorithm presentation also had an effect on both perception of the automation and on human performance. Additional results and implications are discussed.

Numerical simulation of the solidification microstructure of a 17-4PH stainless steel investment casting and its experimental verification

The purpose of this study is to develop a technique of numerically simulating the microstructure of 17-4PH (precipitation hardening) stainless steel during investment casting. A cellular automation (CA) algorithm was adopted to simulate the nucleation and grain growth. First a calibration casting was made, and then by comparing the microstructures of the calibration casting with those simulated using different kinetic growth coefficients (a2, a3) in CA, the most appropriate set of values for a2 and a3 would be obtained. Then, this set of values was applied to the microstructure simulation of a separate casting, where the casting was actually made. Through this approach, this study has arrived at a set of growth kinetic coefficients from the calibration casting: a2 is 2.9 × 10−5, a3 is 1.49 × 10−7, which is then used to predict the microstructure of the other test casting. Consequently, a good correlation has been found between the microstructure of actual 17-4PH casting and the simulation result.

Load Flow Analysis for Distribution Automation System based on Distributed Load Modeling

In this paper, a new load flow algorithm is proposed on the basis of distributed load modeling in radial distribution networks. Since the correct state data in the distribution power networks is basic for all distribution automation algorithms in the Distribution Automation System (DAS), the distribution networks load flow is essential to obtain the state data. DAS Feeder Remote Terminal Units (FRTUs) are used to measure and acquire the necessary data for load flow calculations. In case studies, the proposed algorithm has been proven to be more accurate than a conventional algorithm; and it has also been tested in a simple radial distribution system.

Unsupervised Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy for High Content and High Throughput Screening

Proteomics and cellomics clearly benefit from the molecular insights in cellular biochemical events that can be obtained by advanced quantitative microscopy techniques like fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and Förster resonance energy transfer imaging. The spectroscopic information detected at the molecular level can be combined with cellular morphological estimators, the analysis of cellular localization, and the identification of molecular or cellular subpopulations. This allows the creation of powerful assays to gain a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying spatiotemporal cellular responses to chemical and physical stimuli. This work demonstrates that the high content offered by these techniques can be combined with the high throughput levels offered by automation of a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope setup capable of unsupervised operation and image analysis. Systems and software dedicated to image cytometry for analysis and sorting represent important emerging tools for the field of proteomics, interactomics, and cellomics. These techniques could soon become readily available both to academia and the drug screening community by the application of new all-solid-state technologies that may results in cost-effective turnkey systems. Here the application of this screening technique to the investigation of intracellular ubiquitination levels of alpha-synuclein and its familial mutations that are causative for Parkinson disease is shown. The finding of statistically lower ubiquitination of the mutant alpha-synuclein forms supports a role for this modification in the mechanism of pathological protein aggregation.

Hamming weight pyramid – A new insight into canonical signed digit representation and its applications

Signed-power-of-two terms are widely used in design automation algorithms for digital filter synthesis and optimization, linear transformation and other multiple constant multiplication problems. In these applications, the computation efficiency or solution quality tends to degrade with the number of nonzero digits in the signed digit representation of the a priori fixed coefficients. This paper provides a new perspective to interpret the hamming weights of fixed-point coefficients represented in signed-power-of-two terms with minimal number of nonzero digits, called the minimal signed digit (MSD) representation. A new hamming weight pyramid (HWP) is proposed to succinctly compress the information about the distribution of the hamming weights of canonical signed digit (CSD) representation in a visually appealing manner for analysis and synthesis. CSD is a unique and popularly used subset of the general MSD representation. Many interesting properties of CSD are uncovered in this regularly structured HWP. These properties are exploited to develop a novel and elegant algorithm for the direct conversion of decimal number to CSD representation. We also show that the HWP can also be employed to overcome the limit imposed on the word length of the coefficients for the reduced adder graph (RAG) algorithm and filter coefficient synthesis.

Multiple Valued Logic: Concepts and Representations

Abstract Multiple Valued Logic: Concepts and Representations begins with a survey of the use ofmultiple-valued logic in several modern application areas including electronic design automation algorithms and circuit design. The mathematical basis and concepts of various algebras and systems of multiple valued logic are provided including comparisons among various systems and examples of their application. The book also provides an examination of alternative representations of multiple-valued logic suitable for implementation as data structures in automated computer applications. Decision diagram structures for multiple valued applications are described in detail with particular emphasis on the recently developed quantum multiple valued decision diagram.Table of Contents: Multiple Valued Logic Applications / MVL Concepts and Algebra / Functional Representations / Reversible andQuantum Circuits / Quantum Multiple-Valued Decision Diagrams / Summary / Bibliography

New SSCS Chapters in Tainan and South Brazil, Seoul and Santa Clara Chapters Host Talks

Seoul and Santa Clara Chapters Host Talks by S. Kang, M. Pedram, and M. Horowitz Wilhelmus Van Noije of the Polytechnical School, University of Sao Paulo spearheaded the formation of a new SSCS Chapter in South Brazil. Another new chapter in southern Taiwan was founded by Chua-Chin Wang of National Sun Yat-Sen University in Kaohsiung. SSCS Distinguished Lecturer Steve Kang spoke at Korea University in August on "Bioelectronics, Its Status and Prospectus"; DL Massoud Pedram spoke in October at COEX, Seoul on "Charge-recycling MTCMOS: Circuit Techniques and Design Automation Algorithms." Mark Horowitz addressed the Santa Clara chapter in March on "Rethinking Analog: Digitally Driven Analog Design."

Learning Identification Control for Model-Based Optoelectronic Packaging

In this paper, we present a learning control algorithm for the packaging automation of optoelectronic systems. This automation provides high performance, low-cost alignment and packaging through the use of a model-based control theory and system-level modeling. The approach is to build an a priori model, specific to the assembled package's optical power propagation characteristics. From this model, an inverse model is created and used in the loop. In addition to this feedforward model, the controller is designed with feedback components, along with the inclusion of a built-in optical power sensor. We introduce a learning technique, which is activated at a lower sampling frequency for specific and appropriate tasks, to improve the model used in the model-based control. Initial results are presented from an experimental test bed that is used to verify the control and learning algorithms

해석적인 방법을 사용한 통신해양기상위성의 위치유지

이 연구에서는 통신해양기상위성의 위치유지 조정을 분석하고 계획하는 자동화 알고리즘을 개발하였다. 섭동 계산 및 궤도 예측을 위해 일반섭동론을 사용하였으며 궤도 요소들을 각 섭동에 의한 장주기 변화, 영년 변화항으로 나누어 분석하는 해석적인 방법을 적용하였다. 이러한 분석을 통해 통신해양기상위성의 동서방향과 남북방향에 대한 위치유지 조정 시뮬레이션을 수행하였다. 위치유지를 위한 허용범위는 <TEX>${\pm}0.05^{\circ}$</TEX>로 설정하였고 동서 방향은 7일 주기, 남북방향은 14일주기로 1년의 기간 동안 수행하였다. 통신해양기상위성의 경도가 동경 <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}$</TEX>와 동경 <TEX>$116.0^{\circ}$</TEX> 사이에서 아직 확정되지 않았기 때문에 두 경우 모두에 대해서 시뮬레이션 해보았다. 2008년 12월부터 1년에 대해서 동경 <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}$</TEX>의 경우에는 동서방향 위지유지를 위해서 3.50m/s의 속도 변화량이 남북방향 위치유지를 위해서는 52.71m/s의 속도 변화량이 필요하다는 결과를 얻었다. 동경 <TEX>$116.0^{\circ}$</TEX>의 경우에는 동서방향 위치유지에는 3.86m/s, 남북방향 위치유지에는 52.71m/s의 속도 변화량이 필요하다는 결과를 얻었다. 이 결과를 통해서 통신해양기상위성의 위치유지 조정은 동경 <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}$</TEX>에 위치했을 때 효율적이라는 결론을 얻을 수 있었다. In this paper, an automation algorithm of analyzing and scheduling the station-keeping maneuver is presented for Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS). The perturbation analysis for keeping the position of the geostationary satellite is performed by analytic methods. The east/west and north/south station-keeping maneuvers we simulated for COMS. Weekly east/west and biweekly north/south station-keeping maneuvers are investigated for a period of one year. Various station-keeping orbital parameters are analyzed. As the position of COMS is not yet decided at either <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}E\;or\;116.0^{\circ}E$</TEX>, both cases are simulated. For the case of <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}E$</TEX>, east/west station-keeping requires <TEX>${\Delta}V$</TEX> of 3.50m/s and north/south station-keeping requires <TEX>${\Delta}V$</TEX> of 52.71m/s for the year 2009. For the case of <TEX>$116.0^{\circ}E,\;{\Delta}V$</TEX> of 3.86m/s and <TEX>${\Delta}V$</TEX> of 52.71m/s are required for east/west and north/south station-keeping, respectively. The results show that the station-keeping maneuver of COMS is more effective at <TEX>$128.2^{\circ}E$</TEX>.