Set Of Available Tools Research Articles

A comprehensive cutting tool adaptation method for multi-feature part based on evolutionary game algorithm

The adaptation of cutting tools is the key link in machining. Although a large amount of work has been done to achieve tool selection for a single feature, there is relatively little research on tool scheme adaptation for multi-feature parts. Considering the factors of matching, efficiency, cost, and environment, a comprehensive optimization method for a multi-feature part tool scheme is proposed in this work. First, the critical tool of a complex feature is defined, and a tool combination method with complex single features is proposed to generate an efficient tool strategy. Then, a tool scheme optimization model for multi-feature parts is constructed in which each machining feature is mapped to a game player in the model space, and the set of available tools is mapped to the player strategies. In addition, the classical evolutionary game algorithm is improved to adapt to the model, according to the difference in the features number and type of different parts. Finally, a square test piece is taken as a case to verify the proposed method. The result shows that the method presented in this work can efficiently obtain the customer-preferred tool scheme for the part.

Основанный на генетическом подходе алгоритм внутрикодирования для H.266/VVC

This paper presents a genetic approach for optimizing intra coding in H.266/VVC. The proposed algorithm efficiently selects coding tools and Multi-Type Tree (MTT) partitions to achieve a balance between encoding time and video quality. The fitness evaluation function, which combines perceptual metrics and coding efficiency metrics, is used to assess the quality of each candidate solution. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in encoding time without compromising video quality. The proposed algorithm selects coding tools from a set of available tools in H.266/VVC. These tools include intra prediction modes, transform units, quantization parameters, and entropy coding modes. The MTT partitioning scheme includes four types of partitions: quadtree, binary tree, ternary tree, and quad-binary tree. Perceptual metrics are used to evaluate the visual quality of the encoded video. Coding efficiency metrics are used to evaluate the coding efficiency of the encoded video. The fitness evaluation function combines perceptual metrics and coding efficiency metrics to assess the quality of each candidate solution.

‘FIESTA': a forest inventory estimation and analysis R package

Ecologists are increasingly relying on national forest inventories to address a wide variety of issues. The ‘FIESTA' R package (Forest Inventory ESTimation and Analysis) is a tool that enables customized investigations using the extensive sample‐based inventory data collected across all lands in the US by the US Dept of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program. To date, the complex nature of the FIA inventory constrains many users to conduct only limited analyses through existing tools with pre‐specified geographic boundaries, timeframes, and auxiliary data under a single statistical estimation process. Yet, the rapid evolution of available remotely sensed data and statistical methods present the opportunity to conduct spatial and temporal analyses of forest attributes that are much more relevant to many pressing ecological, environmental, economic, and social issues in the US, The ‘FIESTA' package was developed to augment the current set of available tools by providing a flexible platform that accommodates evolving technologies and leading‐edge estimation techniques. The package contains a collection of functions that can query FIA databases, summarize sample‐based inventory data, extract and aggregate auxiliary spatial data, and generate estimates with associated variances. The ‘FIESTA' R package is available on CRAN (https://cran.r‐project.org/package=FIESTA).

The structure of energy fluxes in wave turbulence

We calculate the net energy per unit time exchanged between two sets of modes in a generic system governed by a three-wave kinetic equation. Our calculation is based on the property of detailed energy conservation of the triadic resonant interactions. In a first application to isotropic systems, we re-derive the previously used formula for the energy flux as a particular case for adjacent sets. We then exploit the new formalism to quantify the level of locality of the energy transfers in the example of surface capillary waves. A second application to anisotropic wave systems expands the currently available set of tools to investigate magnitude and direction of the energy fluxes in these systems. We illustrate the use of the formalism by characterizing the energy pathways in the oceanic internal wavefield. Our proposed approach, unlike traditional approaches, is not limited to stationarity, scale invariance and strict locality. In addition, we define a number $w$ that quantifies the scale separation necessary for two sets of modes to having negligible mutual energy exchange, with potential consequences in the interpretation of wave turbulence experiments. The methodology presented here provides a general, simple and systematic approach to energy fluxes in wave turbulence.

Trifluoroacetyl Lysine as a Bromodomain Binding Mimic of Lysine Acetylation.

Genetic code expansion has proven invaluable to the elucidation of functions of defined protein modifications through the site-specific incorporation of noncanonical amino acids. The use of nonhydrolyzable derivatives of post-translational modifications can greatly increase site stoichiometry and half-life. Investigating acetyllysine reader domain (bromodomain) interactions with acetylated nonhistone proteins is challenging due to the limited tools available and dynamic nature of this post-translational modification. Here, we demonstrate that bromodomains bind acetyllysine peptides and those substituted with an acetyllysine derivative, trifluoroacetyllysine, with similar affinity and selectivity. Importantly, both trifluoroacetyllysine and acetyllysine can be site-specifically incorporated into proteins expressed in bacterial and mammalian cells, and the strong electron-withdrawing trifluoro substituent makes the latter resistant to deacetylation by sirtuins (SIRTs). The controlled expression of SIRT-resistant, site-specifically acetylated transcription factors expands the set of available tools for determining the function of acetylation, and it serves as a template for investigating bromodomain interactions with acetylated transcription factors.

Cross layer resource allocation for fault-tolerant topology control in wireless mesh networks based on genetic algorithm

Optimal topology control is an essential factor for efficient development of wireless mesh networks. For this purpose, a set of available tools can be exploited including power control, rate adaptation, channel assignment, channel selection, scheduling and routing. In most recent studies, only some of these tools are applied for throughput maximization. In this paper, we first propose a comprehensive cross-layer resource allocation model for topology control in which a complete set of available tools are exploited in order to guarantee the fairness, balancing and robustness, in addition to throughput maximization. This leads to an NP-complete problem; therefore, we propose a four steps heuristic method based on problem decomposition to reduce the computational complexity. In first step, the best K potential paths with disjoint vertices are extracted between each pair of nodes. In second step, a method based on the genetic algorithm is proposed in order to assign frequency channels to the links of these paths. This assignment procedure must preserve the essential links and must reduce the potential interference of the network. In third step, best compatible configurations are extracted on each frequency channel using power control and rate adaptation. It must be performed such that minimizes the power consumption, maximizes the transmission rate and provides the transmission rate balancing on the links. In last step, a cross-layer method is proposed for selecting the best path between each pair of nodes such that throughput maximization, fairness, and balancing on nodes and frequency channels are met. Validation in terms of numerical results demonstrates the efficiency of our proposed method for topology control in wireless mesh networks.

Efficiency modeling and exploration of 64-bit ARM compute nodes for exascale

This paper investigates the use of 64-bit ARM cores to improve the processing efficiency of upcoming HPC systems. It describes a set of available tools, models and platforms, and their combination in an efficient methodology for the design space exploration of large manycore computing clusters. Experimentations and results using representative benchmarks allow to set an exploration approach to evaluate essential design options at micro-architectural level while scaling with a large number of cores. We then apply this methodology to examine the validity of SoC partitioning as an alternative to using large SoC designs based on coherent multi-SoC models and the proposed SoC Coherent Interconnect (SCI).

Structure-based Virtual Screening Approaches in Kinase-directed Drug Discovery.

Protein kinases are one of the most targeted protein families in current drug discovery pipelines. They are implicated in many oncological, inflammatory, CNS-related and other clinical indications. Virtual screening is a computational technique with a diverse set of available tools that has been shown many times to provide novel starting points for kinase-directed drug discovery. This review starts with a concise overview of the function, structural features and inhibitory mechanisms of protein kinases. In addition to briefly reviewing the practical aspects of structure-based virtual screenings, we discuss several case studies to illustrate the state of the art in the virtual screening for type I, type II, allosteric (type III-V) and covalent (type VI) kinase inhibitors. With this review, we strive to provide a summary of the latest advances in the structure-based discovery of novel kinase inhibitors, as well as a practical tool to anyone who wishes to embark on such an endeavor.

Streamlined Integration Ofict Tools and Active Learning Strategies for Effective Content Delivery in Engineering Education-An Experimental Study

In the current era of education,quality of the content delivery is considered as important as the Course Contents to attain the objectives of the course. Quality Content delivery methods leverage technology and place more emphasis on active learning. This paper highlights few of the active learning strategies and ICT tools. Also, this paper presents a streamlined approach to choose a Active learning(AL) method and ICT tool to from among the rich set of available tools and strategies to deliver a content effectively. The proposed approach decides the suitability of the ALmethod and ICT tool chosen to deliver a particular content based on the nature of the content structure and expected cognitive level of learning the content. An attempt to identify the prominent learning style of the students in a class and chart an efficient content delivery plan by matching an appropriate AL strategy with suitable ICT tool is presented in this paper. The proposed approach was practiced in fourth semester B.Tech (Information Technology) class of 72 students for Computer Networks Course. The effectiveness of the implemented approach is measured using standard tools and presented.

Prioritizing Infrastructure Investment: A Framework for Government Decision-Making

Governments must decide how to allocate limited resources for infrastructure development, particularly since financing gaps have been projected for the coming decades. Social cost-benefit analysis provides sound project appraisal and, when systematically applied, a basis for prioritization. In some instances, however, capacity and resource limitations make extensive economic analyses across all projects unfeasible in the immediate term. This paper responds to a need for expanding the available set of tools for project selection by proposing an alternative prioritization approach that is systematic and feasible within the current resource means of government. The Infrastructure Prioritization Framework is a multi-criteria decision support tool that considers project outcomes along two dimensions, social-environmental and financial-economic. When large sets of small- to medium-sized projects are proposed, resources are limited, and basic project appraisal data (but not full social cost-benefit analysis) are available, the Infrastructure Prioritization Framework can inform project selection by combining selection criteria into social-environmental and financial-economic indexes. These indexes are used to plot projects on a Cartesian plane, and the sector budget is imposed to create a project map for comparison along each dimension. The Infrastructure Prioritization Framework is structured to accommodate multiple policy objectives, attend to social and environmental factors, provide an intuitive platform for displaying results, and take advantage of available data while promoting capacity building and data collection for more sophisticated appraisal methods and selection frameworks. Decision criteria, weighting, and sensitivity analysis should be decided and made transparent in advance of selection, and analysis should be made publicly available and open to third-party review.

The Graduate Extension Scholars: Communicating Science to the Youth

The Graduate Extension Scholars: Communicating Science to the Youth

Port-Hamiltonian Formulation of Rigid-Body Attitude Control

The aim of this paper is to present a port-Hamiltonian (pH) formulation of the rigidbody attitude control problem, therefore enhancing the set of available tools for its modeling and control. First, a pH formulation of both dynamics and kinematics equations is presented. Second, a standard energy-balancing passivity-based controller (EB-PBC) is used for set-point tracking. Third, the controlled system is endowed with a dynamical extension to achieve set-point tracking without measuring the angular velocities. As a conclusive remark, it is showed under specific assumptions that these three results can be achieved regardless the coordinate representation in use. Additional examples follow to motivate the adoption of the pH formulation.

Bio.B-Gen: An Initial System Generator for Biological Molecular Simulations

Atomistic and coarse-grained simulations can be a great help in uncovering the mechanisms of physical processes at microscopic and mesoscopic levels at time scales ranging from femtoseconds to milliseconds.Any simulation study involves (1) setting up an appropriate simulation system representing the physical problem, (2) running the simulation and collecting information about the system, and (3) analyzing the collected data. The last step eventually leads to final conclusions about the system. Software for molecular simulation has been in development for many years and a number of high quality freely distributed general purpose simulation packages is available for researchers. Data analysis tools are usually less general as they often depend on a specific research project and the system under investigation. While many simulation packages come with a set of some general data analysis utilities, it is not unusual for such analysis tools to be developed on a per project basis inside research groups. Interestingly, there is a very limited set of available tools for setting up simulation systems, even though this is the very first and vital step of every simulation study. This lack of convenient general simulation system generators sometimes may even dictate the kind of simulations done based on the available initial systems rather than on the system being the best for a particular problem.In this work we describe a general software tool, bio.b-gen, for the creation of initial systems for biological molecular simulations. A number of case systems are demonstrated using an atomistic force field as well as the coarse grained MARTINI force field. The tool is designed to generate initial systems for the GROMACS general simulation package.

Katasztrófavédelem, biztonságpolitika és a területfejlesztés

A biztonságpolitika-elméletben az utóbbi időszakban egyre elfogadottabbá vált a biztonság fogalmának tág értelmezése, amelyben nem csupán a korábbi, katonai típusú kockázatok szerepelnek, de olyan más összetevők is, amelyeket a társadalmi, ökológiai, gazdasági biztonság körébe lehet sorolni és amelyeket a biztonságtudomány a kockázatok jellemzői alapján rendszerbe foglalt és pontosan csoportosított. A tanulmányban bemutatom, hogy bár a biztonságpolitika hazánk szempontjából releváns szereplői (NATO, EU, USA, Egyesült Királyság, Magyarország) átvették a tág értelmezést, a biztonsági stratégiákban ezeknek az új kockázatoknak a kezelésére nem tesznek kísérletet, és még csak meg sem határozzák, hol, mikor, hogyan, kinek a feladata az adott tényezőre irányuló fejlesztési tevékenység. Ezzel párhuzamosan látható, hogy a területfejlesztési és területrendezési tervek sem ismerik fel/el ezen – amúgy fejlesztendőnek tekintett – elemek biztonságpolitikai fontosságát, holott a biztonság horizontális célok közé való emelésével megalapozottabb, komplexebb fejlesztési dokumentumok készíthetők, mert egy új szemponttal lehet erősíteni a beavatkozások indokoltságát, valamint a fejlesztésekbe a biztonságpolitika számára elérhető eszközrendszer is bevonható. A biztonságpolitika és a területi tudományok összekapcsolását a katasztrófavédelem adhatja meg, amelyben a „civil” területi egységek éppúgy megjelennek, mint a biztonsági tényezők. A cikk a címben szereplő három szakma összekapcsolásának megalapozásához kíván hozzájárulni.

Examining brain microstructure using structure tensor analysis of histological sections

The mammalian central nervous system has a tremendous structural complexity, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is unique in its ability to extract microstructural tissue properties at a macroscopic scale. However, despite its widespread use and applications in clinical and research settings, accurate validation of DTI has notoriously lagged the advances in image acquisition and analysis. In this report, we demonstrate an approach to visualize and quantify the microscopic features of histological sections on multiple length scales using techniques derived from image texture analysis. Structure tensor (ST) analysis was applied to fluorescence microscopy images of rat brain sections to visualize and quantify tissue microstructure. Images were digitally color-coded based on the local orientation in the pixelwise ST implementation, which allowed direct visualization of white matter complexity at the microscopic level. A piecewise ST algorithm was also employed to quantify anisotropy and orientation at a resolution comparable to that typically acquired with DTI. Anisotropy measured with ST analysis of stained histological sections was highly correlated with anisotropy measured by ex vivo DTI of the same brains (R(2)=0.92). Furthermore, angular histograms, or Fiber Orientation Distributions (FODs), were computed to mimic similar measures derived from high angular resolution diffusion imaging methods. The FODs for each pixel were fit to a mixture of von Mises distributions to identify putative regions of multiple fiber populations (i.e. crossing fibers). Despite its current application to two-dimensional microscopy, the ST analysis is a novel approach to visualize and quantify microstructure in the central nervous system in both health and disease, and advances the available set of tools for validating DTI and other diffusion MRI techniques.

The potential of internet-based technologies for sharing data of public health importance

As professionals in data processing, analysis and information technology, we read with interest the Bulletin’s coverage of the barriers to data sharing in public health.1 We contend that there are many existing solutions for low-cost, high-quality data collection, management and analysis. Many of these systems are built on open-source technologies and thus are more amenable to receiving input for their design and operation from information technologists and researchers in low-income countries. The information technology gap between rich and poor countries may not be as large as some may think. For example, a recent map of Facebook “friend” linkages shows areas of high internet connectivity in low-income countries, with specific interest to us being the connection into Rwanda from Mombasa, Kenya.2 In our institutions, after some consideration,3 we adopted a web-based, open source clinical trials package called OpenClinica (Akaza Research, Waltham, MA, United States of America) for a large (n > 3000) multi-site trial (more information available at: http://www.feast-trial.org). For observational epidemiological and clinical studies that rely on, or are derived from, surveillance systems there are several free, easy-to-install systems such as RedCap,4 OpenMRS5 and OpenXdata. Indeed, there are novel technologies that have come from low-income countries that are now in use in high-income countries, e.g. software developer Ushahidi.6 As Tom Smith of the Swiss Tropical Institute said at the Pan-African Malaria Conference in 2009 when introducing a presentation on a mobile phone-based system for malaria surveillance in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania: “Africa is in the vanguard in the use of such technology.” Indeed the Kenyan mobile phone-based money transfer system, M-Pesa, is highly regarded and has spread very quickly.7 Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, the use of developing technologies, such as lens-free microscopy,8 are likely to have major impacts soon on disease surveillance in low-income countries. With such technologies comes the need for a tool to effectively analyse and disseminate the data generated. One such tool is the open-source software package, simply named R, arguably9 the most rapidly evolving and powerful data analytical engine with which the major statistics software packages can integrate. A most useful input from the World Health Organization and the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases has been sponsorship of the online R course at Thailands' Prince of Songkla University and publication of a free book. R’s potential for data storage, use and analysis is well illustrated by Zack Almquist10 who has created a freely available set of tools that interrogates data from the year 2000 census in the United States of America. Pisani & AbouZahr discuss how collaboration allows researchers to stand on the shoulders of giants.1 We think this R package does just that. The field of genetics, which they cite as one that public health and epidemiological researchers should emulate, has been greatly assisted by R through the BioConductor project. Robert Gentleman, who developed R with Ross Ihaka,11 is a notable contributor to this project.12 With powerful data programmes freely available, data can be shared more widely, but this also depends on skilled personnel. In east Africa alone, we need to train 100 new data managers and statisticians every year so that researchers, data managers and analysts can benefit from the wider availability of data and to ensure its quality. Public health researchers need to be trained in good data collection methods, mentoring with researchers and partnering with data analysis experts from developed countries. Systems are required that extend beyond research projects into the collection of routine data for public health systems that can be used to monitor the health of the whole population. We think technology and shared data have the potential to radically transform the health systems of low-income countries within our lifetime. We believe that technology and data should be shared equitably across all countries and that everyone should be enabled to use the results from the acquired knowledge.

Uranium-series comminution ages of continental sediments: Case study of a Pleistocene alluvial fan

Obtaining quantitative information about the timescales associated with sediment transport, storage, and deposition in continental settings is important but challenging. The uranium-series comminution age method potentially provides a universal approach for direct dating of Quaternary detrital sediments, and can also provide estimates of the sediment transport and storage timescales. (The word “comminution” means “to reduce to powder,” reflecting the start of the comminution age clock as reduction of lithic parent material below a critical grain size threshold of ∼ 50 μm.) To test the comminution age method as a means to date continental sediments, we applied the method to drill-core samples of the glacially-derived Kings River Fan alluvial deposits in central California. Sediments from the 45 m core have independently-estimated depositional ages of up to ∼ 800 ka, based on paleomagnetism and correlations to nearby dated sediments. We characterized sequentially-leached core samples (both bulk sediment and grain size separates) for U, Nd, and Sr isotopes, grain size, surface texture, and mineralogy. In accordance with the comminution age model, where 234U is partially lost from small sediment grains due to alpha recoil, we found that ( 234U/ 238U) activity ratios generally decrease with age, depth, and specific surface area, with depletions of up to 9% relative to radioactive equilibrium. The resulting calculated comminution ages are reasonable, although they do not exactly match age estimates from previous studies and also depend on assumptions about 234U loss rates. The results indicate that the method may be a significant addition to the sparse set of available tools for dating detrital continental sediments, following further refinement. Improving the accuracy of the method requires more advanced models or measurements for both the recoil loss factor f α and weathering effects. We discuss several independent methods for obtaining f α on individual samples that may be useful for future studies.

Geo‐ontology Tools: The Missing Link

AbstractNumerous authors have presented ontology building tools that have all been developed as part of academic projects and that are usually adaptations of more generic tools for geo‐spatial applications. While we trust that these tools do their job for the special purpose they have been built, the GIScience user community is still a long way away from off‐the‐shelf ontology builders that can be used by GIS project managers. In this article, we present a comparative study of ontology building tools described in some twenty peer‐reviewed GIScience journal articles. We analyze them from the perspective of two application domains, crime analysis and transportation/land use. For the latter, we developed a database schema, which is substantially different from the three main templates commonly used. The crime analysis application uses a rule base for an agent‐based model that had no precursor. In both cases, the currently available set of tools cannot replace manual coding of ontologies for use with ESRI‐based application software. Based on these experiences, we outline a requirements list of what the tools described in the first part of the article are missing to make them practical from an applications perspective. The result is an R&D agenda for this important aspect of GIScience.

Greedy tool heuristic approach to rough milling of complex shaped pockets

The milling of complex pockets bounded by NURBS surfaces is usually broken into rough and finish milling, with the former taking up the bulk of the machining time. The total machining time can be reduced if the proper combination of end-mills of different sizes are used to machine in different regions. This paper presents a new greedy tool heuristic approach to the determination of the machining volume that should be allocated to different tools selected from among a large set of available tools. Subsequent machining planning can then be performed by repeated application of standard 2-D milling algorithms. The proposed new approach of multi-tool rough milling promises to reduce the machining time of complex shaped parts such as molds and casting patterns. The presented techniques can be used in CAD/CAM systems to automate NC tool path generation for complex pockets machining.

Towards a user-controlled software renovation factory

Part of software maintenance consists in applying program transformations system-wide. In a number of recent papers, a factory approach has been advocated in which one program after another is fed to an assembly line that consists of a sequence of transformation tools. The general feeling seems to be that such factories have to be constructed and operated by specialists (the ‘vendors’). We think this is an undesirable situation. In this paper we present a software renovation factory which is, as much as possible, user controlled. The factory is controlled by means of a graphical user interface. Two modes of control are distinguished: an architectural mode where an operational renovation factory is constructed out of a set of available tools (parsers, unparsers, transformation modules), and an execution mode where the operational factory is applied for renovation purposes. We report about an experiment with a COBOL transformation factory which has been used for the conversion of a real-world business application system.