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Optimal Values (optimal + value)
Selected AbstractsSoft and hard tissue assessment of immediate implant placement: a case seriesCLINICAL ORAL IMPLANTS RESEARCH, Issue 2 2007Gintaras Juodzbalys Abstract Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate clinically and radiographically the success and esthetic result of immediate implant placement at the time of extraction. Material and methods: Twelve patients with 14 titanium screw-shaped implants (13,16 mm length and 4.3 or 5 mm diameters) were placed in the extraction sockets. Defects after implant placement were recorded, and then filled up with deproteinized bovine bone mineral, bioabsorbable collagen membrane, and absorbable pins. The defect was again re-evaluated at second-stage surgery. Clinical and radiographic parameters of the peri-implant conditions were assessed at the moment of prosthesis placement and at 1-year follow-up. Results: The cumulative implant survival and success rate was 100% after a 1-year observation period. Analysis of the esthetic result showed that the mean pink esthetic score (PES) was 11.1 (SD 1.35) at 1-year follow-up. At 1 year, 64.3% papillae had a score of 2 and the remaining 35.7% score 3 according to the Jemt (1997) papillary index. Optimal value of width of the keratinized mucosa was recorded in 13 (92.9%) implant cases in both periods of follow-up. At 1-year follow-up, the linear distance between implant-shoulder to the bone peaks remains stable with a mean of 2.62±0.2 mm at the mesial and 2.9±0.58 mm at the distal aspect. Conclusion: Careful evaluation of potential extraction sites before immediate implant installation promotes optimal implant esthetics. [source] Suppression of vortex shedding for flow around a circular cylinder using optimal controlINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 1 2002C. Homescu Abstract Adjoint formulation is employed for the optimal control of flow around a rotating cylinder, governed by the unsteady Navier,Stokes equations. The main objective consists of suppressing Karman vortex shedding in the wake of the cylinder by controlling the angular velocity of the rotating body, which can be constant in time or time-dependent. Since the numerical control problem is ill-posed, regularization is employed. An empirical logarithmic law relating the regularization coefficient to the Reynolds number was derived for 60,Re,140. Optimal values of the angular velocity of the cylinder are obtained for Reynolds numbers ranging from Re=60 to Re=1000. The results obtained by the computational optimal control method agree with previously obtained experimental and numerical observations. A significant reduction of the amplitude of the variation of the drag coefficient is obtained for the optimized values of the rotation rate. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimizing the point spread function in phase-encoded magnetic resonance microscopyCONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 1 2004A.G. Webb Abstract Three-dimensional phase-encoded magnetic resonance microscopy is the most promising method for obtaining images with isotropic spatial resolutions on the order of a few micrometers. The attainable spatial resolution is limited by the available gradient strength (Gmax) and the molecular self-diffusion coefficient (D) of the sample. In this study, numerical simulations in the microscopic-size regime are presented in order to show that for given values of Gmax and D, there exists an optimum number of phase-encoding steps that maximize the spatial resolution in terms of minimizing the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the image point spread function (PSF). Unlike the case of "macroscopic" imaging, in which diffusion plays an insignificant role in determining spatial resolution, acquiring data beyond this optimal value actually degrades the image PSF. An alternative version of phase encoding, using a variable phase-encoding time rather than a variable gradient strength, is analyzed in terms of improvements in the image PSF and/or reductions in the data acquisition time for a given spatial resolution. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson 22A: 25,36, 2004. [source] Influence of methanol on the enantioresolution of antihistamines with carboxymethyl-,-cyclodextrin in capillary electrophoresisELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 16 2004Ann Van Eeckhaut Abstract According to the model of Wren and Rowe, the separation between two enantiomers in capillary electrophoresis (CE) decreases if an organic modifier is added to the run buffer containing a neutral cyclodextrin (CD) in a concentration below its optimal value in a solvent-free system. In previous work, however, it was observed that the addition of methanol to the background electrolyte (BGE) containing not charged carboxymethyl-,-CD in a concentration below its optimal value, increased the enantioresolution of dimetindene maleate. The enantioresolution decreased when other organic modifiers (ethanol, isopropanol or acetonitrile) were added and/or when other neutral (,-CD, hydroxypropyl-,-CD) or chargeable (carboxyethyl-,- and succinyl-,-CD) CDs were used. In this CE study further attempts are made to elucidate the observed phenomena through investigating other basic drugs. The effect of organic modifier and CD concentration on the enantioseparation was studied by means of central composite designs. It is shown that obtaining this increase in enantioresolution depends upon the type of CD, the type of organic modifier, and the structure of the analytes. It was also observed that small differences in the structure of the analytes or the CD could have an influence on the enantioresolution. The addition of methanol also resulted in different effects on the resolution of closely related analytes. [source] Determination of essential oil quality index by using energy summation indices in an elite strain of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf [RRL(J)CCA12]FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005Ashok Kumar Shahi Abstract Out of the several accessions of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf introduced from Central and West India, one accession coded as RRL(J)CCA12, selected through a mass selection technique, was found to have citral (,80%) as the major constituent in its essential oil. Citral has tremendous application in the ,avour and perfume industries. Plant adaptation was judged by quantifying the regression coef,cient (b) value, which was 1.0 using essential oil growth indices. For prediction of essential oil quality index (EOQI), a multiple regression equation was developed for the ,rst time by using essential oil yield/plant and energy summation indices as EOQI (citral %) = 61.6 + 1.09 × essential oil yield/plant (g) - 0.005 × heat use ef,ciency + 0.675 × phenothermal index. For obtaining a better quality of essential oil (citral ,78%), the optimal value of independent variable would be: X1 = 2.49; X2 = 0.018 and X3 = 20.47, where X1, X2 and X3 denote essential oil yield/plant, heat use ef,ciency and phenothermal index, respectively. The validation of the EOQI model is done by correlating the predicted and calculated values of citral (%) which exhibited signi,cant r value = 0.955 at 5% probability level. The thermal requirement of the selectant was ,5500 degree days to exhibit plant maturity in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of its essential oil at 6.0 vegetative lea,ng stage, with attainment of plant height ,1.0 m from previous date of harvest (December 2001). Prediction of essential oil quality by using the mathematical model is helpful for integrating the growth processes and evaluating crop management strategies. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Incorporating Penalty Function to Reduce Spill in Stochastic Dynamic Programming Based Reservoir Operation of Hydropower PlantsIEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2010Deependra Kumar Jha Non-member Abstract This paper proposes a framework that includes a penalty function incorporated stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) model in order to derive the operation policy of the reservoir of a hydropower plant, with an aim to reduce the amount of spill during operation of the reservoir. SDP models with various inflow process assumptions (independent and Markov-I) are developed and executed in order to derive the reservoir operation policies for the case study of a storage type hydropower plant located in Japan. The policy thus determined consists of target storage levels (end-of-period storage levels) for each combination of the beginning-of-period storage levels and the inflow states of the current period. A penalty function is incorporated in the classical SDP model with objective function that maximizes annual energy generation through operation of the reservoir. Due to the inclusion of the penalty function, operation policy of the reservoir changes in a way that ensures reduced spill. Simulations are carried out to identify reservoir storage guide curves based on the derived operation policies. Reservoir storage guide curves for different values of the coefficient of penalty function , are plotted for a study horizon of 64 years, and the corresponding average annual spill values are compared. It is observed that, with increasing values of ,, the average annual spill decreases; however, the simulated average annual energy value is marginally reduced. The average annual energy generation can be checked vis-ŕ-vis the average annual spill reduction, and the optimal value of , can be identified based on the cost functions associated with energy and spill. © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Convergence and synthesis issues in extremum seeking controlINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 10 2003R. N. Banavar Abstract Convergence and synthesis issues in an extremum seeking control scheme are addressed. The goal of an extremum seeking controller is to operate at a setpoint that represents the optimal value of a function being optimized in the feedback loop. The results presented here are based solely on assumptions on the curvature of the function being optimized in the loop. We present a class of generalized PI compensators and a set of strictly proper and stable compensators. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A comparative analysis of energy and CO2 taxes on the primary energy mix for electricity generationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2005Kris Voorspools Abstract In many countries, economies are moving towards internalization of external costs of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. This can best be achieved by either imposing additional taxes or by using an emission-permit-trading scheme. The electricity sector is under scrutiny in the allocation of emission-reduction objectives, not only because it is a large homogeneous target, but also because of the obvious emission-reduction potential by decreasing power generation based on carbon-intensive fuels. In this paper, we discuss the impact of a primary-energy tax and a CO2 tax on the dispatching strategy in power generation. In a case study for the Belgian power-generating context, several tax levels are investigated and the impact on the optimal dispatch is simulated. The impact of the taxes on the power demand or on the investment strategies is not considered. As a conclusion, we find that a CO2 tax is more effective than a primary-energy tax. Both taxes accomplish an increased generation efficiency in the form of a promotion of combined-cycle gas-fired units over coal-fired units. The CO2 tax adds an incentive for fuel switching which can be achieved by altering the merit order of power plants or by switching to a fuel with a lower carbon content within a plant. For the CO2 tax, 13 ,/tonCO2 is withheld as the optimal value which results in an emission reduction of 13% of the electricity-related GHG emissions in the Belgian power context of 2000. A tax higher than 13 ,/tonCO2 does not contribute to the further reduction of GHGs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An accurate total energy density functionalINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 15 2007Baojing Zhou Abstract We propose a new density functional for the evaluation of the total electronic energy by subtracting the Roothaan energy, i.e. the Hartree energy of the density residual, from the Hohenberg,Kohn,Sham (HKS) functional, which is normally used in self-consistent Kohn,Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Because of the positive semi-definite nature of the Roothaan energy, the resulting Wang,Zhou (WZ) functional always produces a total energy lower than that from the HKS functional and usually converges to the exact total energy from below. Following the same spirit of the Zhou,Wang-, (ZW,) functional in the recently proposed orbital-corrected orbital-free (OO) DFT method (Zhou and Wang, J Chem Phys 2006, 124, 081107), we linearly mix the WZ functional with the HKS functional to allow further systematic error cancellations. The resulting Wang,Zhou-, (WZ,) functional is compared with the ZW, functional in OO-DFT calculations for systems within different chemical environment. We find that the optimal value of , for the WZ, functional is more stable than that of , for the ZW, functional. This is because the WZ functional remedies the oscillatory convergence behavior of the Harris functional and renders the direct evaluation of , for the WZ, functional more plausible in the application of the linear-scaling OO-DFT method for large systems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007 [source] STABILITY AND PROPERTIES OF A THERMOSTABLE ,-GALACTOSIDASE IMMOBILIZED ON CHTTINJOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2000JADWIGA MACIU ABSTRACT Thermostable ,-galactosidase from an E. coli transformant containing the enzyme gene from P. woesei was immobilized at pH 4.0 and a glutaraldehyde concentration of 10 mM on chitin isolated from shrimp Crangon crangon shells. These preparations had a specific activity of 43,000 U/g of chitin at 85C using ONPG as substrate. The optimum pH and temperature for immobilized ,-galactosidase activity were 5.2 and 93C. Immobilization shifts the optimum pH for the activity of the enzyme by 0.2 units towards the acid side. The immobilized enzyme is stable at temperatures close to the optimal value, and the residual activity for ONPG hydrolysis of the preparations incubated 5 h in 0.1 M phosphate citrate buffer (pH 5.4) at 90C and 100C was 70% and 40% of the initial value, respectively. [source] Optimization of the Viability of Probiotics in a New Fermented Milk Drink by the Genetic Algorithms for Response Surface ModelingJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003M.-J. Chen ABSTRACT: Calcium gluconate (0.0 to 0.5%), sodium gluconate (0.0 to 1.0%), and N-acetylglucosamine (0.0 to 1.0%) were added to skim milk to retain the viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum. To carry out response surface modeling, the regression method was performed on experimental results to build mathematical models. The models were then formulated as an objective function in an optimization problem that was consequently optimized using a genetic algorithm approach to obtain the maximum viability of the probiotics. The genetic algorithms (GAs) were examined to search for the optimal value. The results indicated that GAs were very effective for optimizing the activity of probiotic cultures. [source] New method for the determination of fecal consistency and its optimal value in the general populationJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 12 2002SHIGEYUKI NAKAJI Abstract Background : Although fecal consistency is an important factor, there has been only one study measuring this parameter. We developed a new method to measure fecal consistency and studied the relationship between fecal consistency and other fecal factors, including water content and weight. Methods : The new method is a modification of the method of Exton-Smith and used an even balance. Subjects in the initial trial were 26 healthy women. Subsequently, fecal consistency was measured in a representative sample of the general Japanese population, in order to evaluate the optimal value to maintain large bowel function. Results : Correlations between fecal consistency and fecal water content and weight were statistically consistent, although not highly correlated with each other. The optimal mean value was around 300 cm2: ,normal' in ,subjective defecatory state', 295.5 cm2 and 305.2 cm2; ,once/day' in ,defecation frequency', 296.1 cm2 and 310.2 cm2; ,soft and plump' in ,fecal characteristics', 293.6 cm2 and 298.3 cm2, in males and females, respectively. The coefficient of variation of this method ranged from 5.2% to 6.3%. Conclusions : This method is thought to be applicable to large-scale epidemiological surveys. The optimal value of fecal consistency in the general population was evaluated at approximately 300 g/cm2. © 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd [source] Low-Temperature Sintering and Electromagnetic Properties of Copper-Modified Z-type HexaferriteJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 5 2002Hongguo Zhang The influence of the substitution of copper for cobalt on the low-sintering densification, microstructure, lattice parameters, and electromagnetic properties of planar Z-type hexaferrites, which have a stoichiometric composition of Ba3Co2(10.8,x) -Zn0.4Cu2xFe24O41, were investigated. The experimental results show that densification of the copper-substituted hexaferrite is dependent on the amount of copper substitution and sintering temperatures. XRD analysis reveals that the solid solubility of copper in Z-type hexaferrite is limited to x, 0.30. At the same time, the lattice parameters (a and c) of Z-type hexaferrites with copper substitution showed a small change, that is, decrease of a parameter in the basal plane and increase of the c axial. Moreover, the microstructure becomes more homogeneous and intragranular pores decrease considerably, but the temperature-stable range of the Z-type phase formation is narrow. The copper-substituted hexaferrites, with x= 0.20 and sintered at ,1125°C for 4 h, resulted in a high density sample of ,4.68 g/cm3 as the optimal value, good magnetic properties, and the enormous potentiality for fabrication of multilayer chip inductors used in hyper-frequencies. [source] On the optimal portfolio for the exponential utility maximization: remarks to the six-author paperMATHEMATICAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2002Yuri M. Kabanov This note contains ramifications of results of Delbaen et al. (2002). Assuming that the price process is locally bounded and admits an equivalent local martingale measure with finite entropy, we show, without further assumption, that in the case of exponential utility the optimal portfolio process is a martingale with respect to each local martingale measure with finite entropy. Moreover, the optimal value always can be attained on a sequence of uniformly bounded portfolios. [source] Appropriate SCF basis sets for orbital studies of galaxies and a ,quantum-mechanical' method to compute themMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008Constantinos Kalapotharakos ABSTRACT We address the question of an appropriate choice of basis functions for the self-consistent field (SCF) method of simulation of the N -body problem. Our criterion is based on a comparison of the orbits found in N -body realizations of analytical potential,density models of triaxial galaxies, in which the potential is fitted by the SCF method using a variety of basis sets, with those of the original models. Our tests refer to maximally triaxial Dehnen ,-models for values of , in the range 0 ,,, 1, i.e. from the harmonic core up to the weak cusp limit. When an N -body realization of a model is fitted by the SCF method, the choice of radial basis functions affects significantly the way the potential, forces or derivatives of the forces are reproduced, especially in the central regions of the system. We find that this results in serious discrepancies in the relative amounts of chaotic versus regular orbits, or in the distributions of the Lyapunov characteristic exponents, as found by different basis sets. Numerical tests include the Clutton-Brock and the Hernquist,Ostriker basis sets, as well as a family of numerical basis sets which are ,close' to the Hernquist,Ostriker basis set (according to a given definition of distance in the space of basis functions). The family of numerical basis sets is parametrized in terms of a quantity , which appears in the kernel functions of the Sturm,Liouville equation defining each basis set. The Hernquist,Ostriker basis set is the ,= 0 member of the family. We demonstrate that grid solutions of the Sturm,Liouville equation yielding numerical basis sets introduce large errors in the variational equations of motion. We propose a quantum-mechanical method of solution of the Sturm,Liouville equation which overcomes these errors. We finally give criteria for a choice of optimal value of , and calculate the latter as a function of the value of ,, i.e. of the power-law exponent of the radial density profile at the central regions of the galaxy. [source] Mathematical models to reconstruct phylogenetic trees under the minimum evolution criterionNETWORKS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Daniele Catanzaro Abstract A basic problem in molecular biology is to rebuild phylogenetic trees (PT) from a set of DNA or protein sequences. Among different criteria used for this purpose, the minimum evolution criterion is an optimality based criterion aiming to rebuild PT characterized by a minimal length. This problem is known to be ,,,,-hard. We introduce in this article some mixed integer programming models, and we also study possible cuts and lower bounds for the optimal value. So far, the number of sequences that can be involved in optimal phylogenetic reconstruction is still limited to 10. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2009 [source] High-efficiency copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cells with indium sulfide buffer layers deposited by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (ALCVD)PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH & APPLICATIONS, Issue 7 2003N. Naghavi Abstract This paper presents optimization studies on the formation of indium sulfide buffer layers for high-efficiency copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells with atomic layer chemical vapour deposition (ALCVD) from separate pulses of indium acetylacetonate and hydrogen sulfide. A parametric study of the effect of deposition temperature between 160° and 260°C and thickness (15,30,nm) shows an optimal value at about 220°C for a layer thickness of 30,nm, leading to an efficiency of 16·4%. Analysis of the device shows that indium sulfide layers are characterised by an improvement of the blue response of the cells compared with a standard CdS-processed cell, due to a high apparent band gap (2·7,2·8,eV), higher open-circuit voltages (up to 665,mV) and fill factor (78%). This denotes high interface quality. Atomic diffusion processes of sodium and copper in the buffer layer are demonstrated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Best domain for an elliptic problem in cartesian coordinates by means of shape-measureASIAN JOURNAL OF CONTROL, Issue 5 2009Alireza Fakharzadeh Jahromi Abstract In (ZAA J. Anal. Appl., Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 143,155) we introduced a method to determine the optimal domains for elliptic optimal-shape design problems in polar coordinates. However, the same problem in cartesian coordinates, which are more applicable, is found to be much harder, therefore we had to develop a new approach for these designs. Herein, the unknown domain is divided into a fixed and a variable part and the optimal pair of the domain and its optimal control, is characterized in two stages. Firstly, the optimal control for the each given domain is determined by changing the problem into a measure-theoretical one, replacing this with an infinite dimensional linear programming problem and approximating schemes; then the nearly optimal control function is characterized. Therefore a function that offers the optimal value of the objective function for a given domain, is defined. In the second stage, by applying a standard optimization method, the global minimizer pair will be obtained. Some numerical examples are also given. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society [source] A Class of Multiplicity Adjusted Tests for Spatial Clustering Based on Case,Control Point DataBIOMETRICS, Issue 1 2007Toshiro Tango Summary A class of tests with quadratic forms for detecting spatial clustering of health events based on case,control point data is proposed. It includes Cuzick and Edwards's test statistic (1990, Journal of theRoyal Statistical Society, Series B52, 73,104). Although they used the property of asymptotic normality of the test statistic, we show that such an approximation is generally poor for moderately large sample sizes. Instead, we suggest a central chi-square distribution as a better approximation to the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic. Furthermore, not only to estimate the optimal value of the unknown parameter on the scale of cluster but also to adjust for multiple testing due to repeating the procedure by changing the parameter value, we propose the minimum of the profile p-value of the test statistic for the parameter as an integrated test statistic. We also provide a statistic to estimate the areas or cases which make large contributions to significant clustering. The proposed methods are illustrated with a data set concerning the locations of cases of childhood leukemia and lymphoma and another on early medieval grave site locations consisting of affected and nonaffected grave sites. [source] Robustness Analysis of the Escherichiacoli Metabolic NetworkBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2000Jeremy S. Edwards Genomic, biochemical, and strain-specific data can be assembled to define an in silico representation of the metabolic network for a select group of single cellular organisms. Flux-balance analysis and phenotypic phase planes derived therefrom have been developed and applied to analyze the metabolic capabilities and characteristics of Escherichia coli K-12. These analyses have shown the existence of seven essential reactions in the central metabolic pathways (glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, tricarboxylic acid cycle) for the growth in glucose minimal media. The corresponding seven gene products can be grouped into three categories: (1) pentose phosphate pathway genes, (2) three-carbon glycolytic genes, and (3) tricarboxylic acid cycle genes. Here we develop a procedure that calculates the sensitivity of optimal cellular growth to altered flux levels of these essential gene products. The results indicate that the E. coli metabolic network is robust with respect to the flux levels of these enzymes. The metabolic flux in the transketolase and the tricarboxylic acid cycle reactions can be reduced to 15% and 19%, respectively, of the optimal value without significantly influencing the optimal growth flux. The metabolic network also exhibited robustness with respect to the ribose-5-phosphate isomerase, and the ribose-5-phosephate isomerase flux was reduced to 28% of the optimal value without significantly effecting the optimal growth flux. The metabolic network exhibited limited robustness to the three-carbon glycolytic fluxes both increased and decreased. The development presented another dimension to the use of FBA to study the capabilities of metabolic networks. [source] Hybrid Control of Smart Structures Using a Novel Wavelet-Based AlgorithmCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2005Hongjin Kim A new hybrid control system is presented through judicious combination of a passive supplementary damping system with a semi-active TLCD system. The new model utilizes the advantages of both passive and semi-active control systems, thereby improving the overall performance, reliability, and operability of the control system during normal operations as well as a power or computer failure. The robust wavelet-hybrid feedback least mean square (LMS) control algorithm developed recently by the authors is used to find optimal values of the control parameters. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed hybrid damper-TLCD system in reducing the vibrations under various seismic excitations are evaluated through numerical simulations performed for an eight-story frame using three different simulated earthquake ground accelerations. It is found that the new model is effective in significantly reducing the response of the structure under various seismic excitations. [source] Tangential-projection algorithm for manifold representation in unidentifiable model updating problemsEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 4 2002Lambros S. Katafygiotis Abstract The problem of updating a structural model and its associated uncertainties by utilizing structural response data is addressed. In an identifiable case, the posterior probability density function (PDF) of the uncertain model parameters for given measured data can be approximated by a weighted sum of Gaussian distributions centered at a number of discrete optimal values of the parameters at which some positive measure-of-fit function is minimized. The present paper focuses on the problem of model updating in the general unidentifiable case for which certain simplifying assumptions available for identifiable cases are not valid. In this case, the PDF is distributed in the neighbourhood of an extended and usually highly complex manifold of the parameter space that cannot be calculated explicitly. The computational difficulties associated with calculating the highly complex posterior PDF are discussed and a new adaptive algorithm, referred to as the tangential-projection (TP) algorithm, allowing for an efficient approximate representation of the above manifold and the posterior PDF is presented. Using this approximation, expressions for calculating the uncertain predictive response are established. A numerical example involving noisy data is presented to demonstrate the proposed method. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimal Monetary Policy with Price and Wage RigiditiesECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 1 2006Massimiliano Marzo In this paper, I search for an optimal configuration of parameters for variants of the Taylor rule by using an accurate second-order welfare-based method within a fully microfounded dynamic stochastic model, with price and wage rigidities, without capital accumulation. A version of the model with distortionary taxation is also explicitly tested. The model is solved up to second-order solution. Optimal rules are obtained by maximizing a conditional welfare measure, differently from what has been done in the current literature. Optimal monetary policy functions turn out to be characterized by inflation targeting parameter lower than in empirical studies. In general, the optimal values for monetary policy parameters depend on the degree of nominal rigidities and on the role of fiscal policy. When nominal rigidities are higher, optimal monetary policy becomes more aggressive to inflation. With a tighter fiscal policy, optimal monetary policy turns out to be less aggressive to inflation. Impulse-response functions based on second-order model solution show a non-affine pattern when the economy is hit by shocks of different magnitude. [source] Amperometric Biosensors Based on Choline Oxidase Entrapped in Polyacrylamide MicrogelsELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2-3 2007López, M. Sánchez-Paniagua Abstract A choline amperometric biosensor has been designed using as biological component choline oxidase (ChOx) entrapped in polyacrylamide microgels. The working electrode was prepared by holding the enzyme loaded microgels on a platinum electrode by a dialysis membrane. It was found that the optimum microgel cross-linking required to retain ChOx and to allow the diffusion of choline was 7.0%. The response of the biosensor was optimized in relation to pH, temperature and working potential and the following optimal values were obtained: pH,9.0, temperature range between 20 and 30,°C, and potential +0.6,V. Under optimal conditions the sensitivity for choline was 17.45,mA M,1 cm,2, the detection limit 8,,M, and the response linear range from 2×10,5 M to 2×10,4 M. This biosensor has been also used as a nicotine detector due to the inhibition of the catalytic activity of choline oxidase by this compound. Moreover, the simultaneous entrapment of a second enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), in the microgels makes the biosensor sensible to acetylcholine. [source] HOW BRIGHT AND HOW NASTY: EXPLAINING DIVERSITY IN WARNING SIGNAL STRENGTHEVOLUTION, Issue 3 2007Michael P. Speed The conspicuous displays that warn predators of defenses carried by potential prey have been of interest to evolutionary biologists from the time of Wallace and Darwin to the present day. Although most studies implicitly assume that these "aposematic" warning signals simply indicate the presence of some repellent defense such as a toxin, it has been speculated that the intensity of the signal might reliably indicate the strength of defense so that, for example, the nastiest prey might "shout loudest" about their unprofitability. Recent phylogenetic and empirical studies of Dendrobatid frogs provide contradictory views, in one instance showing a positive correlation between toxin levels and conspicuousness, in another showing a breakdown of this relationship. In this paper we present an optimization model, which can potentially account for these divergent results. Our model locates the optimal values of defensive traits that are influenced by a range of costs and benefits. We show that optimal aposematic conspicuousness can be positively correlated with optimal prey toxicity, especially where population sizes and season lengths vary between species. In other cases, optimal aposematic conspicuousness may be negatively correlated with toxicity; this is especially the case when the marginal costs of aposematic displays vary between members of different populations. Finally, when displays incur no allocation costs there may be no single optimum value for aposematic conspicuousness, rather a large array of alternative forms of a display may have equal fitness. [source] Why are species' body size distributions usually skewed to the right?FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Jan Koz, owski Summary 1.,Species' body size distributions are right-skewed, symmetric or left-skewed, but right-skewness strongly prevails. 2.,Skewness changes with taxonomic level, with a tendency to high right-skewness in classes and diverse skewness in orders within a class. Where the number of lower taxa allows for analysis, skewness coefficients have normal distributions, with the majority of taxa being right-skewed. 3.,Skewness changes with geographical scale. For a broad range, distributions in a class are usually right-skewed. For a narrower scale, distributions remain right-skewed or become symmetric or even close to uniform. 4.,The prevailing right-skewness of species' body size distributions is explained with macroevolutionary models, the fractal character of the environment, or body size optimization. 5.,Macroevolutionary models assume either size-biased speciation and extinction, or the existence of a constraint on small size. Macroevolutionary mechanisms seem insufficient to explain the pattern of species' body size distributions, but they may operate together with other mechanisms. 6.,Optimization models assume that directional and then stabilizing selection works after speciation events. There are two kinds of optimization approaches to study species' body size distributions. Under the first approach, it is assumed that a single energetic optimum exists for an entire taxon, and that species are distributed around this optimum. Under the second approach, each species has a separate optimum, and the species' body size distribution reflects the distribution of optimal values. 7.,Because not only energetic properties but also mortality are important in determining optimal sizes, only the second approach, that is, seeking the distribution of optimal values, seems appropriate in the context of life-history evolution. This approach predicts diverse shapes of body size distributions, with right-skewness prevailing. [source] Evaluating recursive filters on distributed memory parallel computersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 11 2006Przemys, aw Stpiczy, skiArticle first published online: 6 APR 200 Abstract The aim of this paper is to show that the recently developed high performance divide and conquer algorithm for solving linear recurrence systems with constant coefficients together with the new BLAS-based algorithm for narrow-banded triangular Toeplitz matrix,vector multiplication, allow to evaluate linear recursive filters efficiently on distributed memory parallel computers. We apply the BSP model of parallel computing to predict the behaviour of the algorithm and to find the optimal values of the method's parameters. The results of experiments performed on a cluster of twelve dual-processor Itanium 2 computers and Cray X1 are also presented and discussed. The algorithm allows to utilize up to 30% of the peak performance of 24 Itanium processors, while a simple scalar algorithm can only utilize about 4% of the peak performance of a single processor. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Design of Experiments (DOE) for the Optimization of Titania,hydroxyapatite Functionally Graded CoatingsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Valeria Cannillo Titania,hydroxyapatite functionally graded coatings were deposited on titanium alloy substrates by plasma spraying. Because it was necessary to spray together the titania and the hydroxyapatite powders to obtain the graded system, the first target of the present study was to optimize the process parameters in order to obtain a high-quality coating. A 23 Design of Experiments was applied to define the optimal values of plasma torch power, hydrogen flux, and spraying distance. This defined set of parameters (38 kW, 5 SLPM, and 90 mm, respectively) was used to spray the most promising graded coating, which was characterized and postheat treated. [source] Application of ozone treatment and pinch technology in cooling water systems design for water and energy conservationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2010A. Ataei Abstract Re-circulating cooling water systems offer the means to remove heat from a wide variety of industrial processes that generate excess heat. Such systems consist of a cooling tower and a heat-exchanger network that conventionally has a parallel configuration. However, reuse of water between different cooling duties allows cooling water networks to be designed in a series arrangement. This results in performance improvement and increased cooling tower capacity. In addition, by the integration of ozone treatment into the cooling tower, the cycle of concentration can be increased. The ozone treatment also dramatically reduces the blow-down that, in turn, is environmentally constructive. In this study, a new environmental-friendly and cost-effective design methodology for cooling water systems was introduced. Using this design methodology, Integrated Ozone Treatment Cooling System (IOTCS), achievement of minimum environmental impacts and total cost were afforded through a simultaneous integration of the cooling system components using an ozone treatment cooling tower and optimum heat-exchanger network configuration. Moreover, in the proposed method, the cooling tower optimum design was achieved through a mathematical model. The IOTCS design method is based upon a complex design approach using a combined pinch analysis and mathematical programming that provides an optimum heat-exchanger configuration while maximizing water and energy conservation and minimizing total cost. Related coding in MATLAB version 7.3 was used for the illustrative example to obtain optimal values in the IOTCS design method computations. The results of the recently introduced design methodology were compared with the conventional method. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Dimensioning and optimization of push-to-talk over cellular serverINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008M. T. Alam The PoC (push-to-talk over cellular) application allows point-to-point or point-to-multipoint voice communication between mobile network users. The related work over PoC focuses on the performance analysis only and is ignorant about dimensioning a PoC controller to optimize revenue for service providers. In this paper, we dimension a PoC service with the assumption that the network grade of service is provided. The on-demand sessions should have access priority over pre-established sessions. A PoC controller should be able to terminate a PoC session based on an optimal timer. Moreover, the number of simultaneous session initiations by a PoC client is also a configurable parameter. We derived relations to provide access priority to special PoC sessions based on available transmit/receive units (TRU) and threshold level. Load sharing expressions are reported for a PoC controller using the Lagrange multiplier technique. A simple relation to control the PoC session timer is proposed. Finally, the derivation of maximum number of allowable simultaneous sessions is depicted using two-state Markov models. Numerical results have been computed with the corresponding derivation to provide a useful insight into the system behaviour. A PoC service can benefit from these optimal values of our work during the busy hour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||