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Adhesive joints between metal parts made amenable to nondestructive radiographic inspection by incorporating radiopaque fillers that increase x-ray contrasts of joints. Adhesives can be epoxies, urethanes, acrylics, phenolics, or silicones, with appropriate curing agents and with such modifiers as polysulfides, polyamides, or butadiene rubbers.
The space shuttle's external fuel tank is thermally insulated by the closed cell foams. However, natural voids composed of air and trapped gas are found as by-products when the foams are cured. Detection of foam voids and foam de-bonding is a formidable task owing to the small index of refraction contrast between foam and air (1.04:1). In the presence of a denser binding matrix agent that bonds two different foam materials, time-differentiation of filtered terahertz signals can be employed to magnify information prior to the main substrate reflections. In the absence of a matrix binder, de-convolution of the filtered time differential terahertz signals is performed to reduce the masking effects of antenna ringing. The goal is simply to increase probability of void detection through image enhancement and to determine the depth of the void.
The Mercury transit of the Sun, 15 November 1999, was observed at the Prairie View Solar Observatory (PVSO) and with three channels of the TRACE satellite. These CCD observations enabled an objective study of the historic Black Drop under different conditions and with different filters. The Black Drop phenomenon has a much subtler counterpart referred to as the 'Gray Drop phenomenon', of which the former is a more prominent component of the latter. The optical causes of both effects are very similar and appear to require a sharp, uniform boundary of sufficient contrast (e.g. the solar limb against a sky at least as dark as the center of Mercury's disk), coupled with a blurring agent. Without all these conditions in place, the visibility of the Black Drop is greatly reduced or eliminated. Such was the case of the transit as observed with Ha at line center, the TRACE UV (1600A) channel, and the EUV (171A) channel. This suppression of visibility in these cases was due to the contrast-lowering background of the chromosphere or corona.
This paper examines the performance of simple learning rules in a complex adaptive system based on a coordination problem modeled on the El Farol problem. The key features of the El Farol problem are that it typically involves a medium number of agents and that agents' pay-off functions have a discontinuous response to increased congestion. First we consider a single adaptive agent facing a stationary environment. We demonstrate that the simple learning rules proposed by Roth and Er'ev can be extremely sensitive to small changes in the initial conditions and that events early in a simulation can affect the performance of the rule over a relatively long time horizon. In contrast, a reinforcement learning rule based on standard practice in the computer science literature converges rapidly and robustly. The situation is reversed when multiple adaptive agents interact: the RE algorithms often converge rapidly to a stable average aggregate attendance despite the slow and erratic behavior of individual learners, while the CS based learners frequently over-attend in the early and intermediate terms. The symmetric mixed strategy equilibria is unstable: all three learning rules ultimately tend towards pure strategies or stabilize in the medium term at non-equilibrium probabilities of attendance. The brittleness of the algorithms in different contexts emphasize the importance of thorough and thoughtful examination of simulation-based results.
This chapter presents the science of "COllective INtelligence" (COIN). A COIN is a large multi-agent systems where: i) the agents each run reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms; ii) there is little to no centralized communication or control; iii) there is a provided world utility function that, rates the possible histories of tile full system. Tile conventional approach to designing large distributed systems to optimize a world utility does not use agents running RL algorithms. Rather that approach begins with explicit modeling of the overall system's dynamics, followed by detailed hand-tuning of the interactions between the components to ensure that they "cooperate" as far as the world utility is concerned. This approach is labor-intensive, often results in highly non-robust systems, and usually results in design techniques that, have limited applicability. In contrast, with COINs we wish to solve the system design problems implicitly, via the 'adaptive' character of the RL algorithms of each of the agents. This COIN approach introduces an entirely new, profound design problem: Assuming the RL algorithms are able to achieve high rewards, what reward functions for the individual agents will, when pursued by those agents, result in high world utility? In other words, what reward functions will best ensure that we do not have phenomena like the tragedy of the commons, or Braess's paradox? Although still very young, the science of COINs has already resulted in successes in artificial domains, in particular in packet-routing, the leader-follower problem, and in variants of Arthur's "El Farol bar problem". It is expected that as it matures not only will COIN science expand greatly the range of tasks addressable by human engineers, but it will also provide much insight into already established scientific fields, such as economics, game theory, or population biology.
A technique for the fabrication of piezoelectric actuators that generate acceptably large forces and deflections at relatively low applied voltages involves the stacking and diffusion bonding of multiple thin piezoelectric layers coated with film electrodes. The present technique stands in contrast to an older technique in which the layers are bonded chemically, by use of urethane or epoxy agents. The older chemical-bonding technique entails several disadvantages, including the following: It is difficult to apply the bonding agents to the piezoelectric layers. It is difficult to position the layers accurately and without making mistakes. There is a problem of disposal of hazardous urethane and epoxy wastes. The urethane and epoxy agents are nonpiezoelectric materials. As such, they contribute to the thickness of a piezoelectric laminate without contributing to its performance; conversely, for a given total thickness, the performance of the laminate is below that of a unitary piezoelectric plate of the same thickness. The figure depicts some aspects of the fabrication of a laminated piezoelectric actuator by the present diffusion- bonding technique. First, stock sheets of the piezoelectric material are inspected and tested. Next, the hole pattern shown in the figure is punched into the sheets. Alternatively, if the piezoelectric material is not a polymer, then the holes are punched in thermoplastic films. Then both faces of each punched piezoelectric sheet or thermoplastic film are coated with a silver-ink electrode material by use of a silkscreen printer. The electrode and hole patterns are designed for minimal complexity and minimal waste of material. After a final electrical test, all the coated piezoelectric layers (or piezoelectric layers and coated thermoplastic films) are stacked in an alignment jig, which, in turn, is placed in a curved press for the diffusion-bonding process. In this process, the stack is pressed and heated at a specified curing temperature and pressure for a specified curing time. The pressure, temperature, and time depend on the piezoelectric material selected. At the end of the diffusion-bonding process, the resulting laminated piezoelectric actuator is tested to verify the adequacy of the mechanical output as a function of an applied DC voltage.
BACKGROUND: Contrast echocardiography may be used to assess myocardial perfusion. However, gray scale assessment of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is difficult because of variations in regional backscatter intensity, difficulties in distinguishing varying shades of gray, and artifacts or attenuation. We sought to determine whether the assessment of rest myocardial perfusion by MCE could be improved with subtraction and color coding. METHODS AND RESULTS: MCE was performed in 31 patients with previous myocardial infarction with a 2nd generation agent (NC100100, Nycomed AS), using harmonic triggered or continuous imaging and gain settings were kept constant throughout the study. Digitized images were post processed by subtraction of baseline from contrast data and colorized to reflect the intensity of myocardial contrast. Gray scale MCE alone, MCE images combined with baseline and subtracted colorized images were scored independently using a 16 segment model. The presence and severity of myocardial contrast abnormalities were compared with perfusion defined by rest MIBI-SPECT. Segments that were not visualized by continuous (17%) or triggered imaging (14%) after color processing were excluded from further analysis. The specificity of gray scale MCE alone (56%) or MCE combined with baseline 2D (47%) was significantly enhanced by subtraction and color coding (76%, p<0.001) of triggered images. The accuracy of the gray scale approaches (respectively 52% and 47%) was increased to 70% (p<0.001). Similarly, for continuous images, the specificity of gray scale MCE with and without baseline comparison was 23% and 42% respectively, compared with 60% after post processing (p<0.001). The accuracy of colorized images (59%) was also significantly greater than gray scale MCE (43% and 29%, p<0.001). The sensitivity of MCE for both acquisitions was not altered by subtraction. CONCLUSION: Post-processing with subtraction and color coding significantly improves the accuracy and specificity of MCE for detection of perfusion defects.
Although the history of life has been characterized by intermittent episodes of radiation that can be recognized in global compilations of biodiversity, it does not necessarily follow that these episodes are caused by processes that occurred uniformly around the world. Major diversity increases could be generated by the cumulative effects of different mechanisms operating simultaneously at several geographic or environmental scales. The purpose of this review is to describe ongoing research on the manifestations, at several scales, of the Ordovician Radiation, which was among the most extensive intervals of diversification in the history of life. Through much of the period, diversity was concentrated most heavily near regions of active mountain building and volcanism; differences in diversity patterns from continent to continent, and among regions within continents, reflect this overprint. While this suggests a linkage of the Radiation and tectonic activity, this is by no means the only mediating agent. Outcrop-based research in North America has demonstrated that tectonic activity was detrimental to some biotic elements, in contrast to its effects on other organisms. Moreover, in the Great Basin of North America where the local stratigraphic record is of particularly high quality, biotic transitions characteristic of the period occurred far more rapidly than observed in global compilations of diversity, suggesting that the global rate of transition may represent the aggregate sum of transitions that occurred abruptly, but at different times, around the world. Finally, it has been demonstrated that, in concert with an increase in average age, the environmental and geographic ranges of Ordovician genera both increased significantly through the period, indicating a role for intrinsic factors in producing Ordovician biotic patterns.
A biologically inspired method has been developed for (1) separating single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) from other materials (principally, amorphous carbon and metal catalysts) in raw production batches and (2) dispersing the SWCNTs as individual particles (in contradistinction to ropes and bundles) in suspension, as required for a number of applications. Prior methods of purification and dispersal of SWCNTs involve, variously, harsh physical processes (e.g., sonication) or harsh chemical processes (e.g., acid reflux). These processes do not completely remove the undesired materials and do not disperse bundles and ropes into individual suspended SWCNTs. Moreover, these processes cut long SWCNTs into shorter pieces, yielding typical nanotube lengths between 150 and 250 nm. In contrast, the present method does not involve harsh physical or chemical processes. The method involves the use of biologically derived dispersal agents (BDDAs) in an aqueous solution that is mechanically homogenized (but not sonicated) and centrifuged. The dense solid material remaining after centrifugation is resuspended by vortexing in distilled water, yielding an aqueous suspension of individual, separated SWCNTs having lengths from about 10 to about 15 microns.
Recent work on the foundations of optimization has begun to uncover its underlying rich structure. In particular, the "No Free Lunch" (NFL) theorems [WM97] state that any two algorithms are equivalent when their performance is averaged across all possible problems. This highlights the need for exploiting problem-specific knowledge to achieve better than random performance. In this paper we present a general framework covering most search scenarios. In addition to the optimization scenarios addressed in the NFL results, this framework covers multi-armed bandit problems and evolution of multiple co-evolving agents. As a particular instance of the latter, it covers "self-play" problems. In these problems the agents work together to produce a champion, who then engages one or more antagonists in a subsequent multi-player game In contrast to the traditional optimization case where the NFL results hold, we show that in self-play there are free lunches: in coevolution some algorithms have better performance than other algorithms, averaged across all possible problems. However in the typical coevolutionary scenarios encountered in biology, where there is no champion, NFL still holds.
Supine hypertension, which is very common in patients with autonomic failure, limits the use of pressor agents and induces nighttime natriuresis. In 13 patients with severe orthostatic hypotension due to autonomic failure (7 women, 6 men, 72 +/- 3 yr) and supine hypertension, the effect of 30 mg nifedipine (n = 10) and 0.025 to 0.2 mg/h nitroglycerin patch (n = 11) on supine BP, renal sodium handling, and orthostatic tolerance was determined. Medications were given at 8 p.m.; patients stood up at 8 a.m. Nitroglycerin was removed at 6 a.m. Compared with placebo, nifedipine and nitroglycerin decreased systolic BP during the night by a maximum of 37 +/- 9 and 36 +/- 10 mmHg, respectively (P < 0.01). At 8 a.m., supine systolic BP was 23 +/- 7 mmHg lower with nifedipine than with placebo (P < 0.05), but was similar with nitroglycerin and placebo. Sodium excretion during the night was not reduced with nitroglycerin (0.13 +/- 0.02 mmol/mg creatinine [Cr] versus 0.15 +/- 0.03 mmol/mg Cr with placebo), but it was increased with nifedipine (0.35 +/- 0.06 mmol/mg Cr versus 0.13 +/- 0.02 mmol/mg Cr with placebo, P < 0.05). Nifedipine but not nitroglycerin worsened orthostatic hypotension in the morning. It is concluded that nifedipine and transdermal nitroglycerin are effective in controlling supine hypertension in patients with autonomic failure. However, nifedipine has a prolonged depressor effect and worsens orthostatic hypotension in the morning. The decrease in pressure natriuresis that would be expected with the substantial decrease in BP obtained with nitroglycerin and nifedipine may be offset by a direct effect of both drugs on renal sodium handling.
Genetic sequencing and many genetic tests and assays require electrophoretic separation of DNA. In this technique, DNA fragments are separated by size as they migrate through a sieving gel under the influence of an applied electric field. In order to conduct these analyses on-orbit, it is essential to acquire the capability to efficiently perform electrophoresis in a microgravity environment. Conventional bench top electrophoresis equipment is large and cumbersome and does not lead itself to on-orbit utilization. Much of the previous research regarding on-orbit electrophoresis involved altering conventional electrophoresis equipment for bioprocessing, purification, and/or separation technology applications. A new and more efficient approach to on-orbit electrophoresis is the use of a microfabricated electrophoresis platform. These platforms are much smaller, less expensive to produce and operate, use less power, require smaller sample sizes (nanoliters), and achieve separation in a much shorter distance (a few centimeters instead of 10 s or 100 s of centimeters.) In contrast to previous applications, this platform would be utilized as an analytical tool for life science/medical research, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnoses. Identification of infectious agents as well as radiation related damage are significant to NASA s efforts to maintain, study, and monitor crew health during and in support of near-Earth and interplanetary missions. The capability to perform genetic assays on-orbit is imperative to conduct relevant and insightful biological and medical research, as well as continuing NASA s search for life elsewhere. This technology would provide an essential analytical tool for research conducted in a microgravity environment (Shuttle, ISS, long duration/interplanetary missions.) In addition, this technology could serve as a critical and invaluable component of a biosentinel system to monitor space environment genotoxic insults to include radiation.
A model is presented for the thermodynamics of the seasonal meridional energy balance and thermal structure of the Uranian atmosphere. The model considers radiation and small-scale convection, and dynamical heat fluxes due to large-scale baroclinic eddies. Phase oscillations with a period of 0.5 Uranian year are discerned in the total internal power and global enthalpy storage. The variations in the identity of the main transport agent with the magnitude of the internal heat source are discussed. It is shown that meridional heat transport in the atmosphere is sufficient to lower seasonal horizontal temperature contrasts below those predicted with radiative-convection models.
The design of complex engineering systems such as aircraft, automobiles, and computers is primarily a cooperative multidisciplinary design process involving interactions between several design agents. The common thread underlying this multidisciplinary design activity is the information exchange between the various groups and disciplines. The integrating component in such environments is the common data and the dependencies that exist between such data. This may be contrasted to classical multidisciplinary analyses problems where there is coupling between distinct design parameters. For example, they may be expressed as mathematically coupled relationships between aerodynamic and structural interactions in aircraft structures, between thermal and structural interactions in nuclear plants, and between control considerations and structural interactions in flexible robots. These relationships provide analytical based frameworks leading to optimization problem formulations. However, in multidisciplinary design problems, information based interactions become more critical. Many times, the relationships between different design parameters are not amenable to analytical characterization. Under such circumstances, information based interactions will provide the best integration paradigm, i.e., there is a need to model the data entities and their dependencies between design parameters originating from different design agents. The modeling of such data interactions and dependencies forms the basis for integrating the various design agents.
Similarities and differences among the Galilean satellites are discussed. A hypothesis is offered that the surface of Io is largely covered by 'evaporite' salts produced by defluidization of Io's interior, migration of salt-saturated solutions to Io's surface, and subsequent H2O loss to space. Laboratory reflectance studies show that evaporites constitute a good match to Io's spectrum in the infrared, in contrast to ices or frosts, the presence of which is not considered likely in view of the absence of near IR ice bands in Io's surface spectrum. Likely coloring agents in the blue include elemental sulfur, which may be produced from sulfates by proton irradiation or other processes, and F-centers produced by irradiation with magnetospheric protons. Preferential irradiation of material in the polar regions may account for Io's peculiar dark polar caps.
It is a well-documented fact that cycles of light and dark (LD) are the major entraining agent or 'zeitgeber' for circadian rhythms and that cycles of eating and fasting (EF) are capable of synchronizing a few circadian rhythms in the squirrel monkey. In this paper, by contrasting how these rhythms are timed by LD and EF cycles, the differential coupling to the oscillating system within adult male squirrel monkeys is examined. The variables measured are the rhythms of drinking, colonic temperature, and urinary potassium and water excretion. Attention is given to a comparison of the reproducibility of the averaged waveforms of the rhythms, the stability of the timing of a phase reference point, and the rate of resynchronization of these rhythms following an abrupt 8-hr phase delay in the zeitgeber. It is shown that the colonic temperature rhythm is more tightly controlled by LD than EF cycles, and that the drinking and urinary rhythms are more tightly coupled to EF than LD cycles.
The gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and icy giants (Uranus and Neptune) are fluid planets with atmospheres primarily made of hydrogen and helium. The part of their atmospheres accessible to remote sensing occupies only a small fraction of their radii (0.05%). Clouds and hazes form around the 1 bar altitude pressure level and extend vertically, according to the thermochemical models, in a layer with a thickness of 200_500 km where temperature increases with depth (usually known as the "weather layer"). Clouds made of NH3, NH4SH, H2O (in Jupiter and Saturn), with the addition of CH4 (in Uranus and Neptune), cover the planet in stratified layers that are mixed with unknown hromophore agents. Dynamical phenomena in the weather layer shape different cloud patterns that define the visible appearance of these planets. In the thermal part of the spectrum clouds act as opacity sources providing brightness contrasts. The ensemble of cloud morphologies in terms of shapes, sizes and albedos allows their use as tracers of the atmospheric motions in the weather layer (Fig. 4.1). This is the main tool employed so far to study the winds on these fourplanets.
Atmospheric aerosols on Mars are critical in determining the nature of its thermal structure, its large-scale circulation, and hence the overall climate of the planet. We conduct multi-annual simulations with the latest version of the NASA Ames Mars global climate model (GCM), gcm2.3+, that includes a modernized radiative-transfer package and complex water-ice cloud microphysics package which permit radiative effects and interactions of suspended atmospheric aerosols (e.g., water ice clouds, water vapor, dust, and mutual interactions) to influence the net diabatic heating. Results indicate that radiatively active water ice clouds profoundly affect the seasonal and annual mean climate. The mean thermal structure and balanced circulation patterns are strongly modified near the surface and aloft. Warming of the subtropical atmosphere at altitude and cooling of the high latitude atmosphere at low levels takes place, which increases the mean pole-to-equator temperature contrast (i.e., "baroclinicity"). With radiatively active water ice clouds (RAC) compared to radiatively inert water ice clouds (nonRAC), significant changes in the intensity of the mean state and forced stationary Rossby modes occur, both of which affect the vigor and intensity of traveling, synoptic period weather systems.Such weather systems not only act as key agents in the transport of heat and momentum beyond the extent of the Hadley circulation, but also the transport of trace species such as water vapor, water ice-clouds, dust and others. The northern hemisphere (NH) forced Rossby waves and resultant wave train are augmented in the RAC case: the modes are more intense and the wave train is shifted equatorward. Significant changes also occur within the subtropics and tropics. The Rossby wave train sets up, combined with the traveling synoptic period weather systems (i.e., cyclones and anticyclones), the geographic extent of storm zones (or storm tracks) within the NH. A variety of circulation features will be presented which indicate contrasts between the RAC and nonRAC cases, and which highlight key effects radiatively-active clouds have on physical and dynamical processes active in the current climate of Mars.