Electromagnetic scattering from cylindrically and spherically stratified bodies

A method is developed for calculating the electromagnetic field scattered by certain types of bodies. The bodies consist of inhomogeneous media whose constitutive parameters vary only with the distance from some axis or point of symmetry. The method consists in an extension of the invariant imbedding method for treating wave problems. This method, which is familiar in the case of a one-dimensional inhomogeneity, is extended to handle special types of two and three-dimensional inhomogeneities. Comparisons are made with other methods which have been proposed for treating these kinds of problems. Examples of applications of the method are given, some of which are of interest in themselves.

Energy transfer in molecular collisions

Two general, numerically exact, quantum mechanical methods have been developed for the calculation of energy transfer in molecular collisions. The methods do not treat electronic transitions because of the exchange symmetry of the electrons. All interactions between the atoms in the system are written as potential energies.

The first method is a matrix generalization of the invariant imbedding procedure, ^{17, 20} adapted for multi-channel collision processes. The second method is based on a direct integration of the matrix Schrödinger equation, with a re-orthogonalization transform applied during the integration.

Both methods have been applied to a collinear collision model for two diatoms, interacting via a repulsive exponential potential. Two major studies were performed. The first was to determine the energy dependence of the transition probabilities for an H₂ on the H₂ model system. Transitions are possible between translational energy and vibrational energy, and from vibrational modes of one H₂ to the other H₂. The second study was to determine the variation of vibrational energy transfer probability with differences in natural frequency of two diatoms similar to N₂.

Comparisons were made to previous approximate analytical solutions of this same problem. For translational to vibrational energy transfer, the previous approximations were not adequate. For vibrational to vibrational energy transfer of one vibrational quantum, the approximations were quite good.

Utilização da transformada de características invariante a escala (SIFT) na automatização da obtenção de pontos do Sistema de Imagens Tridimensional Híbrido (SITH)

Esta dissertação apresenta um aperfeiçoamento para o Sistema de Imagens Tridimensional Híbrido (SITH) que é utilizado para obtenção de uma superfície tridimensional do relevo de uma determinada região a partir de dois aerofotogramas consecutivos da mesma. A fotogrametria é a ciência e tecnologia utilizada para obter informações confiáveis a partir de imagens adquiridas por sensores. O aperfeiçoamento do SITH consistirá na automatização da obtenção dos pontos através da técnica de Transformada de Características Invariantes a Escala (SIFT - Scale Invariant Feature Transform) dos pares de imagens estereoscópicas obtidos por câmeras aéreas métricas, e na utilização de técnicas de interpolação por splines cúbicos para suavização das superfícies tridimensionais obtidas pelo mesmo, proporcionando uma visualização mais clara dos detalhes da área estudada e auxiliando em prevenções contra deslizamentos em locais de risco a partir de um planejamento urbano adequado. Os resultados computacionais mostram que a incorporação destes métodos ao programa SITH apresentaram bons resultados.

Properties of convergence of a class of iterative processes generated by sequences of self-mappings with applications to switched dynamic systems

This article investigates the convergence properties of iterative processes involving sequences of self-mappings of metric or Banach spaces. Such sequences are built from a set of primary self-mappings which are either expansive or non-expansive self-mappings and some of the non-expansive ones can be contractive including the case of strict contractions. The sequences are built subject to switching laws which select each active self-mapping on a certain activation interval in such a way that essential properties of boundedness and convergence of distances and iterated sequences are guaranteed. Applications to the important problem of stability of dynamic switched systems are also given.

Paralelização em CUDA/GLSL do algoritmo SIFT para reconhecimento de íris

Neste trabalho é estudada a viabilidade de uma implementação em paralelo do algoritmo scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) para identificação de íris. Para a implementação do código foi utilizada a arquitetura para computação paralela compute unified device architecture (CUDA) e a linguagem OpenGL shading language (GLSL). O algoritmo foi testado utilizando três bases de dados de olhos e íris, o noisy visible wavelength iris image Database (UBIRIS), Michal-Libor e CASIA. Testes foram feitos para determinar o tempo de processamento para verificação da presença ou não de um indivíduo em um banco de dados, determinar a eficiência dos algoritmos de busca implementados em GLSL e CUDA e buscar valores de calibração que melhoram o posicionamento e a distribuição dos pontos-chave na região de interesse (íris) e a robustez do programa final.

Hyers-Ulam-Rassias Stability of Functional Differential Systems with Point and Distributed Delays

This paper investigates stability and asymptotic properties of the error with respect to its nominal version of a nonlinear time-varying perturbed functional differential system subject to point, finite-distributed, and Volterra-type distributed delays associated with linear dynamics together with a class of nonlinear delayed dynamics. The boundedness of the error and its asymptotic convergence to zero are investigated with the results being obtained based on the Hyers-Ulam-Rassias analysis.

Possible antigravity regions in F (R) theory?

We construct an F(R) gravity theory corresponding to the Weyl invariant two scalar field theory. We investigate whether such F (R) gravity can have the antigravity regions where the Weyl curvature invariant does not diverge at the Big Bang and Big Crunch singularities. It is revealed that the divergence cannot be evaded completely but can be much milder than that in the original Weyl invariant two scalar field theory. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Convergence Properties and Fixed Points of Two General Iterative Schemes with Composed Maps in Banach Spaces with Applications to Guaranteed Global Stability

This paper investigates the boundedness and convergence properties of two general iterative processes which involve sequences of self-mappings on either complete metric or Banach spaces. The sequences of self-mappings considered in the first iterative scheme are constructed by linear combinations of a set of self-mappings, each of them being a weighted version of a certain primary self-mapping on the same space. The sequences of self-mappings of the second iterative scheme are powers of an iteration-dependent scaled version of the primary self-mapping. Some applications are also given to the important problem of global stability of a class of extended nonlinear polytopic-type parameterizations of certain dynamic systems.

Progress toward a global genealogy of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) strains using mitochondrial nucleotide sequences data

As part of a study of genetic variation in the Vietnamese strains of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) using direct DNA sequencing of mitochondrial control and ATPase6/8 gene regions, samples from a number of other countries were analyzed for comparison. Results show that the levels of sequence divergence in common carp is low on a global scale, with the Asian carp having the highest diversity while Koi and European carp are invariant. A genealogical analysis supports a close relationship among Vietnamese, Koi, Chinese Color and, to a lesser extent, European carp. Koi carp appear to have originated from a strain of Chinese red carp. There is considerable scope to extend this research through the analysis of additional samples of carp from around the world, especially from China, in order to generate a comprehensive global genealogy of common carp strains.

Implementação de verificações biométricas processadas em cartões inteligentes a multi-aplicações.

As biometrias vêm sendo utilizadas como solução de controle de acesso a diversos sistemas há anos, mas o simples uso da biometria não pode ser considerado como solução final e perfeita. Muitos riscos existem e não devem ser ignorados. A maioria dos problemas está relacionada ao caminho de transmissão entre o local onde os usuários requerem seus acessos e os servidores onde são guardados os dados biométricos capturados em seu cadastro. Vários tipos de ataques podem ser efetuados por impostores que desejam usar o sistema indevidamente. Além dos aspectos técnicos, existe o aspecto social. É crescente a preocupação do usuário tanto com o armazenamento quanto o uso indevido de suas biometrias, pois é um identificador único e, por ser invariável no tempo, pode ser perdido para sempre caso seja comprometido. O fato de que várias empresas com seus diferentes servidores guardarem as biometrias está causando incomodo aos usuários, pois as torna mais suscetíveis à ataques. Nesta dissertação, o uso de cartões inteligentes é adotado como possível solução para os problemas supracitados. Os cartões inteligentes preparados para multi-aplicações são usados para realizar as comparações biométricas internamente. Dessa forma, não seria mais necessário utilizar diversos servidores, pois as características biométricas estarão sempre em um único cartão em posse do dono. Foram desenvolvidas e implementadas três diferentes algoritmos de identificação biométrica utilizando diferentes características: impressão digital, impressão da palma da mão e íris. Considerando a memória utilizada, tempo médio de execução e acurácia, a biometria da impressão da palma da mão obteve os melhores resultados, alcançando taxas de erro mínimas e tempos de execução inferiores a meio segundo.

Quantifying the limits of HANPP and carbon emissions which prolong total species well-being

Anthropogenic climate and land-use change are leading to irreversible losses of global biodiversity, upon which ecosystem functioning depends. Since total species' well-being depends on ecosystem goods and services, man must determine how much net primary productivity (NPP) may be appropriated and carbon emitted so as to not adversely impact this and future generations. In 2005, man ought to have only appropriated 9.72 Pg C of NPP, representing a factor 2.50, or 59.93%, reduction in human-appropriated NPP in that year. Concurrently, the carbon cycle would have been balanced with a factor 1.26, or 20.84%, reduction from 7.60 Gt C/year to 5.70 Gt C/year, representing a return to the 1986 levels. This limit is in keeping with the category III stabilization scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. Projecting population growth to 2030 and its associated basic food requirements, the maximum HANPP remains at 9.74 ± 0.02 Pg C/year. This time-invariant HANPP may only provide for the current global population of 6.51 billion equitably at the current average consumption of 1.49 t C per capita, calling into question the sustainability of developing countries striving for high-consuming country levels of 5.85 t C per capita and its impacts on equitable resource distribution. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

Review of size- and age-dependence in batch spawning: implications for stock assessment of fish species exhibiting indeterminate fecundity

Most assessments of fish stocks use some measure of the reproductive potential of a population, such as spawning biomass. However, the correlation between spawning biomass and reproductive potential is not always strong, and it likely is weakest in the tropics and subtropics, where species tend to exhibit indeterminate fecundity and release eggs in batches over a protracted spawning season. In such cases, computing annual reproductive output requires estimates of batch fecundity and the annual number of batches—the latter subject to spawning frequency and duration of spawning season. Batch fecundity is commonly measured by age (or size), but these other variables are not. Without the relevant data, the annual number of batches is assumed to be invariant across age. We reviewed the literature and found that this default assumption lacks empirical support because both spawning duration and spawning frequency generally increase with age or size. We demonstrate effects of this assumption on measures of reproductive value and spawning potential ratio, a metric commonly used to gauge stock status. Model applications showed substantial sensitivity to age dependence in the annual number of batches. If the annual number of batches increases with age but is incorrectly assumed to be constant, stock assessment models would tend to overestimate the biological reference points used for setting harvest rates. This study underscores the need to better understand the age- or size-dependent contrast in the annual number of batches, and we conclude that, for species without evidence to support invariance, the default assumption should be replaced with one that accounts for age- or size-dependence.

Development and validation of a new method for measuring friction between skin and nonwoven materials.

A new method for measuring the coefficient of friction between nonwoven materials and the curved surface of the volar forearm has been developed and validated. The method was used to measure the coefficient of static friction for three different nonwoven materials on the normal (dry) and over-hydrated volar forearms of five female volunteers (ages 18-44). The method proved simple to run and had good repeatability: the coefficient of variation (standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the mean) for triplets of repeat measurements was usually (80 per cent of the time) less than 10 per cent. Measurements involving the geometrically simpler configuration of pulling a weighted fabric sample horizontally across a quasi-planar area of volar forearm skin proved experimentally more difficult and had poorer repeatability. However, correlations between values of coefficient of static friction derived using the two methods were good (R = 0.81 for normal (dry) skin, and 0.91 for over-hydrated skin). Measurements of the coefficient of static friction for the three nonwovens for normal (dry) and for over-hydrated skin varied in the ranges of about 0.3-0.5 and 0.9-1.3, respectively. In agreement with Amontons' law, coefficients of friction were invariant with normal pressure over the entire experimental range (0.1-8.2 kPa).

Home range and seasonal movements of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) during their inshore residency at a reef in the mid-Atlantic Bight

Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) in the mid-Atlantic Bight undertake seasonal cross-shelf movements to occupy inshore rocky reefs and hardbottom habitats between spring and fall. Shelf-wide migrations of this stock are well documented, but movements and home ranges of fish during their inshore residency period have not been described. We tagged 122 Black Sea Bass with acoustic transmitters at a mid-Atlantic reef to estimate home-range size and factors that influence movements (>400 m) at a 46.1-km2 study site between May and November 2003. Activity of Black Sea Bass was greatest and most consistent during summer but declined rapidly in September as water temperatures at the bottom of the seafloor increased on the inner shelf. Black Sea Bass maintained relatively large home ranges that were fish-size invariant but highly variable (13.7–736.4 ha), underscoring the importance of large sample sizes in examination of population-level characteristics of mobile species with complex social interactions. On the basis of observed variations in movement patterns and the size of home ranges, we postulate the existence of groups of conspecifics that exhibit similar space-use behaviors. The group of males released earlier in the tagging period used larger home ranges than the group of males released later in our study. In addition, mean activity levels and the probability of movement among acoustic stations varied among groups of fish in a complex manner that depended on sex. These differences in movement behaviors may increase the vulnerability of male fish to passive fishing gears, further exacerbating variation in exploitation rates for this species among reefs.

Optimal H2 order-one reduction by solving eigenproblems for polynomial equations

A method is given for solving an optimal H2 approximation problem for SISO linear time-invariant stable systems. The method, based on constructive algebra, guarantees that the global optimum is found; it does not involve any gradient-based search, and hence avoids the usual problems of local minima. We examine mostly the case when the model order is reduced by one, and when the original system has distinct poles. This case exhibits special structure which allows us to provide a complete solution. The problem is converted into linear algebra by exhibiting a finite-dimensional basis for a certain space, and can then be solved by eigenvalue calculations, following the methods developed by Stetter and Moeller. The use of Buchberger's algorithm is avoided by writing the first-order optimality conditions in a special form, from which a Groebner basis is immediately available. Compared with our previous work the method presented here has much smaller time and memory requirements, and can therefore be applied to systems of significantly higher McMillan degree. In addition, some hypotheses which were required in the previous work have been removed. Some examples are included.