Physics-Informed Modeling and Control of Multi-Actuator Soft Catheter Robots

Catheter-based endovascular interventional procedures have become increasingly popular in recent years as they are less invasive and patients spend less time in the hospital with less recovery time and less pain. These advantages have led to a significant growth in the number of procedures that are performed annually. However, it is still challenging to position a catheter in a target vessel branch within the highly complicated and delicate vascular structure. In fact, vessel tortuosity and angulation, which cause difficulties in catheterization and reaching the target site, have been reported as the main causes of failure in endovascular procedures. Maneuverability of a catheter for intravascular navigation is a key to reaching the target area; ability of a catheter to move within the target vessel during trajectory tracking thus affects to a great extent the length and success of the procedure. To address this issue, this paper models soft catheter robots with multiple actuators and provides a time-dependent model for characterizing the dynamics of multi-actuator soft catheter robots. Built on this model, an efficient and scalable optimization-based framework is developed for guiding the catheter to pass through arteries and reach the target where an aneurysm is located. The proposed framework models the deflection of the multi-actuator soft catheter robot and develops a control strategy for movement of catheter along a desired trajectory. This provides a simulation-based framework for selection of catheters prior to endovascular catheterization procedures, assuring that given a fixed design, the catheter is able to reach the target location. The results demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved by design and control of catheters with multiple number of actuators for navigation into small vessels.

Design Optimisation of Fixed and Adaptive Shading Devices on Four Façade Orientations of a High-Rise Office Building in the Tropics

Optimisation of shading devices in buildings is a broadly investigated topic; however, most studies only focus on a single façade orientation, since the observed buildings are typically located in high latitude regions. However, in tropical regions, optimisation of all façade orientations is required due to the relatively high solar radiation and long sunshine duration. While adaptive shading devices are a promising solution, they are not without disadvantages, and as such a combination of adaptive shading devices and a fixed shading device shall be considered. This research therefore aims to design the optimum internal shading devices on four façade orientations of a high-rise office building in a tropical city, considering fixed and adaptive shading design options, and to determine the impact on annual daylight performance using computational modelling and simulation. The simulation is carried out under: (1) fixed design option, focusing on the numbers and width of slats; and (2) adaptive design option, focusing on the slat angle on various conditions. It is found that both sDA300/50% and ASE1000,250 are only influenced by the orientation. Under the fixed design option, the sDA300/50% and ASE1000,250 targets can be achieved only on the north and south façades, and accordingly the adaptive design option shall be implemented on the east and west façades. Overall, this study contributes to knowledge regarding the optimisation of shading devices in high-rise buildings in the tropics, considering the daylight admission from the four cardinal orientations.

Static Metasurface Reflectors with Independent Magnitude and Phase Control using Coupled Resonator Configuration

<div>A static metasurface reflector based on a novel coupled resonator configuration is proposed to independently control</div><div>the reflection phase and magnitude of linearly polarized incident fields, and is demonstrated experimentally in the millimeter-wave Ka-band around 30 GHz. The proposed concept is illustrated using a unit cell design consisting of a rectangular ring coupled with a rectangular slot resonator backed by a grounded dielectric slab. By geometrically tuning various dimensions of the two resonators, a near-perfect amplitude-phase coverage is achieved at a fixed design frequency of 30 GHz. To demonstrate the flexible beam-forming capability of the proposed metasurface reflectors, illustrative examples of fixed beam steering with varying reflection magnitudes, and asymmetric dual-beam patterns with specified reflection magnitude, reflection angles and beam-widths, are successfully shown. Compared to the standard method based on polarization rotation and resistive loadings with discrete values, the proposed technique does not generate undesired cross-polarization field reflection, and provides a continuous magnitude tuning including full absorption, along with wide phase coverage.</div>

Static Metasurface Reflectors with Independent Magnitude and Phase Control using Coupled Resonator Configuration

<div>A static metasurface reflector based on a novel coupled resonator configuration is proposed to independently control</div><div>the reflection phase and magnitude of linearly polarized incident fields, and is demonstrated experimentally in the millimeter-wave Ka-band around 30 GHz. The proposed concept is illustrated using a unit cell design consisting of a rectangular ring coupled with a rectangular slot resonator backed by a grounded dielectric slab. By geometrically tuning various dimensions of the two resonators, a near-perfect amplitude-phase coverage is achieved at a fixed design frequency of 30 GHz. To demonstrate the flexible beam-forming capability of the proposed metasurface reflectors, illustrative examples of fixed beam steering with varying reflection magnitudes, and asymmetric dual-beam patterns with specified reflection magnitude, reflection angles and beam-widths, are successfully shown. Compared to the standard method based on polarization rotation and resistive loadings with discrete values, the proposed technique does not generate undesired cross-polarization field reflection, and provides a continuous magnitude tuning including full absorption, along with wide phase coverage.</div>

O Mais Querido Brazil - The Most Beloved of Brazil

<p><b>Since the early stages of stadium design, landscape architecture has frequently been overlooked, with the space surrounding these structures relegated to providing parking and accessways. In other words, rather than give consideration to creating aesthetically appealing spaces, the tendency has instead been to create sterile and unappealing concrete jungles, that pay little or no attention to how the users might experience the space as they move through it. This effectively means that potentially attractive public spaces are not being utilised, which is increasingly problematic as urban areas become ever more densely populated. </b></p><p>This issue will be considered by proposing a series of ideas that could be used in the development of a new stadium for the Brazilian football club Flamengo. This club, which is one of the biggest and most popular in South America, currently has its home at the </p><p>Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of the privatisation of the previously publicly-owned stadium, Flamengo has decided that it would prefer to develop a new stadium on an entirely new site in Rio. </p><p>The fundamental aim of this research thesis is to demonstrate how landscape architecture can be used to inform the development of stadiums in such a way that the sites surroundings stadiums can become attractive and functional spaces in their own right, that will appeal to a diverse demographic. In other words, rather than being no more than a carpark and accessway, attractive only to those attending an event at the stadium, the surrounding site should be a place that people would wish to visit for itself. To achieve this, the design must take into account a number of key factors, including where the stadium is situated with respect to the surrounding urban landscape, as well as how the stadium relates to the people who will be the primary users. The intention is to create a space surrounding the stadium that is wholly integrated, both physically and socially, with both the adjacent community and the club’s supporters who will travel there to make use of the many resources on offer at the stadium. Issues that are particular to this site, such as how best to turn a previously industrial site into one that is attractive and ecologically viable are also addressed as part of this thesis. </p><p>This design-led research will show how landscape architecture can administer key elements to stadium design, through connection to the urban fabric and fan experience. Exploiting these elements with evidence through the use of adaptive, flexible and also fixed design strategies of sustainability, resilient and regenerative landscape solutions will be achieved between the existing urban setting and Flamengo’s new home.</p>

O Mais Querido Brazil - The Most Beloved of Brazil

<p><b>Since the early stages of stadium design, landscape architecture has frequently been overlooked, with the space surrounding these structures relegated to providing parking and accessways. In other words, rather than give consideration to creating aesthetically appealing spaces, the tendency has instead been to create sterile and unappealing concrete jungles, that pay little or no attention to how the users might experience the space as they move through it. This effectively means that potentially attractive public spaces are not being utilised, which is increasingly problematic as urban areas become ever more densely populated. </b></p><p>This issue will be considered by proposing a series of ideas that could be used in the development of a new stadium for the Brazilian football club Flamengo. This club, which is one of the biggest and most popular in South America, currently has its home at the </p><p>Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of the privatisation of the previously publicly-owned stadium, Flamengo has decided that it would prefer to develop a new stadium on an entirely new site in Rio. </p><p>The fundamental aim of this research thesis is to demonstrate how landscape architecture can be used to inform the development of stadiums in such a way that the sites surroundings stadiums can become attractive and functional spaces in their own right, that will appeal to a diverse demographic. In other words, rather than being no more than a carpark and accessway, attractive only to those attending an event at the stadium, the surrounding site should be a place that people would wish to visit for itself. To achieve this, the design must take into account a number of key factors, including where the stadium is situated with respect to the surrounding urban landscape, as well as how the stadium relates to the people who will be the primary users. The intention is to create a space surrounding the stadium that is wholly integrated, both physically and socially, with both the adjacent community and the club’s supporters who will travel there to make use of the many resources on offer at the stadium. Issues that are particular to this site, such as how best to turn a previously industrial site into one that is attractive and ecologically viable are also addressed as part of this thesis. </p><p>This design-led research will show how landscape architecture can administer key elements to stadium design, through connection to the urban fabric and fan experience. Exploiting these elements with evidence through the use of adaptive, flexible and also fixed design strategies of sustainability, resilient and regenerative landscape solutions will be achieved between the existing urban setting and Flamengo’s new home.</p>

Distributionally Robust Conditional Quantile Prediction with Fixed Design

Conditional quantile prediction involves estimating/predicting the quantile of a response random variable conditioned on observed covariates. The existing literature assumes the availability of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) samples of both the covariates and the response variable. However, such an assumption often becomes restrictive in many real-world applications. By contrast, we consider a fixed-design setting of the covariates, under which neither the response variable nor the covariates have i.i.d. samples. The present study provides a new data-driven distributionally robust framework under a fixed-design setting. We propose a regress-then-robustify method by constructing a surrogate empirical distribution of the noise. The solution of our framework coincides with a simple yet practical method that involves only regression and sorting, therefore providing an explanation for its empirical success. Measure concentration results are obtained for the surrogate empirical distribution, which further lead to finite-sample performance guarantees and asymptotic consistency. Numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the advantages of our approach. This paper was accepted by Hamid Nazerzadeh, Special Issue on Data-Driven Prescriptive Analytics.

Versatile acoustic manipulation of micro-object using mode-switchable oscillating bubbles: transportation, trapping, rotation, and revolution

Controllable on-chip multimodal manipulation of micro-objects in microfluidic devices is urgently required for enhancing the efficiency of potential biomedical applications. However, fixed design and driving models make it difficult to...

Strong consistency of regression function estimator with martingale difference errors

In this paper, we consider the regression model with fixed design: Y i = g ( x i ) + ε i {Y}_{i}=g\left({x}_{i})+{\varepsilon }_{i} , 1 ≤ i ≤ n 1\le i\le n , where { x i } \left\{{x}_{i}\right\} are the nonrandom design points, and { ε i } \left\{{\varepsilon }_{i}\right\} is a sequence of martingale, and g g is an unknown function. Nonparametric estimator g n ( x ) {g}_{n}\left(x) of g ( x ) g\left(x) will be introduced and its strong convergence properties are established.

Brand names as multimodal constructions

Brand names are a common part of the everyday consumer environment, and can be found on countless visual surfaces such as food packaging. A key characteristic of brand names is their fixed design. Many brand names owe their linguistic form to units that originally did not constitute proper names. They developed into brand names through complex sub-processes of what is commonly referred to as onymisation. These processes include semantic, morphological and phonological/graphemic changes. The aim of this paper is to explore how the specific typographic design of a brand name can be an additional indicator in its process of onymisation. After clarifying the concepts of onymisation and typographic design, an extended multimodal construction model is presented. The basis of the paper is an analysis of a corpus of image data comprising more than 600 photographs of food packaging. In order to get a first impression of how the multimodal constructions of brand names could look, an omission test following a suggestion by Ziem, Alexander. 2017. Do we really need a multimodal construction grammar? Linguistics Vanguard 3(s1). 1–9 is applied to the data.