Range convexity,continuity, and strategy-proofness of voting schemes

A voting scheme assigns to each profile of alternatives reported byn individuals a compromise alternative. A voting scheme is strategy-proof if no individual is better off by lying, i.e., not reporting a best alternative. In this paper the main results concern the case where the set of alternatives is the Euclidean plane and the preferences are Euclidean. It is shown that for strategy-proof voting schemes continuity is equivalent to convexity of the range of the voting scheme. Using a result by Kim and Roush (1984), this leads to characterizations of surjective or unanimous, anonymous, strategy-proof voting schemes.Furthermore, the paper contains an extensive discussion of related results in the area.     

Influence of Refractive Index on Particle Size Analysis using the turbidimetric spectrum method

The light scattering technique is now widely used in particle sizing, and includes the turbidimetric spectrum method. Although it has been reported that the light scattering technique, especially the turbidimetric method, is sensitive to refractive index, quantitative studies are rare. In this work, the effects of refractive index on the turbidimetric spectrum method were comprehensively investigated and detailed results are presented.     

The symmetric traveling salesman problem and edge exchanges in minimal 1-trees

In this article the effect of exchanging edges inside a minimal 1-tree with edges outside is analysed. In combination with an upper bound this analysis enables the elimination of variables in the symmetric traveling salesman problem. After discussion on a number of improvements for this analysis, the implementation is described in a traveling salesman algorithm based on the 1-tree relaxation. Computational results show the advantages of the edges exchanges for Euclidean problems (up to 120 cities) as well as for random table problems (up to 200 cities).     

A branch and bound algorithm for the symmetric traveling salesman problem based on the 1-tree relaxation

In 1970 Held and Karp introduced the Lagrangean approach to the symmetric traveling salesman problem. We use this 1-tree relaxation in a new branch and bound algorithm. It differs from other algorithms not only in the branching scheme, but also in the ascent method to calculate the 1-tree bounds. urthermore we determine heuristic solutions throughout the computations to provide upperbounds. We present computational results for both a depth-first and a breadth-first version of our algorithm. On the average our results on a number of Euclidean problems from the literature are obtained in about 60% less 1-trees than the best known algorithm based on the 1-tree relaxation. For random table problems (up to 100 cities) the average results are also satisfactory.     

White matter abnormalities in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy

Background and Purpose

The widespread propagation of synchronized neuronal firing in seizure disorders may affect cortical and subcortical brain regions. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can noninvasively quantify white matter integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the abnormal changes of white matter in children and adolescents with focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using DTI.

Materials and Methods

Eight patients with clinically diagnosed TLE and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. DTI images were obtained with a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The epileptic foci were localized with magnetoencephalography. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), parallel (λ_||) and perpendicular (λ_⊥) diffusivities in the genu of the corpus callosum, splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC), external capsule (EC), anterior limbs of the internal capsule (AIC), and the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PIC) were calculated. The DTI parameters between patients and controls were statistically compared. Correlations of these DTI parameters of each selected structure with age of seizure onset and duration of epilepsy were analysed.

Results

In comparison to controls, both patients' seizure ipsilateral and contralateral had significantly lower FA in the AIC; PIC and SCC and higher MD, λ_|| and λ_⊥ in the EC, AIC, PIC and SCC. The MD, λ_|| and λ_⊥ were significantly correlated with age of seizure onset in the EC and PIC. λ_|| was significantly correlated with the duration of epilepsy in the EC and PIC.

Conclusion

The results of the present study indicate that children and adolescents with TLE had significant abnormalities in the white matter in the hemisphere with seizure foci. Furthermore, these abnormalities may extend to the other brain hemisphere. The age of seizure onset and duration of epilepsy may be important factors in determining the extent of influence of children and adolescents TLE on white matter.     

电动桥式起重机负载升降过程的系统动力学模拟

从系统的角度考虑电动桥式起重机起升机构工作过程中的动力学模拟问题。首先,由系统的拉格朗日函数、约束条件和电机的磁共能定义修正的拉格朗日函数;随后,应用Hamilton原理和三相感应电机瞬态模型得出起升机构工作过程中电动桥式起重机系统的运动方程。为验证模型的效果,本文还进行了转子串电阻速度控制系统控制下的32t电动桥式起重机吊运额定负载下降过程的数值模拟,分析了高速浮动轴扭转刚度以及制动过程中转子电阻的配置方案对系统动力响应的影响。模拟结果表明,制动过程中起升机构高速浮动轴所受载荷远大于起动过程中所受载荷,制动开始时在电机转子电路中增加一级较大的外串电阻有利于减小下降制动阶段系统中的动载。