Image-guided regularization level set evolution for MR image segmentation and bias field correction

Magnetic resonance (MR) image segmentation is a crucial step in surgical and treatment planning. In this paper, we propose a level-set-based segmentation method for MR images with intensity inhomogeneous problem. To tackle the initialization sensitivity problem, we propose a new image-guided regularization to restrict the level set function. The maximum a posteriori inference is adopted to unify segmentation and bias field correction within a single framework. Under this framework, both the contour prior and the bias field prior are fully used. As a result, the image intensity inhomogeneity can be well solved. Extensive experiments are provided to evaluate the proposed method, showing significant improvements in both segmentation and bias field correction accuracies as compared with other state-of-the-art approaches.     

Floquet theory for short laser pulses

We develop adiabatic perturbation theory for quantum systems responding to short laser pulses, with or without a frequency chirp. Our approach rests on lifting the time-dependent Schr?dinger equation to an extended Hilbert space, then applying standard perturbational techniques to Floquet states in this extended space, and finally projecting back to the physical Hilbert space. The same strategy also allows us to construct superadiabatic bases for monitoring the quantum evolution in the course of a pulse. These bases provide a diagnostic tool for improving the efficiency of pulse-induced population transfer. The formalism is applied to the selective excitation of molecular vibrational states by chirped laser pulses, which exploit either successive single-photon resonances or a multiphoton resonance, and by a STIRAP-like process. Received: 23 June 1998 / Revised: 18 August 1998 / Accepted: 25 August 1998     

Mesoscopic systems with fixed number of electrons

In this paper, we study the physics of mesoscopic systems with noninteracting electrons of fixed number. From a technical point of view, this means a discussion of the differences between the canonical and the grand canonical ensemble (fixed versus fluctuating number of particles). Such a discussion is not trivial since the grand canonical ensemble is the most convenient basis for the statistics of identical particles and one has to spend labour in order to retrieve the canonical ensemble. Specifically, we are considering ensembles of mesoscopic systems with disorder, either by atomic defects or by fluctuations in their geometric definitions and we discuss various forms of disorder averages.     

Consumption,investment and life insurance strategies with heterogeneous discounting

In this paper we analyze how the optimal consumption, investment and life insurance rules are modified by the introduction of a class of time-inconsistent preferences. In particular, we account for the fact that an agent’s preferences evolve along the planning horizon according to her increasing concern about the bequest left to her descendants and about her welfare at retirement. To this end, we consider a stochastic continuous time model with random terminal time for an agent with a known distribution of lifetime under heterogeneous discounting. In order to obtain the time-consistent solution, we solve a non-standard dynamic programming equation. For the case of CRRA and CARA utility functions we compare the explicit solutions for the time-inconsistent and the time-consistent agent. The results are illustrated numerically.     

On multivariate extensions of Conditional-Tail-Expectation

In this paper, we introduce two alternative extensions of the classical univariate Conditional-Tail-Expectation (CTE) in a multivariate setting. The two proposed multivariate CTEs are vector-valued measures with the same dimension as the underlying risk portfolio. As for the multivariate Value-at-Risk measures introduced by Cousin and Di Bernardino (2013), the lower-orthant CTE (resp. the upper-orthant CTE) is constructed from level sets of multivariate distribution functions (resp. of multivariate survival distribution functions). Contrary to allocation measures or systemic risk measures, these measures are also suitable for multivariate risk problems where risks are heterogeneous in nature and cannot be aggregated together. Several properties have been derived. In particular, we show that the proposed multivariate CTE-s satisfy natural extensions of the positive homogeneity property, the translation invariance property and the comonotonic additivity property. Comparison between univariate risk measures and components of multivariate CTE is provided. We also analyze how these measures are impacted by a change in marginal distributions, by a change in dependence structure and by a change in risk level. Sub-additivity of the proposed multivariate CTE-s is provided under the assumption that all components of the random vectors are independent. Illustrations are given in the class of Archimedean copulas.     

Semicontinuity and Supremal Representation in the Calculus of Variations

We study the weak* lower semicontinuity properties of functionals of the form

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND TRADE LIBERALIZATION: THE CASE OF TRANSBOUNDARY POLLUTION FROM CONSUMPTION

Abstract This paper develops a reciprocal market model of international duopoly with transboundary pollution from consumption to examine the effects of bilateral tariff reductions on the equilibrium pollution tax and welfare. I show that tariff reductions induce each country to raise an emission tax and that trade liberalization is welfare improving if the parameter of pollution damages is sufficiently large. These results are in contrast to the case of production‐generated pollution, and I seek the reason for this contrast.     

Discontinuous cellular automaton method for crack growth analysis without remeshing

A numerical technical of discontinuous cellular automaton method for crack growth analysis without remeshing is developed. In this method, the level set method is employed to track the crack location and its growth path, where the level set functions and calculation grids are independent, so no explicit meshing for crack surface and no remeshing for crack growth are needed. Then, the discontinuous enrichment shape functions which are enriched by the Heaviside function and the exact near-tip asymptotic field functions are constructed to model the discontinuity of cracks. Finally, a discontinuous cellular automaton theory is proposed, which are composed of cell, neighborhood and updating rules for discontinuous case. There is an advantage that the calculation is only applied on local cell, so no assembled stiffness matrix but only cell stiffness is needed, which can overcome the stiffness matrix assembling difficulty caused by unequal degrees of nodal freedom for different cells, and much easier to consider the local properties of cells. Besides, the present method requires much less computer memory than that of XFEM because of it local property.     

效应代数的(η,γ]-模糊滤子

在Lu D L和Wang G J提出效应代数中模糊滤子(简称LW-模糊滤子)概念的富有成效的工作基础上,利用模糊点与模糊集的属于与重于关系给出了一种新的模糊滤子——(η,γ]-模糊滤子的定义,指出LW-模糊滤子、(∈,∈Vq)-模糊滤子和(∈,∈Vq)-模糊滤子是它的三个特例,获得了这些模糊滤子的等价刻画.     

Diamond, square, and level by level equivalence

We force and construct a model in which level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness holds, along with certain additional combinatorial properties. In particular, in this model, holds for every regular uncountable cardinal , and below the least supercompact cardinal , holds on a stationary subset of . There are no restrictions in our model on the structure of the class of supercompact cardinals.The author wishes to thank the referee for numerous helpful comments and suggestions, which have considerably improved the presentation of the material contained herein. The author also wishes to thank Andreas Blass, the corresponding editor, for a useful suggestion, and Grigor Sargsyan for a very helpful conversation on the subject matter of this paper.Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 03E35, 03E55