Search

This paper proposes a Generalized Multilevel B-spline Approximation (GMBA) method, which addresses scattered data interpolation problems in image processing. Mathematically, the GMBA provides a better solution for the B-spline control lattice by superimposing identical level B-splines compared with traditional Multilevel B-spline Approximation (MBA). Specifically, the GMBA allows the spacing of next control lattice to be subdivided arbitrarily or remained unchanged, which is determined by a predefined spacing set or the current error level. These improvements bring higher approximation accuracy and more flexibility for algorithm design to avoid over-fitting. In this paper, basic GMBA algorithm and its refined algorithm are compiled for image processing. Finally, six relevant cases are involved to test the GMBA, including surface approximation, image enlargement, image completion, and Salt-and-Pepper (SAP) noise removal. The experimental results show that the GMBA has better performance than the MBA in surface approximation and image processing, performs comparatively fast with the best performance on more than half of the standard test images compared with traditional algorithms, and has partially better performance even than deep learning algorithms. The GMBA can effectively recover meaningful details in images contaminated with even extremely high SAP noise level (up to 99%). • We give a generalized multilevel B-spline approximation (GMBA) method. • GMBA allows the control spacing to be subdivided arbitrarily or remained unchanged. • GMBA offers higher approximation accuracy and greater flexibility than traditional MBA. • GMBA provides superior performance and less run time than many of the state-of-the-art methods for SAP noise removal. • GMBA can recovery meaningful detail at noise levels as high as 99% for SAP noise removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure the flight safety of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a deep neural network-fused mathematical modeling approach is put up for reliable flight control of small UAVs. First, engine torque, thrust eccentricity and initial stop angle are taken into full consideration. A six-degree-of-freedom nonlinear model is formulated for small UAVs, concerning both ground taxiing and air flight status. Then, the model was linearized using the principle of small disturbances. The linearized model expressions for both ground taxiing and air flight were provided. In addition, radial basis function neural networks are used for online approximation to address the nonlinearity and uncertainty caused by changes in aircraft aerodynamic parameters. At the same time, to compensate for the external disturbance and the approximation error of the neural network, the system robustness is improved by selecting reasonable design parameters. This helps the whole flight control system obtain better tracking control performance. At last, some simulation experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed mathematical modeling framework. The simulation results show that the proposal has stronger convergence ability, smaller prediction error, and better performance. Thus, proper proactivity can be acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical comparison of finite-element methods resulting in local mass conservation at the element level for Poisson's problem, namely the primal hybrid and mixed methods. These formulations result in an indefinite system. Alternative formulations yielding a positive-definite system are obtained after hybridizing each method. The choice of approximation spaces yields methods with enhanced accuracy for the pressure variable, and results in systems with identical size and structure after static condensation. A regular pressure precision mixed formulation is also considered based on the classical RT k space. The simulations are accelerated using Open multi-processing (OMP) and Thread-Building Blocks (TBB) multithreading paradigms alongside either a coloring strategy or atomic operations ensuring a thread-safe execution. An additional parallel strategy is developed using C++ threads, which is based on the producer-consumer paradigm, and uses locks and semaphores as synchronization primitives. Numerical tests show the optimal parallel strategy for these finite-element formulations, and the computational performance of the methods are compared in terms of simulation time and approximation errors. Additional results are developed during the process. Numerical solvers often fail to find an accurate solution to the highly indefinite systems arising from finite-element formulations, and this paper documents a matrix ordering strategy to stabilize the resolution. A procedure to enable static condensation based on the introduction of piecewise constant functions that also fulfills Neumann's compatibility condition, and yet computes an average pressure per element is presented. • Numerical comparison of the mixed, primal hybrid, and other locally conservatives finite element methods. • Introduction of a twice hybridized primal hybrid method, yielding a positive definite matrix after static condensation. • Comparison of multi-threaded strategies and thread-safety mechanisms. • A numerical procedure to stabilize the linear system resolution for indefinite matrices is described. • A general procedure that enables static condensation and fulfills Neumann's compatibility condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an algorithm to obtain the sampling factors to model any frequency partitioning so that it is realized using low complexity rational decimated non-uniform filter banks (RDNUFBs). The proposed algorithm is employed to approximate the Bark scale to find a rational frequency partitioning that can be realized using RDNUFBs with less approximation error. The proposed Bark frequency partitioning is found to reduce the average deviation in centre frequency and bandwidth by 65.04% and 48.50%, respectively, and root-mean-square bandwidth deviation by 54.46% when compared to those of the existing perceptual wavelet approximation of Bark scale. In the first filter bank design approach discussed in the paper, a near-perfect reconstruction partially cosine modulated filter bank is employed to obtain the improved Bark frequency partitioning. In the second design approach, the hardware complexity of the PCM-based RDNUFB is reduced by deriving the channels with different sampling factors from the same prototype filter by the method of channel merging. There is a considerable reduction of 40.83% in the number of multipliers when merging of partially cosine modulated channels is employed. It is also found that both the proposed approaches can reduce the delay by 95.17% when compared to the existing rational tree approximation methods and hence, are suitable for real-time applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distributed statistical analyses provide a promising approach for privacy protection when analyzing data distributed over several databases. Instead of directly operating on data, the analyst receives anonymous summary statistics, which are combined into an aggregated result. Further, in discrimination model (prognosis, diagnosis, etc.) development, it is key to evaluate a trained model w.r.t. to its prognostic or predictive performance on new independent data. For binary classification, quantifying discrimination uses the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and its area under the curve (AUC) as aggregation measure. We are interested to calculate both as well as basic indicators of calibration-in-the-large for a binary classification task using a distributed and privacy-preserving approach. Methods: We employ DataSHIELD as the technology to carry out distributed analyses, and we use a newly developed algorithm to validate the prediction score by conducting distributed and privacy-preserving ROC analysis. Calibration curves are constructed from mean values over sites. The determination of ROC and its AUC is based on a generalized linear model (GLM) approximation of the true ROC curve, the ROC-GLM, as well as on ideas of differential privacy (DP). DP adds noise (quantified by the ℓ 2 sensitivity Δ 2 (f ^) ) to the data and enables a global handling of placement numbers. The impact of DP parameters was studied by simulations. Results: In our simulation scenario, the true and distributed AUC measures differ by Δ AUC < 0.01 depending heavily on the choice of the differential privacy parameters. It is recommended to check the accuracy of the distributed AUC estimator in specific simulation scenarios along with a reasonable choice of DP parameters. Here, the accuracy of the distributed AUC estimator may be impaired by too much artificial noise added from DP. Conclusions: The applicability of our algorithms depends on the ℓ 2 sensitivity Δ 2 (f ^) of the underlying statistical/predictive model. The simulations carried out have shown that the approximation error is acceptable for the majority of simulated cases. For models with high Δ 2 (f ^) , the privacy parameters must be set accordingly higher to ensure sufficient privacy protection, which affects the approximation error. This work shows that complex measures, as the AUC, are applicable for validation in distributed setups while preserving an individual's privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecast error growth as a function of lead time of atmospheric phenomena is caused by initial and model errors. When studying the initial error growth, it may turn out that small-scale phenomena, which contribute little to the forecast product, significantly affect the ability to predict this product. The question under investigation is whether omitting these atmospheric phenomena will improve the predictability of the resulting value. The topic is studied in the extended Lorenz (2005) system. This system shows that omitting small spatiotemporal scales that significantly affect prediction ability will reduce predictability more than modeling it. In other words, a system with model error (omitting phenomena) will not improve predictability. A hypothesis explaining and describing this behavior is developed, with the difference between systems (model error) produced at each time step seen as the error of the initial conditions. The resulting model error is then defined as the sum of the increments of the time evolution of the initial conditions so defined. The hypothesis is compared to the fit parameters that define the model error in certain approximations of the average forecast error growth. Parameters are interpreted in this context, and the approximations are used to estimate the errors described in the hypothesis. A method is proposed to distinguish increments of prediction error growth from small-spatiotemporal-scale phenomena and model errors. Results are presented for the error growth of the ECMWF system, where a 40 % reduction in model error between 1987 and 2011 is calculated based on the developed hypothesis, while over the same period the instability (error growth rate) of the system with respect to initial condition errors has grown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relaxation spectrum is a fundamental viscoelastic characteristic from which other material functions used to describe the rheological properties of polymers can be determined. The spectrum is recovered from relaxation stress or oscillatory shear data. Since the problem of the relaxation spectrum identification is ill-posed, in the known methods, different mechanisms are built-in to obtain a smooth enough and noise-robust relaxation spectrum model. The regularization of the original problem and/or limit of the set of admissible solutions are the most commonly used remedies. Here, the problem of determining an optimally smoothed continuous relaxation time spectrum is directly stated and solved for the first time, assuming that discrete-time noise-corrupted measurements of a relaxation modulus obtained in the stress relaxation experiment are available for identification. The relaxation time spectrum model that reproduces the relaxation modulus measurements and is the best smoothed in the class of continuous square-integrable functions is sought. Based on the Hilbert projection theorem, the best-smoothed relaxation spectrum model is found to be described by a finite sum of specific exponential–hyperbolic basis functions. For noise-corrupted measurements, a quadratic with respect to the Lagrange multipliers term is introduced into the Lagrangian functional of the model's best smoothing problem. As a result, a small model error of the relaxation modulus model is obtained, which increases the model's robustness. The necessary and sufficient optimality conditions are derived whose unique solution yields a direct analytical formula of the best-smoothed relaxation spectrum model. The related model of the relaxation modulus is given. A computational identification algorithm using the singular value decomposition is presented, which can be easily implemented in any computing environment. The approximation error, model smoothness, noise robustness, and identifiability of the polymer real spectrum are studied analytically. It is demonstrated by numerical studies that the algorithm proposed can be successfully applied for the identification of one- and two-mode Gaussian-like relaxation spectra. The applicability of this approach to determining the Baumgaertel, Schausberger, and Winter spectrum is also examined, and it is shown that it is well approximated for higher frequencies and, in particular, in the neighborhood of the local maximum. However, the comparison of the asymptotic properties of the best-smoothed spectrum model and the BSW model a priori excludes a good approximation of the spectrum in the close neighborhood of zero-relaxation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DASS-21 is the common and widely used tool for assessing depression, anxiety and stress. However, its validity and Reliability in Ethiopian Amharic language is not assessed. Objective: To translate the DASS-21 and assess its validity and reliability among Ethiopian Defense University college of health science students in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Method: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 435 students from different departments in accordance with their proportional size were participated in this study. As to the sampling technique, the study units were selected from each department and year of study using simple random sampling proportional to size. Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to assess the factor structure and construct validity of Amharic version of the DASS-21. Cronbach alpha coefficient and corrected item total correlation was calculated to assess the internal consistency of Amharic version of DASS-21. Result: Among 435 undergraduate students who participated in the study, 246(56.6%) were the age of 18–25 year and majority 347(79.8%) were males. Regarding their year of study; 200 (46.0%) were first year students. Confirmatory factor analysis indicates a good model fit of the three correlated factors (Comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.92 with root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.059[0.052–0.066] and standardize root mean residual SRMR = 0.045). The internal consistency of overall DASS-21 and each sub scale were in acceptable range (0.91, 0.82, 0.77 and 0.77) respectively. Conclusion: Amharic version of DASS-21 was found to be a valid and reliable instrument to measure the mental problem especially, Depression, Anxiety and Stress among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel cascade visual control scheme is proposed to tailor for electrically driven robotic manipulators that operate under kinematic and dynamic uncertainties, utilizing an uncalibrated stationary camera. The proposed control approach incorporates adaptive weight radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) to learn the behaviors of the uncertain dynamics of the robot and the joint actuators. The controllers are designed to nullify the approximation error and mitigate unknown disturbances through an integrated robust adaptive mechanism. A major advantage of the proposed approach is that prior knowledge of the dynamics of the robotic manipulator and its actuator is no longer required. The controller autonomously assimilates the robot and actuator dynamics online, thereby obviating the need for fussy regression matrix derivation and advance dynamic measurement to establish the adaptive dynamic parameter update algorithm. The proposed scheme ensures closed-loop system stability, bounded system states, and the convergence of tracking errors to zero. Simulation results, employing a PUMA manipulator as a testbed, substantiate the viability of the proposed control policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle-based Variational Inference (ParVI) methods have been widely adopted in deep Bayesian inference tasks such as Bayesian neural networks or Gaussian Processes, owing to their efficiency in generating high-quality samples given the score of the target distribution. Typically, ParVI methods evolve a weighted-particle system by approximating the first-order Wasserstein gradient flow to reduce the dissimilarity between the particle system's empirical distribution and the target distribution. Recent advancements in ParVI have explored sophisticated gradient flows to obtain refined particle systems with either accelerated position updates or dynamic weight adjustments. In this paper, we introduce the semi-Hamiltonian gradient flow on a novel Information–Fisher–Rao space, known as the SHIFR flow, and propose the first ParVI framework that possesses both accelerated position update and dynamical weight adjustment simultaneously, named the General Accelerated Dynamic-Weight Particle-based Variational Inference (GAD-PVI) framework. GAD-PVI is compatible with different dissimilarities between the empirical distribution and the target distribution, as well as different approximation approaches to gradient flow. Moreover, when the appropriate dissimilarity is selected, GAD-PVI is also suitable for obtaining high-quality samples even when analytical scores cannot be obtained. Experiments conducted under both the score-based tasks and sample-based tasks demonstrate the faster convergence and reduced approximation error of GAD-PVI methods over the state-of-the-art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for thermal power generation from natural gas has increased globally due to its cleaner burning properties compared to other fossil fuels. Optimizing the gas flow through the network to meet this demand is challenging due to the nonconvex Weymouth equation constraining gas flow and nodal pressures in pipelines. Traditional methods for addressing this nonconvexity lead to significant approximation errors or high operational costs. This study poses the Weymouth constraint as a Mathematical Programming with Complementarity Constraints (MPCC) for an optimal gas flow problem. The complementarity constraints reformulate the discontinuous sign function using binary-behaving continuous variables. This MPCC-based approach avoids solving mixed-integer programming problems while enhancing the accuracy of conventional linear and second-order approximations. Testing the approach on various interconnected systems, including Colombia's national gas transportation grid, demonstrated significant reductions in Weymouth approximation errors, thereby supporting effective optimization for interconnected networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a constantly evolving concept that reflects changes in society and the expectations of stakeholders in a process that leads companies to adapt to respond to new challenges and demands. Similarly, the theory and practice of CSR have moved from regulatory compliance to a more holistic approach that requires more sophisticated models that allow for a deeper understanding. Following the fact that companies now have access to a greater amount of information related to their social and environmental performance, as well as comparative data from other organizations, which is why it is necessary to have a management tool that allows collecting, process, and generating more accurate and meaningful metrics that more effectively reflect a company's impact on society. Consequently, the present work aims to identify a system of variables and dimensions representative of the management of organizations that allows the validation of a generic model of corporate social responsibility determined through factorial and structural modeling capable of reflecting more accurate and up-to-date dimensions and metrics of model variables and dimensions. To carry out the study, a sample of 667 middle and senior managers from medium and large companies in Guayas, Ecuador, were randomly contacted in their respective business contexts by trained interviewers. The data processing was carried out in stages. First, the exploratory factorial analysis method of the items was applied to form relevant factors. Then, the dimensions' structural modeling was formulated and ratified through the pertinent goodness-of-fit indices. The results determined a system of correlated factors whose items present estimators of commonality and high and significant factorial loads, excluding variables that did not exceed the sensitization criteria applied. Finally, a model made up of 15 factors and 66 variables ratified using the comparative adjustment indices, the chi-square likelihood ratio, and the mean square error of approximation is introduced, confirming the proposed corporate social responsibility model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let ω be a positive, Lebesgue integrable and exponential decay function defined on an infinite interval I and let L1,ω(I) be the space of weighted Lebesgue integrable functions on I. In this paper, we give the relations of the best one-sided approximation and the optimal Hermite–Fejér interpolation by the set of algebraic polynomials of degree not exceeding a given number for the smooth function classes BC2r,+(I), r ∈ ℕ+, in the metric of the space L1,ω(I), and prove that the Hermite–Fejér interpolation based on the set of the zeros of some orthogonal polynomials is optimal in L1,ω(I). In addition, we show that the approximation error of the optimal Hermite–Fejér interpolation and quadrature errors of the weighted Gaussian quadrature formula are equal, and give the exact constant of the errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the optimal approximation algorithm is proposed to simplify non-linear functions and/or discrete data as piecewise polynomials by using the constrained least squares. In time-sensitive applications or in embedded systems with limited resources, the runtime of the approximate function is as crucial as its accuracy. The proposed algorithm searches for the optimal piecewise polynomial (OPP) with the minimum computational cost while ensuring that the error is below a specified threshold. This was accomplished by using smooth piecewise polynomials with optimal order and numbers of intervals. The computational cost only depended on polynomial complexity, i.e., the order and the number of intervals at runtime function call. In previous studies, the user had to decide one or all of the orders and the number of intervals. In contrast, the OPP approximation algorithm determines both of them. For the optimal approximation, computational costs for all the possible combinations of piecewise polynomials were calculated and tabulated in ascending order for the specific target CPU off-line. Each combination was optimized through constrained least squares and the random selection method for the given sample points. Afterward, whether the approximation error was below the predetermined value was examined. When the error was permissible, the combination was selected as the optimal approximation, or the next combination was examined. To verify the performance, several representative functions were examined and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy-preserving neural networks offer a promising solution to train and predict without user privacy leakage, and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) stands out as one of the key technologies, as it enables homomorphic operations over encrypted data. However, only addition and multiplication homomorphisms are supported by FHE, and thus, it faces huge challenges when implementing non-linear functions with ciphertext inputs. Among the non-linear functions in neural networks, one may refer to the activation function, the argmax function, and maximum pooling. Inspired by using a composition of low-degree minimax polynomials to approximate sign and argmax functions, this study focused on optimizing the homomorphic argmax approximation, where argmax is a mathematical operation that identifies the index of the maximum value within a given set of values. For the method that uses compositions of low-degree minimax polynomials to approximate argmax, in order to further reduce approximation errors and improve computational efficiency, we propose an improved homomorphic argmax approximation algorithm that includes rotation accumulation, tree-structured comparison, normalization, and finalization phases. And then, the proposed homomorphic argmax algorithm was integrated into a neural network structure. Comparative experiments indicate that the network with our proposed argmax algorithm achieved a slight increase in accuracy while significantly reducing the inference latency by 58 % , as the homomorphic sign and rotation operations were rapidly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximate numerical methods are one of the most used strategies to extract information from many-interacting-agents systems. In particular, numerical approximations are of extended use to deal with epidemic, ecological and biological models, since unbiased methods like the Gillespie algorithm can become unpractical due to high CPU time usage required. However, the use of approximations has been debated and there is no clear consensus about whether unbiased methods or biased approach is the best option. In this work, we derive scaling relations for the errors in approximations based on binomial extractions. This finding allows us to build rules to compute the optimal values of both the discretization time and number of realizations needed to compute averages with the biased method with a target precision and minimum CPU-time usage. Furthermore, we also present another rule to discern whether the unbiased method or biased approach is more efficient. Ultimately, we will show that the choice of the method should depend on the desired precision for the estimation of averages. The binomial method, and similar approximations, are often used for numerical simulations of population models in mathematical epidemiology and ecology. The authors study the binomial method to approximate a stochastic dynamic and compare it with an unbiased Gillespie method for stochastic simulation deriving insights on optimal discretization schemes for the binomial method and provide corresponding rules that would indicate if binomial or unbiased solution methods are more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive state-feedback control system is proposed for a class of linear time-varying systems represented in the controller canonical form. The adaptation problem is reduced to the one of Taylor series-based first approximations of the ideal controller parameters. The exponential convergence of identification and tracking errors of such an approximation to an arbitrarily small and adjustable neighbourhood of the equilibrium point is ensured if the condition of the regressor persistent excitation with a sufficiently small time period is satisfied. The obtained theoretical results are validated via numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an adaptive bearing rigid formation control strategy for a class of nonlinear system with unknown dead-zone inputs and external disturbance is proposed. Firstly, the I-Type fuzzy system is used to approximate the unknown nonlinear dynamics of the formation model, and the approximation errors and unknown external disturbance are eliminated by the parameter adaptive estimation. Furthermore, the adaptive dynamic estimation algorithm is utilized to estimate and compensate the unknown dead-zone parameters, effectively suppressing the impact of dead-zone on formation system performance. Finally, the stability of the formation system is proved based on LaSalle's invariance principle, and the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale symmetric and asymmetric matrices have emerged in predicting the relationship between genes and diseases. The emergence of large-scale matrices increases the computational complexity of the problem. Therefore, using low-rank matrices instead of original symmetric and asymmetric matrices can greatly reduce computational complexity. In this paper, we propose an approximation conjugate gradient method for solving the low-rank matrix recovery problem, i.e., the low-rank matrix is obtained to replace the original symmetric and asymmetric matrices such that the approximation error is the smallest. The conjugate gradient search direction is given through matrix addition and matrix multiplication. The new conjugate gradient update parameter is given by the F-norm of matrix and the trace inner product of matrices. The conjugate gradient generated by the algorithm avoids SVD decomposition. The backtracking linear search is used so that the approximation conjugate gradient direction is computed only once, which ensures that the objective function decreases monotonically. The global convergence and local superlinear convergence of the algorithm are given. The numerical results are reported and show the effectiveness of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a hybrid modeling framework based on recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and the finite element (FE) method to approximate model discrepancies in time-dependent, multi-fidelity problems, and use the trained hybrid models to perform bias correction of the low-fidelity models. The hybrid model uses FE basis functions as a spatial basis and RNNs for the approximation of the time dependencies of the FE basis' degrees of freedom. The training data sets consist of sparse, non-uniformly sampled snapshots of the discrepancy function, pre-computed from trajectory data of low- and high-fidelity dynamic FE models. To account for data sparsity and prevent overfitting, data upsampling and local weighting factors are employed, to instigate a trade-off between physically conforming model behavior and neural network regression. The proposed hybrid modeling methodology is showcased in three highly non-trivial engineering test-cases, all featuring transient FE models, namely, heat diffusion out of a heat sink, eddy-currents in a quadrupole magnet, and sound wave propagation in a cavity. The results show that the proposed hybrid model is capable of approximating model discrepancies to a high degree of accuracy and accordingly correct low-fidelity models. • A RNN/FE hybrid model is developed to learn model discrepancies of multi-fidelity FE simulations based on trajectory data. • The RNN captures the dynamics of the discrepancy function while spatial discrepancies are resolved by a FE basis. • Upsampling and Gaussian priors are employed to account for sparsity in the discrepancy data and prevent overfitting. • The model is employed as a correction operator for low-fidelity models in three non-trivial test cases. • The bias corrected models are significantly more accurate compared to the original low-fidelity models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study approximation properties of the variation spaces corresponding to shallow neural networks with a variety of activation functions. We introduce two main tools for estimating the metric entropy, approximation rates, and n-widths of these spaces. First, we introduce the notion of a smoothly parameterized dictionary and give upper bounds on the nonlinear approximation rates, metric entropy, and n-widths of their absolute convex hull. The upper bounds depend upon the order of smoothness of the parameterization. This result is applied to dictionaries of ridge functions corresponding to shallow neural networks, and they improve upon existing results in many cases. Next, we provide a method for lower bounding the metric entropy and n-widths of variation spaces which contain certain classes of ridge functions. This result gives sharp lower bounds on the L 2 -approximation rates, metric entropy, and n-widths for variation spaces corresponding to neural networks with a range of important activation functions, including ReLU k activation functions and sigmoidal activation functions with bounded variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a method for the estimation of airgap spatial variation from the harmonics that appear in the stator's current under static eccentricity conditions. We move beyond the detection of the eccentricity fault and endeavour to quantify the severity of this fault. To achieve this, we formulate the problem as a mathematical inverse problem and attempt to solve it in the Bayesian framework using the so-called Bayesian approximation error approach. The solution takes the form of an algorithm capable of estimating the parameter(s) that characterize the spatial variation of the airgap length from noisy and limited data. Furthermore, it can quantify the uncertainty associated with the results as a byproduct of the Bayesian analysis approach employed in this paper. The results demonstrate that with each iteration of the algorithm, estimation accuracy improves, and the uncertainty of the estimated results reduces. • Bayesian approximation error analysis shows promise in monitoring electrical machines with eccentric rotors. • The paper applies Bayesian inversion for online estimation of airgap length in induction machines with eccentric rotors. • The study estimates static eccentricity ratio from limited data on harmonics of the machine line currents. • This paper gives an analytical method for calculating all inductances of induction machines under static eccentricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of constructing reachable and null-controllable sets for stationary linear discrete-time systems with a summary constraint on the scalar control is considered. For the case of quadratic constraints and a diagonalizable matrix of the system, these sets are built explicitly in the form of ellipsoids. In the general case, the limit reachable and null-controllable sets are represented as fixed points of a contraction mapping in the metric space of compact sets. On the basis of the method of simple iteration, a convergent procedure for constructing their external estimates with an indication of the a priori approximation error is proposed. Examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern electronic devices are supported by multicore processors and they have become an unavoidable part of recent technologies. The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) is one of the indispensable parts of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) which performs most of the operations. Operations like multiplications, and exponentials consume more power than other normal operations. Power management is one of the major challenges in designing processors. To maximize speed and reduce power consumption, a new technique in Multiplier and ALU incorporated with a multicore processor has been proposed. The Proposed Approximate Compatible ALU (ACALU) is designed to perform specified operations that consume more power, using an advanced multiplication technique called the First One First Operand (FOFO) method. The selection process of eight bits is done by the FOFO method followed by error detection and error approximation is performed to get the accurate output. The ACALU performs these operations in the Approximate Computing Mode which utilizes only eight bits for the operations, thus reducing the power consumption. The results of several analyses between multipliers, ALUs, and microprocessors are provided. As we optimize the multiplier and ALU unit, the multicore processor is also enhanced. The proposed multicore processor is compared with the AMD processor and the latest INTEL processor and the comparison results show that the proposed technique is 95.2% and 97.8% more efficient than the existing processors. Thus, the power consumption is minimized and the performance speed is increased in the proposed multicore processor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the construction process of the traditional finite difference method, we derive a large class of high-accuracy methods for approximating derivatives. Since Taylor expansion is avoided, the requirement for function smoothness in the new methods is greatly reduced. We analyze the approximation errors of the proposed methods and compare their approximation effects. As a typical application, we use the proposed methods to solve Elliptic, Hyperbolic and Parabolic problems numerically. For time-dependent problems, a class of new fully implicit difference schemes and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method are both used for discretization. When using fully implicit difference schemes, unconditional stability and convergence are proved for hyperbolic and parabolic problems with the periodic boundary conditions. A large number of numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To make better decisions on approximation, we may need to increase reliable and useful information on different aspects of approximation. To enhance information about the quality and certainty of approximating the solution of an Apollonius-type quadratic functional equation, we need to measure both the quality and the certainty of the approximation and the maximum errors. To measure the quality of it, we use fuzzy sets, and to achieve its certainty, we use the probability distribution function. To formulate the above problem, we apply the concept of Z-numbers and introduce a special matrix of the form diag (A , B , C) (named the generalized Z-number) where A is a fuzzy time-stamped set, B is the probability distribution function, and C is a degree of reliability of A that is described as a value of A ∗ B . Using generalized Z-numbers, we define a novel control function to investigate H–U–R stability to approximate the solution of an Apollonius-type quadratic functional equation with quality and certainty of the approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian optimization algorithms are widely used for solving problems with a high computational complexity in terms of objective function evaluation. The efficiency of Bayesian optimization is strongly dependent on the quality of the surrogate models of an objective function, which are built and refined at each iteration. The quality of surrogate models, and hence the performance of an optimization algorithm, can be greatly improved by selecting the appropriate hyperparameter values of the approximation algorithm. The common approach to finding good hyperparameter values for each iteration of Bayesian optimization is to build surrogate models with different hyperparameter values and choose the best one based on some estimation of the approximation error, for example, a cross-validation score. Building multiple surrogate models for each iteration of Bayesian optimization is computationally demanding and significantly increases the time required to solve an optimization problem. This paper suggests a new approach, called exploratory landscape validation, to find good hyperparameter values with less computational effort. Exploratory landscape validation metrics can be used to predict the best hyperparameter values, which can improve both the quality of the solutions found by Bayesian optimization and the time needed to solve problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive neural network energy-based control approach is proposed in this paper to address the issue of stabilizing a partial space elevator during cargo transportation. The method handles the challenges presented by external disturbances and model uncertainties. The dynamic model of the partial space elevator, with a typical multi-input and multi-output underactuated system, is presented. A control scheme using energy-based techniques is proposed to guarantee the stable configuration of the system, and auxiliary kinematic vector variables are designed to incorporate the uncontrollable variables to constitute controllable state subsets. Under these frameworks, adaptive control schemes are formulated using multi-layer neural networks to mitigate model uncertainty. Robust compensators are designed to effectively counteract the unknown boundaries of external disturbances and approximation errors. The stability of the closed control system is rigorously demonstrated through the application of the Lyapunov function and LaSalle's invariance principle. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed control method is highly effective in suppressing oscillations during the transfer period of a partial space elevator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a precise error estimate for an asymptotic expansion of a certain stochastic control problem related to relative entropy minimization. In particular, it is shown that the expansion error depends on the regularity of functionals on path space. An efficient numerical scheme based on a weak approximation with Monte Carlo simulation is employed to implement the asymptotic expansion in multidimensional settings. Throughout numerical experiments, it is confirmed that the approximation error of the proposed scheme is consistent with the theoretical rate of convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The computation of a similarity measure for genomic data is a standard tool in computational genetics. The principal components of such matrices are routinely used to correct for biases due to confounding by population stratification, for instance in linear regressions. However, the calculation of both a similarity matrix and its singular value decomposition (SVD) are computationally intensive. The contribution of this article is threefold. First, we demonstrate that the calculation of three matrices (called the covariance matrix, the weighted Jaccard matrix, and the genomic relationship matrix) can be reformulated in a unified way which allows for the application of a randomized SVD algorithm, which is faster than the traditional computation. The fast SVD algorithm we present is adapted from an existing randomized SVD algorithm and ensures that all computations are carried out in sparse matrix algebra. The algorithm only assumes that row-wise and column-wise subtraction and multiplication of a vector with a sparse matrix is available, an operation that is efficiently implemented in common sparse matrix packages. An exception is the so-called Jaccard matrix, which does not have a structure applicable for the fast SVD algorithm. Second, an approximate Jaccard matrix is introduced to which the fast SVD computation is applicable. Third, we establish guaranteed theoretical bounds on the accuracy (in L 2 norm and angle) between the principal components of the Jaccard matrix and the ones of our proposed approximation, thus putting the proposed Jaccard approximation on a solid mathematical foundation, and derive the theoretical runtime of our algorithm. We illustrate that the approximation error is low in practice and empirically verify the theoretical runtime scalings on both simulated data and data of the 1000 Genome Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of PM2.5 levels are crucial for monitoring air quality and studying the epidemiological impact of air quality on the population. Currently, the most precise measurements of PM2.5 are obtained from ground stations, resulting in limited spatial coverage. In this study, we consider satellite-based PM2.5 retrieval, which involves conversion of high-resolution satellite retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) into high-resolution PM2.5 retrieval. To improve the accuracy of the AOD to PM2.5 conversion, we employ the machine learning based post-process correction to correct the AOD-to-PM conversion ratio derived from Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis model data. The post-process correction approach utilizes a fusion and downscaling of satellite observation and retrieval data, MERRA-2 reanalysis data, various high resolution geographical indicators, meteorological data and ground station observations for learning a predictor for the approximation error in the AOD to PM2.5 conversion ratio. The corrected conversion ratio is then applied to estimate PM2.5 levels given the high-resolution satellite AOD retrieval data derived from Sentinel-3 observations. Our model produces PM2.5 estimates with a spatial resolution of 100 meters at satellite overpass times. Additionally, we have incorporated an ensemble of neural networks to provide error envelopes for machine learning related uncertainty in the PM2.5 estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a convergence and stability analysis of the incremental value iteration algorithm under the influence of various errors. Incremental control is firstly used to linearize the continuous-time nonlinear system, recursive least squares (RLS) identification is then introduced to identify the incremental model online. Based on the incremental model, the value iteration algorithm is used to design an optimal adaptive controller, with an analytical optimal control law. Moreover, the convergence of the developed incremental value iteration algorithm is proved. The stability of the controller is analyzed using Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, a flight control simulation verifies the robustness of the controller to various initial conditions, as well as adaptation to actuator faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the development of a state-input affine differential neural network that approximates a class of nonlinear systems with uncertain dynamics and perturbations. The feasibility of using differential neural networks is based on the approximation capabilities of artificial neural networks, assuring that the approximation error of the right-hand side of the system with uncertain dynamics is bounded. The dynamics of the free parameters of the differential neural network is obtained using the Lyapunov's second stability method, which provides the convergence of the identification error to an invariant set around the origin. The approximation capabilities of the proposed identifier are compared with a classical differential neural network, aiming to identify the dynamics of a Stewart platform, which is used as testing example. The results show that the cumulative norm of identification's error is smaller using the state-input affine differential neural network, which demonstrates better identification outcomes with the proposed modified identifier. An additional advantage of the state-input affine differential neural network is that it has a quasi-linear structure that could help formulate a controller for several systems, which is a further research interest. • Learning laws for State-input affine differential neural network (SIADNN) identifier. • Design based on the second stability method of Lyapunov. • The novel DNN identifier has more applications than the traditional DNN identifier. • Evaluation of performing the non-parametric identification of a Stewart platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the scope of discrete asymptotic homogenization employing voxel (cartesian) mesh discretization is expanded to estimate high fidelity effective properties of any periodic heterogeneous media with arbitrary Bravais's lattice symmetry, including those with non-orthogonal periodic bases. A framework was developed in Python with a proposed fast–nearest neighbour algorithm to accurately estimate the periodic boundary conditions of the discretized representative volume element of the lattice unit cell. Convergence studies are performed, and numerical errors caused by both voxel meshing and periodic boundary condition approximation processes are discussed in detail. It is found that the numerical error in periodicity approximation is cyclically dependent on the number of divisions performed during the meshing process and, thus, is minimized with a refined voxel mesh. Validation studies are performed by comparing the elastic properties of 2D hexagon lattices with orthogonal and non-orthogonal bases. The developed methodology was also applied to derive the effective properties of several lattice topologies, and variation of their anisotropic macroscopic properties with relative densities is presented as material selection charts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of a multi-kilometre drive by a solar-powered rover at the lunar south pole depends upon careful planning in space and time due to highly dynamic solar illumination conditions. An additional challenge is that the rover may be subject to random faults that can temporarily delay long-range traverses. The majority of existing global spatiotemporal planners assume a deterministic rover-environment model and do not account for random faults. In this paper, we consider a random fault profile with a known, average spatial fault rate. We introduce a methodology to compute recovery policies that maximize the probability of survival of a solar-powered rover from different start states. A recovery policy defines a set of recourse actions to reach a safe location with sufficient battery energy remaining, given the local solar illumination conditions. We solve a stochastic reach-avoid problem using dynamic programming to find an optimal recovery policy. Our focus, in part, is on the implications of state space discretization, which is required in practical implementations. We propose a modified dynamic programming algorithm that conservatively accounts for approximation errors. To demonstrate the benefits of our approach, we compare against existing methods in scenarios where a solar-powered rover seeks to safely exit from permanently shadowed regions in the Cabeus area at the lunar south pole. We also highlight the relevance of our methodology for mission formulation and trade safety analysis by comparing different rover mobility models in simulated recovery drives from the LCROSS impact region. • The safety of a solar-powered rover depends on its location, energy and time of day. • Maximally safe behaviours depend on when and where delays occur during a traverse. • The probability of survival of a rover varies non-monotonically with time. • Min–max dynamic programming can conservatively account for the temporal risk ambiguity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship operators typically depend on the visual method for draft reading, which may lead to errors or approximations, and it further introduces draft survey calculation errors and cannot provide continuous updates. Ensuring accurate real-time ship draft measurement becomes crucial for enhancing navigational safety, optimizing vessel performance, and achieving precise cargo and consumable measurements. With the current approach towards automation and remote operation of ships, the need to rely on the accuracy of the measurements provided by the sensors has increased. Although different sensor types are gradually being adopted for draft measurement, they encounter challenges in the demanding marine environment which may result in noisy and inaccurate readings. This paper aims to estimate the true draft of a ship in different conditions from noisy sensor measurements using the Kalman filter algorithm. The purpose of the algorithm is to reduce uncertainty in draft measurement that is generated from inaccuracies in the sensor or from the dynamic marine environment. The paper involves designing the Kalman Filter algorithm for draft measurement to work within the different conditions the ship may experience. Simulating different situations and analyzing the result, the application of the filter shows the advantage in real-time draft measurement in both static and dynamic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that neural networks are vulnerable to adversarial attacks: adding well-crafted, imperceptible perturbations to their input can modify their output. Adversarial training is one of the most effective approaches to training robust models against such attacks. Unfortunately, this method is much slower than vanilla training of neural networks since it needs to construct adversarial examples for the entire training data at every iteration. By leveraging the theory of coreset selection, we show how selecting a small subset of training data provides a principled approach to reducing the time complexity of robust training. To this end, we first provide convergence guarantees for adversarial coreset selection. In particular, we show that the convergence bound is directly related to how well our coresets can approximate the gradient computed over the entire training data. Motivated by our theoretical analysis, we propose using this gradient approximation error as our adversarial coreset selection objective to reduce the training set size effectively. Once built, we run adversarial training over this subset of the training data. Unlike existing methods, our approach can be adapted to a wide variety of training objectives, including TRADES, ℓ p -PGD, and Perceptual Adversarial Training. We conduct extensive experiments to demonstrate that our approach speeds up adversarial training by 2–3 times while experiencing a slight degradation in the clean and robust accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide a new framework for studying continued fractions (CFs) by means of the backwards continued fraction (BCF). We develop an approximation theory for BCFs based on taking expansions of a fixed length, show the correspondence between continued fractions and their BCFs counterpart, and illustrate a rich approximation theory for continued fractions based off the methods of the approximation theory for the backwards case. In particular, we construct explicit functions that are sharp bounds for the BCF or CF error infinitely often over any BCF or CF cylinder set, and work out the details to pass seamlessly between the BCF and CF expansion of any real number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of elongated structures like lines or edges is an essential component in semantic image analysis. Classical approaches that rely on significant image gradients quickly reach their limits when the structure is context-dependent, amorphous, or not directly visible. This study introduces a principled mathematical description of elongated structures with various origins and shapes. Among others, it serves as an expressive operational description of target functions that can be well approximated by Convolutional Neural Networks. The nominal position of a curve and its positional uncertainty are encoded as a heatmap by convolving the curve distribution with a filter function. We propose a low-error approximation to the expensive numerical integration by evaluating a distance-dependent function, enabling a lightweight implementation with linear time complexity. We analyze the method's numerical approximation error and behavior for different curve types and signal-to-noise levels. Application to surgical 2D and 3D data, semantic boundary detection, skeletonization, and other related tasks demonstrate the method's versatility at low errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of the factorization rank of a matrix is critical, e.g., in dimensionality reduction, filtering, clustering, deconvolution, etc., because selecting a rank that is too high amounts to adjusting the noise, while selecting a rank that is too low results in the oversimplification of the signal. Numerous methods for selecting the factorization rank of a non-negative matrix have been proposed. One of them is the cophenetic correlation coefficient ( c c c ), widely used in data science to evaluate the number of clusters in a hierarchical clustering. In previous work, it was shown that c c c performs better than other methods for rank selection in non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) when the underlying structure of the matrix consists of orthogonal clusters. In this article, we show that using the ratio of c c c to the approximation error significantly improves the accuracy of the rank selection. We also propose a new criterion, c o n c o r d a n c e , which, like c c c , benefits from the stochastic nature of NMF; its accuracy is also improved by using its ratio-to-error form. Using real and simulated data, we show that c o n c o r d a n c e , with a CUSUM-based automatic detection algorithm for its original or ratio-to-error forms, significantly outperforms c c c . It is important to note that the new criterion works for a broader class of matrices, where the underlying clusters are not assumed to be orthogonal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital differentiators enable the computation of the derivative of a continuous-time signal at discrete time instances, and they are used in many signal processing applications. This paper derives a unified filter order estimate for digital differentiators that are realized with linear-phase finite-length impulse response filters and designed in the minimax sense. The estimate is useful at the high-level system design when assessing the implementation complexity and it enables fewer designs when finding the minimal filter order required to satisfy a prescribed tolerable approximation error. The proposed unified estimate covers both wideband and lowpass differentiators of integer degrees up to ten. Furthermore, degree-individual filter order estimates are derived which improve and extend previous results. The performance of both the unified and degree-individual order estimates is evaluated through simulation examples and compared with previous estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we know, feedforward neural networks (FNNs) with sigmoidal activation function are universal approximators. Theoretically, for any continuous function defined on a compact set, there exists an FNN such that the FNN can approximate the function with arbitrary accuracy, which constitutes a theoretical guarantee that FNN can be used as an efficient learning machine. This paper addresses the construction and approximation for FNNs. We construct an FNN with sigmoidal activation function and estimate its approximation error. In particular, an inverse theorem of the approximation is established, which implies the equivalence characterization theorem of the approximation and reveals the relationship between the topological structure of the FNN and its approximation ability. As keys in this study, the concepts of modulus of continuity of function, K-functional, and their relationship are utilized, and two Bernstein-type inequalities are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper it is shown, that if a possibly inhomogeneous Markov chain with continuous time and finite state space is weakly ergodic and all the entries of its intensity matrix are locally integrable, then, using available results from the perturbation theory, its time-dependent probability characteristics can be approximately obtained from another Markov chain, having piecewise constant intensities and the same state space. The approximation error (the taxicab distance between the state probability distributions) is provided. It is shown how the Cauchy operator and the state probability distribution for an arbitrary initial condition can be calculated. The findings are illustrated with the numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Szasz-Favard-Mirakyan operator is exploited for chaos synchronization of a master-slave system. The universal approximation feature asset lets in Szasz-Favard-Mirakyan operators for approximating uncertainties, including un-modeled dynamics and disturbances. The above subject is considered in detail in this investigation. It is confirmed that the synchronization/approximation errors are uniformly bounded and stable if the Szasz-Favard-Mirakyan operators are applied as the regressors. Additionally, it has been presumed that the synchronization's error rate is not available, and an observer will be designed for its estimation. The Duffing–Holmes oscillator is examined as the computer-generated chaotic framework with the target of examining the functioning of the recommended synchronization observer-based controller. The outcomes are compared with an effective approximation-based control strategy. Unlike Chebyshev Neural Network approximators in which the system's inputs states are needed to define the regressor vector and approximate uncertainties, the suggested Szasz-Favard-Mirakyan operators–based strategy is independent of the system states for constructing the regressor vector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 3 D bounded and C 1 , α -smooth domain Ω, α ∈ (0 , 1) , we distribute a cluster of nanoparticles enjoying moderately contrasting relative permittivity and permeability which can be anisotropic. We show that the effective permittivity and permeability generated by such cluster is explicitly characterized by the corresponding electric and magnetic polarization tensors of the fixed shape. The error of the approximation of the scattered fields corresponding to the cluster and the effective medium is inversely proportional to the dilution parameter c r : = δ a , where a is the maximum diameter of the nanoparticles and δ is the minimum distance between them. The constant of the proportionality is given in terms of a-priori bounds on the cluster of nanoparticles (i.e. upper and lower bounds on their permittivity and permeability parameters, upper bound on the dilution parameter c r , the used incident frequency and the domain Ω). A key point of the analysis is to show that the Foldy-Lax field appearing in the meso-scale approximation, derived in [17] , is a discrete form of a (continuous) system of Lippmann-Schwinger equations with a related effective permittivity and permeability contrasts. To derive this, we prove that the Lippmann-Schwinger operator, for the Maxwell system, is invertible in the Hölder spaces. As a by-product, this shows a Hölder regularity property of the electromagnetic fields up to the boundary of the inhomogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce new discrete best approximation problems, formulated and solved in the framework of tropical algebra, which deals with semirings and semifields with idempotent addition. Given a set of samples, each consisting of the input and output of an unknown function defined on an idempotent semifield, the problem is to find a best approximation of the function, by tropical Puiseux polynomial and rational functions. A new solution approach is proposed, which involves the reduction of the problem of polynomial approximation to the best approximate solution of a tropical linear vector equation with an unknown vector on one side (a one-sided equation). We derive a best approximate solution to the one-sided equation, and we evaluate the inherent approximation error in a direct analytical form. Furthermore, we reduce the rational approximation problem to the best approximate solution of an equation with unknown vectors on both sides (a two-sided equation). A best approximate solution to the two-sided equation is obtained in numerical form, by using an iterative alternating algorithm. To illustrate the new technique developed, we solve example approximation problems in terms of a real semifield, where addition is defined as maximum and multiplication as arithmetic addition (max-plus algebra), which corresponds to the best Chebyshev approximation by piecewise linear functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of elongated structures like lines or edges is an essential component in semantic image analysis. Classical approaches that rely on significant image gradients quickly reach their limits when the structure is context-dependent, amorphous, or not directly visible. This study introduces a principled mathematical description of elongated structures with various origins and shapes. Among others, it serves as an expressive operational description of target functions that can be well approximated by Convolutional Neural Networks. The nominal position of a curve and its positional uncertainty are encoded as a heatmap by convolving the curve distribution with a filter function. We propose a low-error approximation to the expensive numerical integration by evaluating a distance-dependent function, enabling a lightweight implementation with linear time complexity. We analyze the method's numerical approximation error and behavior for different curve types and signal-to-noise levels. Application to surgical 2D and 3D data, semantic boundary detection, skeletonization, and other related tasks demonstrate the method's versatility at low errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of close relationships-revised (ECR-R) is a widely used 36-item self-report measurement for measuring adult attachment. However, various short versions of the ECR-R have been developed and tested psychometrically. Given the cultural impact, a short version of the Thai ECR-R should be derived from the existing Thai version of the ECR-R. This study aimed to develop a 10-item version of the ECR-R that demonstrates comparable psychometric properties to the previous Thai version and the 18-item ECR-R. This study included four studies with a total of 1,322 participants. In study 1, 434 adults in a nonclinical setting were used for the development of the 10-item Thai ECR-R and tested in an independent sample. Studies 2, 3, and 4 were conducted on 312 adults in the clinical setting, 227 older adults in the nonclinical, and 123 older adults in clinical settings. The Cronbach alphas and corrected correlations between the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 in each study were calculated. Confirmatory factor analysis of the first-order two-factor solution model with fit statistics was examined with each sample. Correlations of the ECR-R-18 and the ECR-R-10 with other measurements were presented and compared. Known-group validity and measurement invariance test were also examined. The Cronbach alphas of the ECR-R-10 among all samples were acceptable, ranging between.77 and.85 for avoidance subscales and between.82 and.86 for anxiety subscales. The corrected correlation between the ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10 was between.61 (p <.001) and.82 (p <.001). The values of the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index for the model of ECR-R-10 were between.903 and.985, whereas the root-mean-square error of approximation was between.082 and.036, indicating that the model fits were acceptable. The ECR-R-10 was related to the measurements with a similar construct; however, no difference in the magnitude of correlation was observed between ECR-R-18 and ECR-R-10. Known group validity was established. Measurement invariance was successfully established across different age and gender groups, although it was only partially achieved with respect to clinical status. The ECR-R-10 provided equal or superior psychometric properties to the ECR-R-18 across age groups and settings. As it is a briefer scale, the ECR-R-10 can be practically used in general and clinical samples to reduce the burden of assessment, especially with older adults. Further investigation is needed to test the scale's temporal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibration-based health diagnostics technique has shown great potentials to enhance the safety and reliability for many industrial rotary machinery. The emerging sparse representation classification (SRC) paradigm provides a promising tool for intelligent machinery health diagnostics. However, traditional SRC approaches neglect the useful priori information in rotary machinery vibration data, limiting the reconstruction ability and thus restricting their diagnostic accuracy. To address this issue, we present a novel sparsity assisted intelligent recognition (SAIR) methodology for vibration-based machinery health diagnostics. SAIR is constituted by two stages for dictionary design and intelligent recognition. In the dictionary design stage, SAIR exploits the useful priori information of the prediction shift-invariance property, to design class-specific dictionaries via an overlapping segmentation strategy. Additionally, this dictionary design strategy can leverage those local and nonlocal features within data segments. In the intelligent recognition stage, SAIR implements health state recognition by means of the sparsity-based health diagnostic strategy according to minimal sparse approximation errors. Finally, the feasibility and advantage of SAIR have been comprehensively evaluated for planetary gearbox health diagnostics, indicating that SAIR yields an overall diagnostic accuracy of 99.72%. Besides, comparative studies demonstrate that SAIR outperforms the advanced mainstream methods with better diagnostic accuracy and lower computation costs for vibration-based machinery health diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, q -Chlodowsky operators are utilized for synchronizing a chaotic master-slave system. The universal approximation property enables q -Chlodowsky operators to approximate uncertainties, which consist of disturbances and unmodeled dynamics. It is verified that uniformly ultimately bounded stability of the tracking/approximation errors can be assured if the q -Chlodowsky operators are utilized as regressors and the polynomial coefficients are tuned by the adaptive laws calculated in the stability analysis. Moreover, it has been assumed that the rate of synchronization error is not at hand and a filter-based strategy has been adopted instead of designing an observer. The Duffing-Holmes oscillator is studied and the results are also compared with three powerful approximation-based and robust control methods. Unlike neural network/fuzzy estimators in which system states are necessary to define the regressor vector, the proposed uncertainty estimator does not require them in the regressor vector. Furthermore, in comparison with radial basis functions neural networks (RBFNNs), we are involved in fewer adaptive coefficients in the regressor vector of the proposed uncertainty estimator. As a result, the tedious and time-consuming procedure of trial and error for tuning the uncertainty estimator is eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]