There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Probability Distributions.- Linear Models for Regression.- Linear Models for Classification.- Neural Networks.- Kernel Methods.- Sparse Kernel Machines.- Graphical Models.- Mixture Models and EM.- Approximate Inference.- Sampling Methods.- Continuous Latent Variables.- Sequential Data.- Combining Models.

Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

CA : A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

Introduction to linear and nonlinear programming

Bilateral teleoperation: An historical survey

Automatic grading of prostate cancer in digitized histopathology images: Learning from multiple experts.

This paper presents a new pneumatic actuator for applications requiring moderate, but accurate, force control, such as teleoperation masters and robot wrists. The actuator uses voice-coil flapper valves and low-friction cylinders. Its force is controlled by servoing differential pressure. Aspects of valve design, system modeling, controller design, and experimental results are presented.

A force-controlled pneumatic actuator

A six degree of freedom structure forming a robotic manipulator, consisting of two five-bar linkages (30 and 80) set on rotatable base linkages (18 and 58); the output points (44 and 94) of the five-bar linkages (30 and 80) are attached to a rigid payload platform (48) by universal joints (46 and 96), respectively. Each linkage (30 and 80) on its rotatable bass can position its output point in three degrees of freedom, but since the two five-bar linkages (30 and 80) are tied together at the platform (48), five degree of freedom motion of the platform (48) results--three degrees of freedom in translation, and two of rotation. A seventh motor (100), mounted for example on one of the five bar linkages, provides power to rotate the platform about the axis defined by the two universal joints (46 and 96). The rotational torque is coupled through one of the universal joints (46 or 96).

Hybrid serial/parallel manipulator

On the development of a force-feedback mouse and its integration into a graphical user interface

A new elastography method is presented that images the mechanical properties of soft tissue. The tissue is externally vibrated over a range of frequencies simultaneously and the resulting displacement is recorded at multiple locations and time instants with a sequence of ultrasound images. Two methods are proposed for estimating the mechanical properties from the recorded data. In the first method, equations of motion are written for a tissue model of masses, springs and dampers. The equations are solved to identify the model parameters and construct an image. The second method performs a transfer function analysis of the tissue motion. The tissue properties are identified from the shape the of transfer function. Simulations show good performance of the new method compared with static elastography. Initial experimental results from homogeneous and layered tissue phantoms also demonstrate the ability quantitatively to image tissue stiffness. Preliminary results are obtained for viscosity and density estimation. Further work is needed to extend the formulation to 3-D and improve robustness of the viscosity and density estimates.

Septimiu E. Salcudean

Papers

Automatic grading of prostate cancer in digitized histopathology images: Learning from multiple experts.

A force-controlled pneumatic actuator

Hybrid serial/parallel manipulator

On the development of a force-feedback mouse and its integration into a graphical user interface

Identifying the mechanical properties of tissue by ultrasound strain imaging.