Artificial neural networks are widely used for parallel processing of data analysis and visual information. The most prominent example of artificial neural networks is a cellular neural network (CNN), composed from two-dimensional arrays of simple first-order dynamical systems (“cells”) that are interconnected by wires. The information, to be processed by a CNN, represents the initial state of the network, and the parallel information processing is performed by converging to one of the stable spatial equilibrium states of the multi-stable CNN. This thesis studies a specific type of CNNs designed to perform the winner-take-all function of finding the largest among the n numbers, using the network dynamics. In a wider context, this amounts to automatically detecting a target spot in the given visual picture. The research, reported in this thesis, demonstrates that the addition of fast on-off switching (blinking) connections significantly improves the functionality of winner-take-all CNNs. Numerical calculations are performed to reveal the dependence of the probability, that the CNN correctly classifies the largest number, on the switching frequency.

Wireless channels are vulnerable to interception. In some applications an end-to-end secure data transfer is required. However the use of cryptographic functions in communication over a wireless channel increases sensitivity to channel errors. As a result, the connection characteristics in terms of delay, throughput, and transmission energy worsen. Transmission energy is a key issue in some secure end-to-end wireless applications especially if they are running on mobile handheld devices with a limited source of energy such as batteries. That is why in most secure end-to-end wireless connections, the connection is dropped in poor channel conditions. In this thesis, models are proposed by which the performance is improved and transmission energy is lowered. A combination of a cross-layer controller, K Best Likelihood (K-BL) channel decoder, and a keyed error detection algorithm in the novel model supports the authorized receivers by a higher throughput, lower delay mean, and less transmission energy in a certain range of the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). This is done at the expense of additional computation at the receiving end. Ttradeoffs are examined and the simulation results of the new model are compared with those of conventional wireless communication systems. Another model is devised to mitigate the energy consumption of the Turbo Code channel decoder. The overall decoding energy consumption for each packet can be lowered by reducing the average number of iterations in the Turbo Code channel decoder. The proposed models achieve better energy consumption by reducing the number of iterations in a channel decoder that uses the Turbo decoder and by reducing the number of retransmissions in a trellis channel decoder. Furthermore, the security enhancement of the novel models is assessed in terms of the extent to which the enhancement is fully achieved.

Complex systems composed of many substructures include various structural joints connecting the substructures together. These mechanical connections play a significant role in predicting the dynamic characteristics of the assembled systems accurately. Therefore, equivalent dynamic models of joints that consist of stiffness and damping elements should be developed and the joint parameters should be determined for an accurate vibration analysis. Since it is difficult to estimate joint parameters accurately by using a pure analytical approach, it is a general practice to use experimental measurements to model joints connecting substructures. In this study an experimental identification method is suggested. In this approach the frequency response functions (FRFs) of substructures and the coupled structure are measured and FRF decoupling method is used to identify equivalent dynamic characteristics of bolted joints. Since rotational degrees of freedom (RDOF) in connection dynamics is very important, a structural joint is modeled with translational, rotational and cross-coupling stiffness and damping terms. FRF synthesis and finite-difference formulations are used for the estimation of unmeasured FRFs and RDOF related FRFs, respectively. The validity and application of the proposed method are demonstrated both numerically and experimentally. In simulation studies, simulated experimental values are used, and it is seen that the identification results are prone to high errors due to noise in measurement and the matrix inversions in the identification equations. In order to reduce the effect of noise, it is proposed to extract the joint properties by taking the average of the results obtained at several frequencies in the frequency regions sensitive to joint parameters. Yet, it is observed in practical applications that experimental errors combine with the measurement noise and the identification results still may not be so accurate. In order to solve this problem, an update algorithm is developed. In the approach proposed, the identified dynamic parameters are used as initial estimates and then optimum dynamic parameters representing the joint are obtained by using an optimization algorithm. The application of the proposed method is performed on a bolted assembly. It is shown with experimental studies that this method is very successful in identifying bolted joint parameters. The accuracy and applicability of the identification method suggested are illustrated by using a dynamically identified bolt in a new structure, and showing that the calculated FRFs in which identified joint parameters are used, match perfectly with the measured ones for the new structure. In this study, the effects of bolt size and quality of bolts, as well as the bolt torque on the joint properties are also studied by making a series of experiments and identifying the joint parameters for each case.

Ziel der Arbeiten ist die Entwicklung von Verbindungsgeometrien für ebene, textilbewehrte Betonbauteile auf Basis der Klebtechnik. Zur Charakterisierung des Tragverhaltens geeigneter Verbindungen werden umfangreiche experimentelle Verbunduntersuchungen auf Garn- und Bauteilebene durchgeführt. Mit den so gestalteten Verbindungen mit nachträglichem Verguss lassen sich die Referenzlasten des ungestörten Bauteils erreichen, wobei eine weitere Optimierung der Klebung zur Gewährleistung einer vereinfachten Herstellbarkeit und eines reproduzierbaren Versagensverhaltens anzustreben ist.

Gaits have become an integral part of the design method of robots heading to complex terrains. But research into optimal ways to transition between different gaits is still lacking, and is the primary motivation behind this research. An essential characteristic of gaits is periodicity, and considering that a novel notion of graceful transition is proposed: a graceful transition is one that has maximally persisting periodicity. This particular notion of persistence in the characteristic behavior can be generalized. Therefore, a comprehensive framework for the general problem of connecting any two trajectories of a dynamical system, with an underlying characteristic behavior, over a finite time interval and in a manner that the behavior persists maximally during the transition, is developed and presented. This transition is called the Gluskabi Raccordation, and the characteristic behavior is defined by a kernel representation. Along with establishing this framework, the kernel representations for some interesting characteristic behaviors are also identified. The problem of finding the Gluskabi Raccordations is then solved for different combinations of characteristic behaviors and dynamical systems, and compact widely applicable results are obtained. Lastly, the problem of finding graceful gait transitions is treated within this newly established broader framework, and these graceful gait transitions are obtained for the case of a two-piece worm model.

Flat slab-column connections are common elements in reinforced concrete (RC) structures such as parking garages. In cold weather regions, these structures are exposed to de-icing salts and aggressive environments. Using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars instead of steel in such structures will overcome the corrosion problems associated with steel reinforcement. However, the available literature shows few studies to evaluate the behaviour of FRP-RC interior slab-column connections tested mainly under concentric loads, which seldom occurs in a real building. The main objectives of this research are to deal with this gap by investigating the behaviour of full-scale glass (G) FRP-RC interior slab-column connections subjected to eccentric load and to provide design recommendations for such type of connections. This study consisted of two phases, experimental and analytical. The experimental phase included the construction and testing of ten full-scale interior slab-column connections. The parameters investigated in the experimental phase were flexural reinforcement ratio, concrete compressive strength, type of the reinforcement, moment-to-shear ratio and the spacing between the shear stud reinforcement. Test results revealed that increasing the GFRP reinforcement ratio or the concrete strength increased the connection capacity. Moreover, compared to the control steel-RC specimen, the GFRP-RC connection with similar reinforcement rigidity showed comparable capacity and deflection at failure. Also, increasing the moment-to-shear ratio resulted in a reduction in the vertical load capacity, while using the shear stud reinforcement enhanced the strength up to 23%. In the analytical phase, a 3-D finite element model (FEM) was constructed using specialized software. The constructed FEM was able to predict the experimental results within a reasonable accuracy. The verified FEM was then used to conduct a parametric study to evaluate the effects of perimeter-to-depth ratio, column aspect ratio, slab thickness and a wide range of flexural reinforcement ratio. The numerical results showed that increasing the reinforcement ratio increased the connection capacity. In addition, increasing the perimeter-to-depth ratio and slab thickness reduced the punching shear stresses at failure, while, the effect of the column rectangularity diminished for a ratio greater than three. Moreover, the results showed prominent agreement with the experimental results from literature. / October 2015

Glued connections are relatively new in structural timber engineering. They are expected to show high connection stiffness as well as a high connection strength compared to mechanical connections e.g. dowel‐type connections.The main aim of this thesis is to characterize the behavior of glued timber connections under pure tension by conducting experiments as well as numerical simulations. Hereby the influence of different parameters is studied such as the geometry (bond-line length and thickness) and the material properties (e.g. adhesives of highly diverse stiffness). Additionally, reference tests on a dowel-type connection are made. The purpose is to see the differences between dowelled and glued connections and to see if there are some advantages in using glued timber connections (the base geometry was chosen acc. to Eurocode 5).Finite element models were created in the software ABAQUS. The models were used to predict the connection stiffness and compare this to the experimental results. In addition, parametric studies were performed on e.g. overlapping lengths. The comparison between experiments and simulations showed good agreement.It was found that glued connections with the adhesives SikaPower-4720 and SikaFast-5215 NT (an epoxy and an acrylate, respectively) had higher stiffness than the dowel connections, whereas connections with the silicone adhesive SikaSil SG-500 had a lower stiffness. A general conclusion drawn from this work is that the glued timber connections simulated in this project should also be suitable for application to complex connections and situations involving other loading situations than pure tension.

The Arctic is an important component of the Earth’s climate system, and it is a region dynamically coupled to climate phenomena at lower latitudes, through both atmospheric and oceanic paths. The coupling has significant effects on the hydroclimate variability in the Arctic, including effects on sea ice and Arctic precipitation. In this dissertation, we explore the coupling of the lower latitudes and the Arctic hydroclimate through atmospheric mechanisms with dynamical and thermodynamical components, with a focus on the following examples of variability: i) the decadal variability of boreal winter Arctic precipitation, ii) the variability of the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex in boreal winter, and iii) the initial melt of Arctic sea ice in late boreal spring. The goal of the research is to understand what drives the Arctic hydroclimate variability in each of these examples through improved knowledge of the mechanisms linking them to the tropics and Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. In the first part of the analysis, we explore the mechanisms responsible for the decadal variability of boreal winter Arctic precipitation. We find that the decadal variability of cool-season Arctic precipitation is at least partly connected to decadal modulation of tropical central Pacific sea surface temperatures related to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The modulation can be described as the oscillation between periods favoring central and eastern Pacific warming events [CPW and EPW, respectively], which are two common types of ENSO variability. By analyzing a collection of CPW and EPW events in reanalysis data, we establish the following connecting mechanism. First, the increase of central Pacific SSTs drive a Rossby wave train that destructively interferes with the zonal wavenumber 1 component of the background extratropical planetary wave in the subpolar region. Next, as a result of this interference, the magnitude of the vertical Rossby wave propagation from the troposphere to the stratosphere decreases and the stratospheric polar vortex strengthens. Finally, the strengthening of the vortex translates into a tendency towards a positive Arctic Oscillation (AO) in the troposphere and a poleward shift of the Northern Hemisphere midlatitude storm tracks, increasing moisture transport from lower latitudes and increasing total Arctic precipitation. In a further investigation of a crucial component of the above mechanism, the initial response of the stratospheric polar vortex to the influence of CPW and EPW is investigated. A 20-member ensemble run of an idealized model experiment in the NCAR Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) is conducted with prescribed CPW and EPW pattern SST anomalies. Both CPW and EPW events weaken the polar vortex in the ensemble mean. The weakening is mainly tied to changes in the eddy-driven mean meridional circulation, with some contribution from eddy momentum flux convergence. There is a significant spread between ensemble members with identical CPW and EPW forcing, where a few of the ensemble members exhibit a weak strengthening response. The initial conditions of the extratropical atmosphere and subsequent internal variability after the introduction of the CPW and EPW forcing help drive the spread in response between individual members. In the last part of the analysis, using MERRA reanalysis data, the means by which atmospheric eddies affect the trend and variability of the initial melt of Arctic sea ice are explored. We focus specifically on the effects of lower troposphere (i.e. 1000-500 mb average) meridional heat transport by atmospheric eddies, a dynamical component of the atmospheric eddy mechanism, and eddy-generated surface downwelling shortwave and longwave radiation anomalies, a thermodynamical component. Although in a climatological sense, atmospheric eddies in all major frequency bands transport heat poleward into the Arctic, we find that the lower-troposphere eddy meridional heat transport does not contribute to the trend of an earlier initial melt date. However, eddy heat transport still plays an important role in the initialization of individual episodes of initial melt with large areal coverage. In the investigation of two specific episodes, the meridional heat transport term that represents the interaction between the eddy wind and mean temperature fields (i.e. the product of the meridional eddy wind and the mean temperature fields) is most associated with the initial melt in both episodes. Additionally, melt in one of the episodes is also associated with surface downwelling longwave and shortwave radiation anomalies, a result of eddy-generated cloud cover anomalies. Therefore, in individual melt events, the combination of direct eddy meridional heat transport and surface longwave and eddy-driven shortwave radiation anomalies may significantly contribute to the initial melt of Arctic sea ice. This combination may be especially important in episodes where significant initial melt occurs over a large area and over a period of a few days.

The formation of a continuous tubular network in the mammalian urinary system requires the interconnection of two epithelial populations with distinct cellular origins. The proximal component of the renal network is the nephron--a complex tubule responsible for much of the physiological action of the kidney. Nephrons connect to a collecting duct network to transport urine from the kidney to the bladder, via the ureter. I have used high-resolution image analysis of genetically labeled nephron and collecting duct networks together with apical and luminal markers to characterize the epithelial interconnection process in the developing kidney. Morphological protrusions at the distal end of the nephron precursor, adjacent to the tip of the collecting duct epithelium, precede luminal interconnection at the S-shaped body stage. Distal cells in the nephron precursor do not display clear epithelial junction complexes and show upregulation of phospho-myosin light chain, suggestive of a quasi-mesenchymal cell behavior. The close apposition of this group of cells with the collecting duct epithelium is facilitated by the absence on an intervening basal lamina. Live imaging of explanted kidneys suggests that distal cells break through into the lumen of the collecting duct epithelium and undergo cell death. No interconnection is observed upon Notch-mediated proximalization of distal cell fates. Furthermore, distal factor bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) expression is lost in proximalized nephron precursor derivatives. Finally, I demonstrate that mice with specific loss of Bmp2 in nephron precursors and their derivatives results in a fraction of disconnected mature nephrons that later results in nephron atrophy and compromised renal function at juvenile stage compared to control mice. These data support a model in which the establishment of distal identity in nephron precursor cells closest to the nascent collecting duct epithelium leads to an active cell invasion that establishes a patent tubular interconnection between the nephron and collecting duct.

The mammalian brain is a complex computing system that contains billions of neurons and trillions of connections. Is there a general principle that governs the processing in such large neural populations? This dissertation attempts to address this question using computational modeling and quantitative analysis of direct physiological measurements of large neural populations in the monkey primary visual cortex (V1). First, the complete spatiotemporal dynamics of V1 responses over the entire region that is activated by small stationary stimuli are characterized quantitatively. The dynamics of the responses are found to be systematic but complex. Importantly, they are inconsistent with many popular computational models of neural processing. Second, a simple population gain control (PGC) model that can account for these complex response properties is proposed for the small stationary stimuli. The PGC model is then used to predict the responses to stimuli composed of two elements and stimuli that move at a constant speed. The predictions of the model are consistent with the measured responses in V1 for both stimuli. PGC is the first model that can account for the complete spatiotemporal dynamics of V1 population responses for different types of stimuli, suggesting that gain control is a general mechanism of neural processing. / text