Statistical approaches to study the properties of neurons in sensory system ascribe the selectivity of neurons in visual and auditory cortices to regularities of signals in natural environment. “Efficient coding” hypothesis is an outstanding theory that explains the work of sensory system in discarding unnecessary data and supplying higher order brain areas with the most informative features in...

Cloutier, Nyman, and Su (Mathematical Social Sciences 59 (2005), 26–37) initiated the study of envy-free cake-cutting problems involving several cakes. The classical result in this area is that when there are q players and one cake, an envy-free cake-division requiring only q − 1 cuts exists under weak and natural assumptions. Among other results, Cloutier, Nyman, and Su showed that when there ...

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We investigate the characteristics of constant-amplitude input shapers for robust time-optimal maneuvers of exi-ble structures. Trends in the timing of the shaper impulses are shown as a function of the system damping constant and move distance. The insensitivity to modeling errors, time-optimality, amount of vibration caused during maneuvers, and high frequency excitation of these shapers are ...

Background: The development of a reliable method for the cryopreservation of mammalian ovary would be an important advancement in the field of reproductive biology for the preservation of genetic resources. The cryopreserved follicles have the potential to develop in-vitro; however, the developmental rate is lower than that of fresh follicles. Researchers have used that of different cryoprotect...

Conservation needs are often in direct competition with other forms of land-use, and therefore protection of biodiversity must be cost-efficient. While common reserve selection algorithms address this problem, quantitative planning tools often suggest an optimal set of sites that is not necessarily convenient for practical conservation. Besides cost-effective solutions we require flexibility if...

OBJECTIVE To determine the optimal methotrexate dose in individual patients and to explore whether this optimal dose and the level of disease activity at that dose could be predicted. METHODS Data from CAMERA II trial comparing MTX and MTX with 10 mg of prednisone both in a tight control treatment strategy in early RA was used. For each patient a curve for disease activity over time was fitte...