Multicolumn RBF Network

A feature clustering-based adaptive modular neural network for nonlinear system modeling

To improve the performance of nonlinear system modeling, this study proposes a feature clustering-based adaptive modular neural network (FC-AMNN) by simulating information processing mechanism of human brains in the way that different information is processed by different modules in parallel. Firstly, features are clustered using an adaptive feature clustering algorithm, and the number of modules in FC-AMNN is determined by the number of feature clusters automatically. The features in each cluster are then allocated to the corresponding module in FC-AMNN. Then, a self-constructive RBF neural network based on Error Correction algorithm is adopted as the subnetwork to study the allocated features. All modules work in parallel and are finally integrated using a Bayesian method to obtain the output. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model, FC-AMNN is tested on several UCI benchmark problems as well as a practical problem in wastewater treatment process. The experimental results show that the FC-AMNN can achieve a better generalization performance and an accurate result for nonlinear system modeling compared with other modular neural networks.

RBFNN-Based Data-Driven Predictive Iterative Learning Control for Nonaffine Nonlinear Systems

In this paper, a novel data-driven predictive iterative learning control (DDPILC) scheme based on a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is proposed for a class of repeatable nonaffine nonlinear discrete-time systems subjected to nonrepetitive external disturbances. First, by utilizing the dynamic linearization technique (DLT) with a newly introduced and unknown system parameter pseudopartial derivative (PPD) and designing a new RBFNN estimation algorithm along the iterative learning axis for addressing the unknown PPD and the unknown nonrepetitive external disturbances, a data-driven prediction model is established. It is theoretically shown that by constructing a composite energy function (CEF) with respect to the modeling error for the first time, the convergence of the modeling error via the proposed DLT-based RBFNN modeling method can be guaranteed, and the convergence speed is tunable. Then, a DDPILC with a disturbance compensation term is designed, and the convergence of the tracking control error is analyzed. Finally, simulations of a train operation system reveal that even if the train suffers from randomly varying load disturbances and nonlinear running resistance, the proposed scheme can make both the modeling error and the tracking control error decrease successively with increasing operation number.

Elastographic Tomosynthesis From X-Ray Strain Imaging of Breast Cancer

Noncancerous breast tissue and cancerous breast tissue have different elastic properties. In particular, cancerous breast tumors are stiff when compared to the noncancerous surrounding tissue. This difference in elasticity can be used as a means for detection through the method of elastographic tomosynthesis by means of physical modulation. This paper deals with a method to visualize elasticity of soft tissues, particularly breast tissues, via x-ray tomosynthesis. X-ray tomosynthesis is now used to visualize breast tissues with better resolution than the conventional single-shot mammography. The advantage of X-ray tomosynthesis over X-ray CT is that fewer projections are needed than CT to perform the reconstruction, thus radiation exposure and cost are both reduced. Two phantoms were used for the testing of this method, a physical phantom and an in silico phantom. The standard root mean square error in the tomosynthesis for the physical phantom was 2.093 and the error in the in silico phantom was negligible. The elastographs were created through the use of displacement and strain graphing. A Gaussian Mixture Model with an expectation–maximization clustering algorithm was applied in three dimensions with an error of 16.667%. The results of this paper have been substantial when using phantom data. There are no equivalent comparisons yet in 3D x-ray elastographic tomosynthesis. Tomosynthesis with and without physical modulation in the 3D elastograph can identify feature groupings used for biopsy. The studies have potential to be applied to human test data used as a guide for biopsy to improve accuracy of diagnosis results. Further research on this topic could prove to yield new techniques for human patient diagnosis purposes.