Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
POINT CLOUDS SEGMENTATION AS BASE FOR AS-BUILT BIM CREATION

In this paper, a three steps segmentation approach is proposed in order to create 3D models from point clouds acquired by TLS inside buildings. The three scales of segmentation are floors, rooms and planes composing the rooms. First, floor segmentation is performed based on analysis of point distribution along Z axis. Then, for each floor, room segmentation is achieved considering a slice of point cloud at ceiling level. Finally, planes are segmented for each room, and planes corresponding to ceilings and floors are identified. Results of each step are analysed and potential improvements are proposed. Based on segmented point clouds, the creation of as-built BIM is considered in a future work section. Not only the classification of planes into several categories is proposed, but the potential use of point clouds acquired outside buildings is also considered.
Scheduling algorithms for input-queued cell switches

The algorithms described in this thesis are designed to schedule cells in a very high-speed, parallel, input-queued crossbar switch. We present several novel scheduling algorithms that we have devised, each aims to match the set of inputs of an input queued switch to the set of outputs more efficiently, fairly and quickly than existing techniques. In Chapter 2 we present the simplest and fastest of these algorithms: SLIP--a parallel algorithm that uses rotating priority ("round-robin") arbitration. SLIP is simple: it is readily implemented in hardware and can operate at high speed. SLIP has high performance: for uniform i.i. d. Bernoulli arrivals, SLIP is stable for any admissible load, because the arbiters tend to desynchronize. We present analytical results to model this behavior. However, SLIP is not always stable and is not always monotonic: adding more traffic can actually make the algorithm operate more efficiently. We present an approximate analytical model of this behavior. SLIP prevents starvation: all contending inputs are eventually served. We present simulation results, indicating SLIP's performance. We argue that SLIP can be readily implemented for a 32 x 32 switch on a single chip. In Chapter 3 we present i-SLIP, an iterative algorithm that improves upon SLIP by converging on a maximal size match. The performance of i-SLIP improves with up to log$\sb2N$ iterations. We show that although it has a longer running time than SLIP, an i-SLIP scheduler is little more complex to implement. In Chapter 4 we describe maximum or maximal weight matching algorithms based on the occupancy of queues, or waiting times of cells. These algorithms are stable over a wider range of traffic loads. We describe two algorithms, longest queue first (LQF) and oldest cell first (OCF) and consider their performance. We prove that LQ although too complex to implement in hardware, is stable under all admissible i.i. d. offered loads. We consider two implementable, iterative algorithms i-LQF and i-OCF which converge on a maximal weight matching. Finally, we present two interesting implementations of the Gale-Shapley algorithm, designed to solve the stable marriage problem.
Implications of the self-similar behaviour of real traffic sources on the local queue occupancy in metropolitan area networks

Recent measurement analysis obtained over real testbeds show that multimedia applications produce aggregated traffic well-described by bursty stochastic processes which exhibit long-range dependence. The paper presents a simulation comparison between the behaviour of a DQDB MAN driven by different sources: real multimedia traffic (collected by experimental measurement) and stochastic models used to fit its self-similar nature. Our attention is particularly directed to self-similar traffics, modeled by fractional Gaussian noise processes.
Ergativity and linguistic geography

Abstract Nothing in our present understanding of accusative and ergative structures and their functions would predict major discrepancies in the frequencies of alignments in the various continents, but such asymmetries exist: Australia and Eurasia have far more ergative languages than expected, the New World has far more stative‐active languages, and Africa has far fewer non‐accusative languages. In terms of its association with other grammatical features, its areal distribution, and its consistency in genetic groupings, ergativity proves to be a recessive phenomenon, while stative‐active is not recessive but simply low in frequency. This makes the high frequency of ergativity in two continents even more unexpected. The continental asymmetries cannot be explained as reflecting the evolution of language or founder effects in the peopling of continents. Most of them have resulted accidentally from structural and genetic skewings created by spread zones in continental interiors. The alignment asymmetries sug.
Fuzzy model based long-range predictive control

Fuzzy model based long-range predictive control algorithms are presented. A distributed fuzzy relational model is used for forecasting. The control law seeks to minimize a multi-step performance index using a receding horizon strategy. The adaptation mechanisms deal with the linguistic maintenance of the involved membership functions. A case study is presented. <<ETX>>
Designing Omni-Directional Mobile Robot with Mecanum Wheel

This study presents the processes undertaken in the design and development of an intelligent omni-directional mobile robot using four custom-made mecanum wheels. The mecanum wheel developed consists of nine rollers made from delrin. All mecanum wheels are independently powered using four units of precisian gear DC motors and the wheel/motor assemblies were mounted directly to the robot chassis made using an aluminum frame. A four channel high power H-bridge using 2 units of LMD 18200 motor drivers IC circuit was design, built and interfaced to a BasicStamp (BS2) microcontroller board. Basic mobility algorithm using BasicStamp software was developed to test the basic mobility capabilities and test the qualitative view of the system's mobility performance. An experiment was set-up to analyze the motion characteristic of the mobile robot motion in Y-axis, X-axis and rotary motion. Data from the experiment will be used for mathematically model for mobile robot platform and speed controller modeling and design. Mecanum wheel mobile robot provides a convenient platform for further development in the mobile platform. The combination of mechanical design on the wheel and chassis, motion control and multiple input/output sensors allow the exploration of large number of control algorithm and software to be implemented to the robot for practical applications.
An approach to modelling and simulation of complex slotted systems with applications to metropolitan area networks

Presents an approach for the performance analysis of high-speed slotted systems. Our approach is based on a combination of analysis and simulation where a Markovian state-space representation of the system is constructed, which faithfully takes into account the media access control (MAC), the traffic to each node, the position of each node in the network, etc. In large networks, the dimensionality of such a representation makes the exact numerical analysis rather impossible. However, such a representation can be readily used in simulating the complex system very easily. As compared to "blind" simulation of subsystems, our approach is found to be considerably more efficient in both the construction of the simulation program and the run time. We have demonstrated our approach in modelling and performance analysis of a few high-speed slotted systems with very bursty cell arrival processes where the impact of the burst size variability on the performance of each node is carefully examined. As an example, a DQDB network with and without spatial reuse and a slotted buffer insertion bus network are considered. <<ETX>>
Alkaline Beryllium Borate NaBeB3O6 and ABe2B3O7 (A: K, Rb) as UV Nonlinear Optical Crystals.

Single crystals of NaBeB3O6 (I), α-KBe2B3O7 (II), β-KBe2B3O7 (III), γ-KBe2B3O7 (IV), and RbBe2B3O7 (V) are grown by the reactive flux method starting with appropriate mixtures of M2CO3 (M:K, Rb), BeO, and B2O3 (Pt crucible, 1050 °C, cooling to the crystallization temperatures).
Color Visions from the Past in Science Teaching within a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) Context.

This study uses history of science in teaching natural sciences from the early grades. The theoretical framework used is Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which is a theory with expanding applications in different fields of science. The didactical scenario, in which history of science is used in a CHAT context, refers to Newton’s presentation of color theory to the scientific society. The question addressed in this study is to connect the history of science with science teaching from the early grades and propose the socio-cultural aspect of teaching natural sciences as a means to reform natural sciences education. The study is divided in two parts. The first part concerns a series of natural science activities and the proper didactic strategies to teach colour theory concepts practiced in the university laboratory by prospective teachers. The second part is an application of the previous activities in Ioannina pre-primary school classrooms. Research data are collected before, during and after the classroom implementation by observations, video recordings, interviews and analyses. The initial results of incorporating history of science material in natural sciences within the CHAT context seem promising. Using elements from the history of science proved a useful tool in order to design science education activities. During the practical application of the activities, pupils realized that construction of scientific concepts is a collective procedure within the evolution of human culture. They found out that the alternative ideas they have about natural concepts and phenomena were also expressed by famous scientists. By using basic principles of CHAT in classroom situations we contribute to the establishment of science education as participation in the community, as well as a new ontology and epistemology in teaching scientific concepts.
Can impact factors substitute for the results of local use studies? Findings from an Australian case study

The usefulness of impact factors as a substitute for conducting a costly local use study was investigated in an Australian university library. The results presented in this paper are consistent with the view that logical deselection decisions can be made only by using the results of a local use study. A number of reasons are advanced for why impact factors are poor predictors of local use.
Developing and investigation of a new technique combining message authentication and encryption

This paper describes a new method for authenticating and encrypting messages. Our method employs any encryption algorithm as underlying block cipher. Proposed algorithm uses two key values, first key for the underlying encryption algorithm, and the second key for the new mode. The proven security describes the attacker inability to forge the new Encryption-Authentication algorithm, in terms of his (presumed) inability to break the underlying random S-box, the second key, and the underlying encryption function.
MLD systems: modeling and control. Experience with a pilot process

We present preliminary results of the modeling and control of a hydraulic pilot process, currently under construction at the Laboratory of Automatics of the ISA Departament of Universidad de Valladolid. The system is described by linear inequalities involving both, real and integer variables, and the dynamical and logical decisions are heavily inter dependant. Hence the characterization as a mixed logical dynamical (MLD) system. The model obtained is particularly suited to apply a model based predictive control strategy to command the system. Results of a simulation of the closed loop system are feature.
The L2F - UPC Speaker Recognition System for NIST SRE 2010

This document describes the joint submission of the INESC-ID’s Spoken Language Systems Laboratory (L 2 F) and the TALP Research Center from the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) to the 2010 NIST Speaker Recognition evaluation. The L2F-UPC primary system is composed by the fusion of five individual sub-systems. Speaker recognition results have been submitted only for the core-core condition.
Comparison of vibration control schemes for a smart antenna

Two active vibration control schemes, positive position feedback (PPF) and active vibration absorber (AVA), were experimentally implemented with an eight ribbed smart antenna. Mounted on five of the eight ribs are collocated piezoceramic sensor/actuator pairs creating a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control structure. A single-input single-output (SISO) pole zero model of one of the antenna ribs is identified. The design parameters for the AVA and PPF controllers are numerically optimized from simulations of the SISO model. The design parameters found in the SISO simulations are then implemented in the MIMO structure. Theoretical stability bounds for collocated and non-collocated control for both the PPF and AVA control schemes are also presented. <<ETX>>
Adaptive controller for marginally stable nonlinear systems using neural networks

A method for the adaptive control of a marginally stable discrete-time nonlinear system of unknown structure is presented. The method is based on the model reference control technique in which the output from the nonlinear plant is made to track the output of a stable reference model which reflects the desired dynamics. Multilayered neural networks are used to approximate the plane dynamics and to implement the controller. Simulation studies show that the proposed scheme performs well under different working environments. Various design parameters that have significant influence on the performance of the overall system are discussed. The effect of the learning rates is highlighted. <<ETX>>
Introduction to ERP/EAI System Issues and Answers: A Research Journey Minitrack

Information Technology (IT) is being increasingly used to automate business processes at strategic, tactical and operational levels. However, traditionally these applications have not developed or been implemented in a coordinated way, but increasingly evolved as a result of technological innovation and business needs. As a result, the IT infrastructure in many organizations consists of autonomous and in many cases heterogeneous solutions that have often been unable to evolve with the business needs of the organization. The effect of this has caused various integration problems as applications cannot co-operate, and disparate IT solutions cannot be integrated together. To address of these concerns, the early 1990’s saw the emergence of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. ERPs were introduced as
Quality evaluation of the estimation of PSF for license plate image

License plate recognition (LPR) has been widely deployed in many practical applications. In some situations, the license plate images we acquired are degraded due to the imperfect of image capturing process. Before they are input into the license plate recognition system for recognition, it is first needed to restore them. Many existing methods endeavor to estimate the parameters of the PSF. Yet, they can only give a rough estimation. In practice, in order to get a satisfactory restored image, it is usually needed to evaluate the quality of the estimation of the PSF and tune the parameters. This paper presents such a parameter tuning method for the restoration of license plate image. The parameters of the PSF estimated by our previous method are used as the initial values, and the quality of the restored image is evaluated using a novel image quality assessment measure. The parameters of the PSF are then tuned around the initial parameters according to evaluation result. Experiments show that this approach can achieve restored license plate images with high quality. The quality assessment method may also be extended to more general context.
Track Dynamic Behaviour at High Frequencies. Part 2: Experimental Results and Comparisons with Theory

SUMMARY Three theoretical models, simulating the dynamic behaviour of railway tracks at frequencies up to 5 kHz are presented in a companion paper [1]. In this paper, experimental results obtained on several European tracks are presented. The validity of the models is assessed by means of comparisons between experiments and simulations: generally a good agreement is found. Recommendations are given for further improvements.
Interferometric circuits: analysis, configurations, applications

Coherent, passive, linear optical signal processing networks, built with 2 by 2 couplers, gratings, mirrors and waveguides are discussed. The signal processing function is accomplished by the interference of coherent signals. Through the artifice of a generalized coupler complex network topologies are reduced to cascaded four-port and feedback-assisted cascaded four-port circuits, which are then treated by standard network analysis techniques. A wide range of configurations can thus be evaluated through a single numerical code. Several applications relevant to telecommunication, measurement and sensing are enumerated.
SCROLLING, CLICKING, AND READING ENGLISH: ONLINE READING STRATEGIES IN A SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE

______________ In spite of the importance of reading, strategy use, and technology, no research to date has reported on the online reading strategies of L2 readers. Two research questions are explored in this paper. (1) What are the online reading strategies used by second language readers? (2) Do the online reading strategies of English as a second language readers (ESL) differ from English as a foreign language readers (EFL)? Participants in this study consisted of 247 L2 readers. One hundred thirtyone (53%) of the learners were studying English as a foreign language at the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano (CCCN) in San Jose, Costa Rica. The remaining 116 (47%) were studying in an ESL environment at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. The Survey Of Reading Strategies (SORS) (Sheorey and Mokhtari, 2001) was adapted for use in this research project. The adapted Online SORS (OSORS) consists of 38 items that measure metacognitive reading strategies. The items are subdivided into three categories: global reading strategies (18 items), problem solving strategies (11 items), and support strategies (9 items).
A behavioral approach to feedback loop dominance analysis

Feedback loop dominance is a critical tool in explaining how structure drives behavior. Current analytic tools for loop dominance analysis are tacit, not codified, unable to accurately identify dominant loops or inapplicable to most models. Most loop dominance analysis tools focus on model structure to link structure and behavior. We use a behavioral perspective to define dominance, improve descriptions of behavior patterns and identify two important and incompletely developed areas of feedback analysis: simultaneous dominance by multiple loops and shadow loop structures. An analytic procedure is presented, illustrated and compared to an alternative analysis method. An evaluation of the behavioral approach is the basis for identifying new issues and future research opportunities. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards the automated analysis of simple polyphonic music : a knowledge-based approach

Music understanding is a process closely related to the knowledge and experience of the listener. The amount of knowledge required is relative to the complexity of the task in hand. This dissertation is concerned with the problem of automatically decomposing musical signals into a score-like representation. It proposes that, as with humans, an automatic system requires knowledge about the signal and its expected behaviour to correctly analyse music. The proposed system uses the blackboard architecture to combine the use of knowledge with data provided by the bottom-up processing of the signal’s information. Methods are proposed for the estimation of pitches, onset times and durations of notes in simple polyphonic music. A method for onset detection is presented. It provides an alternative to conventional energy-based algorithms by using phase information. Statistical analysis is used to create a detection function that evaluates the expected behaviour of the signal regarding onsets. Two methods for multi-pitch estimation are introduced. The first concentrates on the grouping of harmonic information in the frequency-domain. Its performance and limitations emphasise the case for the use of high-level knowledge. This knowledge, in the form of the individual waveforms of a single instrument, is used in the second proposed approach. The method is based on a time-domain linear additive model and it presents an alternative to common frequency-domain approaches. Results are presented and discussed for all methods, showing that, if reliably generated, the use of knowledge can significantly improve the quality of the analysis. A mi casa, la que no tiene ni paredes ni techo, sino a Salvador, Maritza, Jesus y la Mava.
Ultra low-voltage digital floating-gate UVMOS (FGUVMOS) circuits

This paper describes a novel technique for implementing ultra low-voltage/low-power digital circuits. The threshold and supply voltage can be set to desired values while exposing the chip to UV-light. UV-light activated conductances between the power supply-rails and the floating gates are used to program the desired threshold shift in any standard double poly CMOS process. Measured characteristic of a programmed inverter is shown.