bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication System Design for an Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Authors: Siqueira de Carvalho Ricardo , Kumar Sen Pankaj , Nag Velaga Yaswanth , Feksa Ramos Lucas , Neves Canha Luciane
Published: November 2018

This paper primarily deals with the design of an Information and Control Technology (ICT) network for an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) on the IEEE 34 node radial distribution network. The application is comprised of 330 smart meters deployed in the low voltage system and 33 data concentrators in the medium voltage system. A power line carrier (PLC) communication system design is developed and simulated in Network Simulator 3 (NS-3). The simulation result is validated by comparing the communication network performance with the minimum performance requirements for AMI. The network delay of a single data frame is calculated and compared with the simulation delay. The design methodology proposed in this article may be used for other smart grid applications. The secondary goal is to provide AMI network traffic based on the IEC Std. 61968 and a discussion on whether or not AMI could possibly be a source of big data on the future power grid.
An Augmented Reality Geo-Registration Method for Ground Target Localization from a Low-Cost UAV Platform
Authors: Ren Xiang , Sun Min , Jiang Cheng , Liu Lei , Huang Wei
Published: November 2018

This paper presents an augmented reality-based method for geo-registering videos from low-cost multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The goal of the proposed method is to conduct an accurate geo-registration and target localization on a UAV video stream. The geo-registration of video stream requires accurate attitude data. However, the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors on most low-cost UAVs are not capable of being directly used for geo-registering the video. The magnetic compasses on UAVs are more vulnerable to the interferences in the working environment than the accelerometers. Thus the camera yaw error is the main sources of the registration error. In this research, to enhance the low accuracy attitude data from the onboard IMU, an extended Kalman Filter (EKF) model is used to merge Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS) data with the IMU data. In the merge process, the high accuracy RTK GPS data can be used to promote the accuracy and stability of the 3-axis body attitude data. A method of target localization based on the geo-registration model is proposed to determine the coordinates of the ground targets in the video. The proposed method uses a modified extended Kalman Filter to combine the data from RTK GPS and the IMU to improve the accuracy of the geo-registration and the localization result of the ground targets. The localization results are compared to the reference point coordinates from satellite image. The comparison indicates that the proposed method can provide practical geo-registration and target localization results.
A Review of GPS Trajectories Classification Based on Transportation Mode
Authors: Yang Xue , Stewart Kathleen , Tang Luliang , Xie Zhong , Li Qingquan
Published: November 2018

GPS trajectories generated by moving objects provide researchers with an excellent resource for revealing patterns of human activities. Relevant research based on GPS trajectories includes the fields of location-based services, transportation science, and urban studies among others. Research relating to how to obtain GPS data (e.g., GPS data acquisition, GPS data processing) is receiving significant attention because of the availability of GPS data collecting platforms. One such problem is the GPS data classification based on transportation mode. The challenge of classifying trajectories by transportation mode has approached detecting different modes of movement through the application of several strategies. From a GPS data acquisition point of view, this paper macroscopically classifies the transportation mode of GPS data into single-mode and mixed-mode. That means GPS trajectories collected based on one type of transportation mode are regarded as single-mode data; otherwise it is considered as mixed-mode data. The one big difference of classification strategy between single-mode and mixed-mode GPS data is whether we need to recognize the transition points or activity episodes first. Based on this, we systematically review existing classification methods for single-mode and mixed-mode GPS data and introduce the contributions of these methods as well as discuss their unresolved issues to provide directions for future studies in this field. Based on this review and the transportation application at hand, researchers can select the most appropriate method and endeavor to improve them.
Enhanced Clean-In-Place Monitoring Using Ultraviolet Induced Fluorescence and Neural Networks
Authors: Simeone Alessandro , Deng Bin , Watson Nicholas , Woolley Elliot
Published: November 2018

Clean-in-place (CIP) processes are extensively used to clean industrial equipment without the need for disassembly. In food manufacturing, cleaning can account for up to 70% of water use and is also a heavy user of energy and chemicals. Due to a current lack of real-time in-process monitoring, the non-optimal control of the cleaning process parameters and durations result in excessive resource consumption and periods of non-productivity. In this paper, an optical monitoring system is designed and realized to assess the amount of fouling material remaining in process tanks, and to predict the required cleaning time. An experimental campaign of CIP tests was carried out utilizing white chocolate as fouling medium. During the experiments, an image acquisition system endowed with a digital camera and ultraviolet light source was employed to collect digital images from the process tank. Diverse image segmentation techniques were considered to develop an image processing procedure with the aim of assessing the area of surface fouling and the fouling volume throughout the cleaning process. An intelligent decision-making support system utilizing nonlinear autoregressive models with exogenous inputs (NARX) Neural Network was configured, trained and tested to predict the cleaning time based on the image processing results. Results are discussed in terms of prediction accuracy and a comparative study on computation time against different image resolutions is reported. The potential benefits of the system for resource and time efficiency in food manufacturing are highlighted.
CS-FCDA: A Compressed Sensing-Based on Fault-Tolerant Data Aggregation in Sensor Networks
Authors: Sun Zeyu , Wang Huihui , Liu Baoluo , Li Chuanfeng , Pan Xiaoyan , Nie Yalin
Published: November 2018

When the nodes in the network are deployed in the target area with an appropriate density, the effective aggregation and transmission of the data gathered in the monitoring area remain to be solved. The existing Compressed Sensing (CS) based on data aggregation schemes are accomplished in a centralized manner and the Sink node achieves the task of data aggregation. However, these existing schemes may suffer from load imbalance and coverage void issues. In order to address these problems, we propose a Compressed Sensing based on Fault-tolerant Correcting Data Aggregation (CS-FCDA) scheme to accurately reconstruct the compressed data. Therefore, the network communication overhead can be greatly reduced while maintaining the quality of the reconstructed data. Meanwhile, we adopt the node clustering mechanism to optimize and balance the network load. It is shown via simulation results, compared with other data aggregation schemes, that the proposed scheme shows obvious improvement in terms of the Fault-tolerant correcting capability and the network energy efficiency of the data reconstruction.
A Design and Simulation of the Opportunistic Computation Offloading with Learning-Based Prediction for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Clustering Networks
Authors: Valentino Rico , Jung Woo-Sung , Ko Young-Bae
Published: November 2018

Drones have recently become extremely popular, especially in military and civilian applications. Examples of drone utilization include reconnaissance, surveillance, and packet delivery. As time has passed, drones’ tasks have become larger and more complex. As a result, swarms or clusters of drones are preferred, because they offer more coverage, flexibility, and reliability. However, drone systems have limited computing power and energy resources, which means that sometimes it is difficult for drones to finish their tasks on schedule. A solution to this is required so that drone clusters can complete their work faster. One possible solution is an offloading scheme between drone clusters. In this study, we propose an opportunistic computational offloading system, which allows for a drone cluster with a high intensity task to borrow computing resources opportunistically from other nearby drone clusters. We design an artificial neural network-based response time prediction module for deciding whether it is faster to finish tasks by offloading them to other drone clusters. The offloading scheme is conducted only if the predicted offloading response time is smaller than the local computing time. Through simulation results, we show that our proposed scheme can decrease the response time of drone clusters through an opportunistic offloading process.
An Optical Fiber Sensor Based on La2O2S:Eu Scintillator for Detecting Ultraviolet Radiation in Real-Time
Authors: Yan Yongji , Zhang Xu , Li Haopeng , Ma Yu , Xie Tianci , Qin Zhuang , Liu Shuangqiang , Sun Weimin , Lewis Elfed
Published: November 2018

A novel ultraviolet (UV) optical fiber sensor (UVOFS) based on the scintillating material La2O2S:Eu has been designed, tested, and its performance compared with other scintillating materials and other conventional UV detectors. The UVOFS is based on PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) optical fiber which includes a scintillating material. Scintillating materials provide a unique opportunity to measure UV light intensity even in the presence of strong electromagnetic interference. Five scintillating materials were compared in order to select the most appropriate one for the UVOFS. The characteristics of the sensor are reported, including a highly linear response to radiation intensity, reproducibility, temperature response, and response time (to pulsed light) based on emission from a UV source (UV fluorescence tube) centered on a wavelength of 308 nm. A direct comparison with the commercially available semiconductor-based UV sensor proves the UVOFS of this investigation shows superior performance in terms of accuracy, long-term reliability, response time and linearity.
A Flexible 12-Lead/Holter Device with Compression Capabilities for Low-Bandwidth Mobile-ECG Telemedicine Applications
Authors: Pineda-López Flavio , Martínez-Fernández Andrés , Rojo-Álvarez José Luis , García-Alberola Arcadi , Blanco-Velasco Manuel
Published: November 2018

In recent years, a number of proposals for electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring based on mobile systems have been delivered. We propose here an STM32F-microcontroller-based ECG mobile system providing both long-term (several weeks) Holter monitoring and 12-lead ECG recording, according to the clinical standard requirements for these kinds of recordings, which in addition can yield further digital compression at stages close to the acquisition. The system can be especially useful in rural areas of developing countries, where the lack of specialized medical personnel justifies the introduction of telecardiology services, and the limitations of coverage and bandwidth of cellular networks require the use of efficient signal compression systems. The prototype was implemented using a small architecture, with a 16-bits-per-sample resolution. We also used a low-noise instrumentation amplifier TI ADS1198, which has a multiplexer and an analog-to-digital converter (16 bits and 8 channels) connected to the STM32F processor, the architecture of which incorporates a digital signal processing unit and a floating-point unit. On the one hand, the system portability allows the user to take the prototype in her/his pocket and to perform an ECG examination, either in 12-lead controlled conditions or in Holter monitoring, according to the required clinical scenario. An app in the smartphone is responsible for giving the users a friendly interface to set up the system. On the other hand, electronic health recording of the patients are registered in a web application, which in turn allows them to connect to the Internet from their cellphones, and the ECG signals are then sent though a web server for subsequent and ubiquitous analysis by doctors at any convenient terminal device. In order to determine the quality of the received signals, system testing was performed in the three following scenarios: (1) The prototype was connected to the patient and the signals were subsequently stored; (2) the prototype was connected to the patient and the data were subsequently transferred to the cellphone; (3) the prototype was connected to the patient, and the data were transferred to the cellphone and to the web via the Internet. An additional benchmarking test with expert clinicians showed the clinical quality provided by the system. The proposed ECG system is the first step and paves the way toward mobile cardiac monitors in terms of compatibility with the electrocardiographic practice, including the long-term monitoring, the usability with 12 leads, and the possibility of incorporating signal compression at the early stages of the ECG acquisition.
Application of Fiber Bragg Grating Acoustic Emission Sensors in Thin Polymer-Bonded Explosives
Authors: Fu Tao , Wei Peng , Han Xiaole , Liu Qingbo
Published: November 2018

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) acoustic emission (AE) sensors have been used in many applications. In this paper, based on an FBG AE sensor, the sensing principle of the interaction between the AE wave and the sensor is introduced. Then, the directionality of the FBG AE sensor on the surface of a thin polymer-bonded explosive (PBX) material is studied. Finally, the time coefficient location method is proposed to correct the AE time detected by the FBG AE sensor, thereby improving the accuracy of location experiments.
Is the Commercialization of Wild Plants by Organic Producers in Austria Neglected or Irrelevant?
Authors: Schunko Christoph , Vogl Christian R.
Published: November 2018

European countries are split over the appreciation of wild berries, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs. While some countries provide public statistics on wild plants, others seem to neglect wild plant gathering and commercialization. In this study, we aimed to understand if wild plant commercialization is neglected or irrelevant in Austria, a country that does not provide statistics. We focus on organic producers, because organic certification of wild plant gathering might have potential for countering frequent concerns about commercial gathering, including destructive gathering and overharvesting. Using a mixed-methods approach with a concurrent triangulation design, databases of six organic certification bodies were analysed concurrently with semi-structured expert interviews of their representatives. We found that organic certification for gathering was issued to 1.5% of organic producers in the year 2016 in Austria and is relevant for three distinct gatherer types: regular, diversified, and single-plant gatherers. Organic gathering is most frequently part of agricultural or horticultural farms and rarely an isolated commercial activity. It is related to mixed farming, deepening on-farm diversification, and contributes to maintaining traditions, as well as the local socio-ecological memory of wild plant products. Organic wild plants are directly marketed to consumers as traditional and innovative products, but also supplied to mass markets. We conclude that from a socio-cultural perspective and a focus on regional economies, organic gathering is neglected in Austria, whereas from an income perspective, wild plant gathering seems to be indeed relevant for few organic producers, although exhibiting potential.
Attitudes Toward Electric Vehicles: The Case of Perugia Using a Fuzzy Set Analysis
Authors: Bigerna Simona , Micheli Silvia
Published: November 2018

Sustainable mobility has received increasing attention in recent years. The transport sector contributes to almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. The development of electric vehicles (EVs) may help the shift toward sustainable mobility, reducing oil vulnerability and greenhouse gas emissions in road transport. Poor penetration of EVs might be explained, moreover, by consumer resistance to EVs. The aim of our paper is to determine consumers’ attitude and preferences for EVs, investigating which conditions influence consumer decision-making to purchase an EV. Using a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of 421 highly-educated individuals, involving students and faculty members, we identify several configurations of conditions of the variables which lead to the outcomes, supporting their equifinality and asymmetric nature. Our findings indicate attitudes related to EVs differ across age and groups. Our paper offers public decision makers new useful insights for understanding the importance of specific determinants, and for designing effective strategies for EVs’ development worldwide.
The Effect of Observation Scale on Urban Growth Simulation Using Particle Swarm Optimization-Based CA Models
Authors: Feng Yongjiu , Wang Jiafeng , Tong Xiaohua , Liu Yang , Lei Zhenkun , Gao Chen , Chen Shurui
Published: November 2018

Cellular automata (CA) is a bottom-up self-organizing modeling tool for simulating contagion-like phenomena such as complex land-use change and urban growth. It is not known how CA modeling responds to changes in spatial observation scale when a larger-scale study area is partitioned into subregions, each with its own CA model. We examined the impact of changing observation scale on a model of urban growth at UA-Shanghai (a region within a one-hour high-speed rail distance from Shanghai) using particle swarm optimization-based CA (PSO-CA) modeling. Our models were calibrated with data from 1995 to 2005 and validated with data from 2005 to 2015 on spatial scales: (1) Regional-scale: UA-Shanghai was considered as a single study area; (2) meso-scale: UA-Shanghai was partitioned into three terrain-based subregions; and (3) city-scale: UA-Shanghai was partitioned into six cities based on administrative boundaries. All three scales yielded simulations averaging about 87% accuracy with an average Figure-of-Merit (FOM) of about 32%. Overall accuracy was reduced from calibration and validation. The regional-scale model yielded less accurate simulations as compared with the meso- and city-scales for both calibration and validation. Simulation success in different subregions is independent at the city-scale, when compared with regional- and meso-scale. Our observations indicate that observation scale is important in CA modeling and that smaller scales probably lead to more accurate simulations. We suggest smaller partitions, smaller observation scales and the construction of one CA model for each subregion to better reflect spatial variability and to produce more reliable simulations. This approach should be especially useful for large-scale areas such as huge urban agglomerations and entire nations.
Moderating Effects of Agency Problems and Monitoring Systems on the Relationship between Executive Stock Option and Audit Fees: Evidence from Korea
Authors: Lee Sang Cheol , Park Jaewan , Rhee Mooweon , Lee Yunkeun
Published: November 2018

Since executive stock options may give rent-seeking incentives to CEOs, CEOs with stock options are likely to misallocate corporate resources to seek personal gains, which in turn may lead to a decrease in firm value. High-quality audit services can reduce the negative impacts of executive stock options on firm value and help firms to ensure sustainable growth. However, while most of the existing accounting literature related to executive stock options (ESO) is mainly focused on earnings management, there are relatively few studies that investigate the relation between ESO and audit fees. At the same time, while previous studies on ESO have been conducted in advanced countries, few studies have identified the relationship between ESO and audit fees in emerging markets. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the effect of ESO under circumstances different from those of developed countries. To fill this gap, we investigated the association between executive stock options and audit fees and examine the moderating effects of agency problems and monitoring systems on the relationship. Using 462 observations from 110 nonfinancial Korean listed companies, for the period of 2000 to 2005, we found that executive stock options are positively related to audit fees. In addition, we found that the effects of executive stock options on audit fees are even higher in firms with high agency problems, effective internal monitoring systems, and major accounting firms. This study can help regulatory agencies to validate audit fee regulations, such as the International Standard on Auditing, that consider ESO a significant risk factor. In addition, these results can help external auditors to set up the specific guidelines for pricing audit fees. Furthermore, the results of this study will contribute to the construction of more desirable corporate governance structure in Korean companies, which in turn would not only enhance firm value but also strengthen the sustainability of companies belonging to the emerging markets.
Microbial Flocculants as an Alternative to Synthetic Polymers for Wastewater Treatment: A Review
Authors: Ben Rebah Faouzi , Mnif Wissem , M. Siddeeg Saifeldin
Published: November 2018

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and microalgae have been used to produce bioflocculants with various structures. These polymers are active substances that are biodegradable, environmentally harmless, and have flocculation characteristics. Most of the developed microbial bioflocculants displayed significant flocculating activity (FA > 70–90%) depending on the strain used and on the operating parameters. These biopolymers have been investigated and successfully used for wastewater depollution in the laboratory. In various cases, selected efficient microbial flocculants could reduce significantly suspended solids (SS), turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (Nt), dye, and heavy metals, with removal percentages exceeding 90% depending on the bioflocculating materials and on the wastewater characteristics. Moreover, bioflocculants showed acceptable results for sludge conditioning (accepted levels of dry solids, specific resistance to filtration, moisture, etc.) compared to chemicals. This paper explores various bioflocculants produced by numerous microbial strains. Their production procedures and flocculating performance will be included. Furthermore, their efficiency in the depollution of wastewater will be discussed.
IoT Application-Layer Protocol Vulnerability Detection using Reverse Engineering
Authors: Luo Jian-Zhen , Shan Chun , Cai Jun , Liu Yan
Published: November 2018

Fuzzing is regarded as the most promising method for protocol vulnerabilities discovering in network security of Internet of Things (IoT). However, one fatal drawback of existing fuzzing methods is that a huge number of test files are required to maintain a high test coverage. In this paper, a novel method based on protocol reverse engineering is proposed to reduce the amount of test files for fuzzing. The proposed method uses techniques in the field of protocol reverse engineering to identify message formats of IoT application-layer protocol and create test files by generating messages with error fields according to message formats. The protocol message treated as a sequence of bytes is assumed to obey a statistic process with change-points indicating the boundaries of message fields. Then, a multi-change-point detection procedure is introduced to identify change-points of byte sequences according to their statistic properties and divide them into segments according to their change-points. The message segments are further processed via a position-based occurrence probability test analysis to identify keyword fields, data fields and uncertain fields. Finally, a message generation procedure with mutation operation on message fields is applied to construct test files for fuzzing test. The results show that the proposed method can effectively find out the message fields and significantly reduce the amount of test files for fuzzing test.
Monitoring the Variability in the Process Using Neutrosophic Statistical Interval Method
Authors: Aslam Muhammad , Khan Nasrullah , Khan Muhammad Zahir
Published: November 2018

Existing variance control charts are designed under the assumptions that no uncertain, fuzzy and imprecise observations or parameters are in the population or the sample. Neutrosophic statistics, which is the extension of classical statistics, has been widely used when there is uncertainty in the data. In this paper, we will originally design S 2 control chart under the neutrosophic interval methods. The complete structure of the neutrosophic S 2 control chart will be given. The necessary measures of neutrosophic S 2 will be given. The neutrosophic coefficient of S 2 control chart will be determined through the neutrosophic algorithm. Some tables are given for practical use. The efficiency of the proposed control chart is shown over the S 2 control chart designed under the classical statistics in neutrosophic average run length (NARL). A real example is also added to illustrate the proposed control chart. From the comparison in the simulation study and case study, it is concluded that the proposed control chart performs better than the existing control chart under uncertainty.
In Situ Diagnosis of Scabies Using a Handheld Digital Microscope in Resource-Poor Settings—A Proof-of-Principle Study in the Amazon Lowland of Colombia
Authors: Miller Hollman , Trujillo-Trujillo Julian , Feldmeier Hermann
Published: November 2018

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease associated with important morbidity. The disease occurs worldwide and is particularly common in resource-poor communities in the Global South. A validated technique for the diagnosis of scabies in resource-poor settings does not exist. The objective of the study was to determine the practicability and accuracy of handheld digital microscopy in three indigenous communities in the Amazon lowland of Colombia, where scabies is the most common parasitic skin disease. One-hundred-and-eleven children and adults from three indigenous communities with a presumptive diagnosis of scabies were examined clinically by using a handheld digital microscope placed directly on the skin. The microscopical identification of a mite was verified by an “experienced mother”, a woman who had acquired the skills to diagnose scabies as part of traditional Amerindian medicine. The “experienced mother” removed the parasite with a fine needle and placed it on a flat surface in order to enable its direct examination with the digital microscope. Using digital microscopy, scabies was diagnosed in 24 out of 111 participants and confirmed by the extraction of a Sarcoptes mites from the acarine eminence. A characteristic tunnel (burrow) with or without mite could be clearly identified irrespective of the degree of pigmentation of the skin. Besides, digital microscopy revealed pathological characteristics of scabies hitherto unknown and impossible to be seen in dermoscopy, such as partially or totally obliterated tunnels, tunnels with multiple entry or exit points, circumscribed hyperpigmentation around obliterated tunnels and mites secluded in a nodule. This proof-of-principle study demonstrated the accurate diagnosis of scabies by handheld digital microscopy in patients with pigmented skin and the feasibility of this technique in resource-poor settings.
Non-Projected Supermanifolds and Embeddings in Super Grassmannians
Authors: Noja Simone
Published: November 2018

In this paper we give a brief account of the relations between non-projected supermanifolds and projectivity in supergeometry. Following the general results (L. Sergio et al., 2018), we study an explicit example of non-projected and non-projective supermanifold over the projective plane and show how to embed it into a super Grassmannian. The geometry of super Grassmannians is also reviewed in detail.
Evolution of Codon Usage Bias in Henipaviruses Is Governed by Natural Selection and Is Host-Specific
Authors: Kumar Naveen , Kulkarni Diwakar D. , Lee Benhur , Kaushik Rahul , Bhatia Sandeep , Sood Richa , Pateriya Atul Kumar , Bhat Sushant , Singh Vijendra Pal
Published: November 2018

Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are among a group of emerging bat-borne paramyxoviruses that have crossed their species-barrier several times by infecting several hosts with a high fatality rate in human beings. Despite the fatal nature of their infection, a comprehensive study to explore their evolution and adaptation in different hosts is lacking. A study of codon usage patterns in henipaviruses may provide some fruitful insight into their evolutionary processes of synonymous codon usage and host-adapted evolution. Here, we performed a systematic evolutionary and codon usage bias analysis of henipaviruses. We found a low codon usage bias in the coding sequences of henipaviruses and that natural selection, mutation pressure, and nucleotide compositions shapes the codon usage patterns of henipaviruses, with natural selection being more important than the others. Also, henipaviruses showed the highest level of adaptation to bats of the genus Pteropus in the codon adaptation index (CAI), relative to the codon de-optimization index (RCDI), and similarity index (SiD) analyses. Furthermore, a comparison to recently identified henipa-like viruses indicated a high tRNA adaptation index of henipaviruses for human beings, mainly due to F, G and L proteins. Consequently, the study concedes the substantial emergence of henipaviruses in human beings, particularly when paired with frequent exposure to direct/indirect bat excretions.
Upscaling the Zeolite-Anammox Process: Treatment of Anaerobic Digester Filtrate
Authors: Collison Robert S. , Grismer Mark E.
Published: November 2018

State regulatory and other agencies identified that nitrogen loading from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharging around its periphery has adversely affected the San Francisco Bay (SFB) water quality. Here we consider the upscaling of the zeolite-anammox process treatment to nitrogen removal from relatively high-ammonia content (~500 NH3-N mg/L) anaerobic-digester (AD) filtrate to facilitate reductions in WWTP nitrogen discharge. First, by operating a 210 L barrel reactor as a trickling filter with a 10% by volume initial bio-zeolite seeding fraction, we found that 6–8 weeks elapsed before the anammox activity became apparent. Moreover, the 10-mm zeolite aggregate reactor achieved an 89% ammonia-N removal compared to the 85% achieved by the 20-mm aggregate. We then evaluated the performance of the trickling-filter design in a 68 m3 Baker tank nearly filled with 20-mm zeolite aggregate seeded with bio-zeolite at about 1.5% by volume. At an average inflow of 42 m3/day, about one year elapsed before achieving adequate anammox activity and acceptable treatment. Unfortunately, inadequate suspended solids pre-treatment of the AD filtrate resulted in clogging problems in the Baker tank reactor, so we evaluated aerobic-anaerobic cycling within the tank and then operated it (anaerobically) as a nitrate-scavenging tank. In the final anaerobic operational stage, nitrate effluent concentrations were <1 mg/L, perhaps due to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium by the anammox process, but ammonia removal fractions were only about 47%.
3D Numerical Study of the Flow Properties in a Double-Spur Dikes Field during a Flood Process
Authors: Han Xun , Lin Pengzhi
Published: November 2018

A 3D numerical model is developed to study the flow characteristics of a double-spur dikes field on Yangtze River during a flood process, which was presented by the variation of the flow condition. The model is based on Navier–Stokes (NS) equations, the porous medium method (PMM) is employed to treat the solid structures including the river bed surface, the volume of fluid (VOF) method is applied to track the motion of the water surface during the flood process, and large eddy simulation (LES) is adopted to capture the turbulence transport and dissipation. Using this model, the target reach’s flow field before the construction of double-spur dikes is simulated first, while the numerical results are compared to the field measurements on flow velocity and water surface level, and fairly good agreements are shown. Then, the model is applied to reproduce the hydrodynamic evolution during a flood process after double-spur dikes’ constructions, while the detailed 3D flow fields are obtained under some certain states with different submergence rates of the spur dikes; finally, the potential damage positions around these spur dikes are analyzed accordingly.
The 3-D Morphology Evolution of Spur Dike Scour under Clear-Water Scour Conditions
Authors: Zhang Li , Wang Hao , Zhang Xianqi , Wang Bo , Chen Jian
Published: November 2018

By changing the alignment angle of spur dike, this study focused on the evolution of scour hole morphology in three alignments under clear-water scour conditions, including the 3-D structure of the scour hole, 2-D profile morphological evolution process and the evolution characteristics of the local bed shear stress. The results show that the plane area and volume of the scour hole both are power functions over time, which is similar to the evolution characteristics of scour depth. Local scour includes three stages: The initial stage, development stage and balance stage. The local bed shear stress presents successively: τb > τc, τb = τc and τb < τc. Based on this characteristic, the evolution mechanism between scour hole morphology and the local bed shear stress is further clarified. Furthermore, although the alignment of the spur dike significantly affects the longitudinal and vertical dimension erosion rates of the scour hole, the scour hole morphology is not only relatively constant but also has a specific proportion, and the evolution process is orderly in the whole process of evolution. To the scouring equilibrium state, the length of the scour hole on the upstream and downstream of the spur dike is approximately in line with the golden section feature. The related results provide technical support for scour parameter design and scour hole protection of spur dike in flood period.
Programme de raffinement des structures cristallines sur machine électronique
Authors: Roche F. , Mériel Pierre
Published: November 2018

Un programme a été mis au point qui permet de préciser par la méthode des moindres carrés les positions des atomes dans la maille d'un cristal, à partir d'un spectre de poudre. Le groupe de recouvrement doit être connu ainsi que les positions approximatives des atomes dans la maille.
Les systèmes à bases de connaissances en reconnaissance et en interprétation de formes
Authors: Haton Jean-Paul
Published: November 2018

L'interprétation et la compréhension de formes complexes (par exemple, parole, images, signaux) est une activité qui relève de la reconnaissance des formes et de l'intelligence artificielle, car elle met en œuvre à la fois des techniques de traitement numérique et de raisonnement symbolique fondé sur des connaissances. Cet article présente l'état actuel des recherches dans ce domaine, tant sur le plan des concepts que des applications pratiques.
Reasoning on Deontic Rules : The Pragmatic Schémas Approach
Authors: Girotto Vittorio
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a discussion of recent research on how pragmatic knowledge (i.e. knowledge of the content of arguments) affects reasoning. After a brief review of some empirical findings of content effect in the area of conditional reasoning, the complex pattern of content effects observed on a meta-inferential task (Wason's selection task) is considered. A recent approach (the pragmatic schémas theory) which deals with the specific performances obtained when this task concerns social rules (particularly deontic ones), is presented and subsequently compared to some alternative approaches. The results of these comparisons seem to support the pragmatic schémas approach, by showing how it can explain parsimoniously a large amount of content effects both in social and non-social domains.
L'acquisition des connaissances vue comme un processus de modélisation : méthodes et outils
Authors: Krivine Jean-Paul , David Jean-Marc
Published: November 2018

Knowledge Acquisition as a Modelling Process : Tools and Methods

The field of knowledge acquisition has largely evolved over the last decade. First thought as transcription task, it is now considered as a modelling task. This new framework enables the design of a new generation of powerful tools and methods for knowledge acquisition.

In the first part, we outline the difficulties encountered during knowledge acquisition and show how it has lead to the "modelling approach". We then describe some attempts to provide a theoretical ground to such approach. Lastly, we explain how knowledge acquisition tools and methodologies can be designed taking benefit of this approach

In the second part, we propose a classification of existing tools based on the role they play during the knowledge acquisition process. In particular, two classes are described. The tools and methods dealing with the construction of the model itself and the tools and methods dealing with the instanciation of a conceptual model in a specific domain.
Utilisation d'une langue pour la création de scènes architecturales en image de synthèse. Expérience et réflexions
Authors: Arnold Madeleine , Lebrun Claude
Published: November 2018

La traduction d'un énoncé verbal en une image est un sujet d'étude transversal à un certain nombre de domaines des sciences cognitives. La communication homme-machine en conception architecturale assistée par ordinateur (CAAO) offre un terrain d'application favorable à cette problématique. En effet, l'utilisation d'une langue en CAAO, soulève des questions qui relèvent des sciences cognitives et qui ont déjà été traitées, au moins partiellement, par elles.

Pour mieux cerner les problèmes que pose la création de scènes architecturales à l'aide d'une langue, une expérience a été entreprise. Elle consiste à traduire automatiquement la description verbale d'une scène en un schéma de scène tridimensionnel, à l'aide d'IKOGRAPH, un système de synthèse d'image. On s'attachera ici à pointer les questions que cette application expérimentale pose à la linguistique, à la psychologie cognitive, à la sémiotique et à l'intelligence artificielle. Celles-ci portent plus spécifiquement sur la référence, la quantification, les modes de relation spatiale, la synonymie, et les différents niveaux de modélisation nécessaires et les types de catégories spatio-visuelles qui leur sont attachées.
Caractères adaptatifs et représentations symboliques
Authors: Lenay Charles
Published: November 2018

La biologie et la psychologie sont traversées de questions structurellement semblables. En particulier, une analyse historique suffisamment précise permet de montrer les isomorphismes entre la question de l'adéquation des représentations mentales au monde extérieur, et la question de l'adaptation des caractères héréditaires aux pressions de sélection de l'environnement. On suit comment dans les deux cas les tentatives de résolution de ces questions ont conduit à la construction de théories formalistes où l'hérédité, comme la cognition, sont pensées sur le mode d'un langage de manipulation de représentations symboliques et physiques. Cette analogie appelle diverse réserves sur les tentatives de résolution des problèmes du cognitivisme par l'emploi de la théorie biologique de la sélection naturelle, par exemple pour la question de l'intentionalité dans le computationnalisme ou dans le fonctionnalisme téléologique.
Morphogenèse orale du sens : de l'espace des langues aux objets de discours
Authors: Fernandez-Vest Jocelyne
Published: November 2018

Les langues orales, révélatrices de propriétés significatives du langage humain, sont ici mises en rapport avec la problématique des relations entre langage et cognition. Une hypothèse forte, la motivation d'oralité, est partiellement vérifiée par l'observation des changements linguistiques qu'occasionne le passage de l'oral à l'écrit. La contextualisation inévitable des langues orales est le point de départ d'un raisonnement qui se fonde sur deux types d'opérations primaires, énonciatives (localiser, thématiser) et cognitives (identifier, catégoriser), pour montrer quels sont les modes d'élaboration discursive des repères de l'énonciateur. Les deux utilisations contextuelles majeures de l'espace (argumenter et naturaliser le discours) sont comparées, eu égard à la diversité des langues, plus ou moins spatialisantes ou thématisantes (exemples finno-ougriens et français). La différence entre oralité et écriture notamment illustre les notions de système et de processus, de même que la mise en discours de l'anthropophore (voir par ex. les conditions de distribution de la rection localisante vs. transitive). C'est enfin une position constructiviste qui est affirmée : l'analyse de la parole impromptue livre, avec le cheminement de la pensée, certains éléments de saisie des processus cognitifs qui sous-tendent la construction du sens. Les invariants énonciatifs devraient être au centre d'une réflexion consacrée à l'évolution des langues, en particulier aux chaînes de grammaticalisation, dont l'un des maillons est constitué précisément par les particules énonciatives, modulateurs du discours généralement empruntés au lexique démotivé de la deixis spatiale.
Agir dans une langue sous influence : le verbe estonien soumis à la pression indo-européenne
Authors: Hint Mati
Published: November 2018

Au cours de sa longue histoire, la langue estonienne a subi de nombreuses influences structurelles de la part des langues indo-européennes, venues principalement des langues germaniques et baltes et plus tard du bas-et haut-allemand. De nos jours, la pression qu'exercent les langues indo-européennes sur l'estonien est particulièrement forte ; cette pression s'exerce principalement à partir de la langue russe et de l'anglais.

Ce texte présente les changements et les innovations qui conernent le verbe estonien, dont les influences russes (et dans certains cas anglaises) sont le probable détonateur, et qui contribuent souvent à restaurer dans la structure grammaticale des influences allemandes qui tendaient jusque là à s'effacer.

Les sujets abordés comprennent l'augmentation constante des verbes réfléchis et des paradigmes verbaux analytiques, les nouvelles formes d'expression de la négation, les changements qui affectent la phrase interrogative, l'usage abusif de l'aspect, la résurgence du futur formé sur des modèles allemands et russes, les modifications subies par la rection verbale.

L'auteur s'interroge pour finir sur ce que de telles modifications de structures grammaticales impliquent quant aux processus cognitifs sous-jacents.
La traduction, confrontation de deux expériences cognitives
Authors: Srpová Milena
Published: November 2018

Dans la traduction, deux domaines sont en jeu : le domaine des systèmes linguistiques et le domaine des connaissances extralinguistiques. Les auteurs de stylistiques comparées se sont attachés à confronter les traductions et les originaux et à recenser les différences linguistiques (grammaticales, lexicales, phraséologiques) que l'on peut observer entre le texte de départ et le texte d'arrivée. Le problème posé par les différences extralinguistiques a été signalé, mais il n'a pas été véritablement traité. Dans sa théorie interprétative de la traduction, D. Seleskovitch insiste sur l'insuffisance du modèle binaire (langue de départ -langue d'arrivée) et sur le rôle essentiel du «complément cognitif» dans la traduction. La thèse défendue dans le présent article est la suivante : la traduction est non seulement la confrontation de deux langues face à un savoir universellement partagé, mais elle est aussi la confrontation de deux savoirs collectifs non-identiques : le savoir propre à la culture de départ (CD) et le savoir propre à la culture d'arrivée (CA). Le passage entre CD et CA est un passage obligé dans la traduction. Le traitement des différences entre CD et CA est aussi à l'origine de la typologie des traductions : la traduction «littérale», qui permet de conserver les spécificités de la CD, et la traduction adaptative, qui efface les spécificités de la CD au profit des spécificités de la CA. — Dans une note annexe, il est montré que les romans et le travail de l'écriture de Milan Kundera sont en partie aussi une confrontation de deux expériences cognitives, tchèque et française.
Le fonctionnalisme : état des lieux
Authors: Pacherie Elisabeth
Published: November 2018

Cet article propose un bref historique du développement des idées fonctionnalistes dans les sciences cognitives. Les motivations qui ont guidé le fonctionnalisme classique et les modèles qui ont inspiré ses formulations sont présentés et discutés. La manière dont il conçoit son rapport au physicalisme, le traitement qu'il propose de l'intentionnalité des états mentaux et des aspects qualitatifs de la vie mentale sont examinés. Les principales difficultés rencontrées par le fonctionnalisme classique sont présentés ainsi que les remaniements et réorientations auxquelles elles ont donné lieu.
Coopération entre psychologie et intelligence artificielle dans une expérimentation sur le dialogue homme-machine
Authors: Vivier Jean
Published: November 2018

Cooperation between Psychologie and Artificial Intelligence in an experimentation on human-machine dialogue. Our multidisciplinarity project has started from a developmental psychological research comparating in the same children aged of 8 and then of 11 years-old the instructions explanation strategies elaboration, instructions related to spacial constructions. In particular, rephrasings functions in instructions elaboration are analysed. The first results have been leading us to dig the regularities of the interactions between child and partner. But the experimental control of interaction raises many methodological problems and the realisation of a child-machine dialogue allowes a better datas control. Yet, it needs an appropriate modélisation : this is the reason why it has become a research object in Artificial Intelligence. A common modélisation is elaborating, taking into account variations of referenciation, tasks and subjects. This experience is inviting us to definite again the interaction between Psychology and Artificial Intelligence.
Logique et dynamique de la cognition
Authors: Barthélémy Jean-Pierre , Glas Michel De , Desclès Jean-Pierre , Petitot Jean
Published: November 2018

Cet article trace les grandes lignes d'un programme de recherche dont l'ambition est de jeter les bases d'une intégration des paradigmes logico-symbolique et connexionniste en sciences cognitives, en approfondissant les méthodes et les modèles mathématiques qui -de la logique formelle à la géométrie différentielle -seraient susceptibles d'éliminer toute modélisation dualiste et/ou réductionniste de la cognition. Ce projet se fonde sur l'idée que les dimensions logico-symbolique et connexionniste de la cognition sont les deux versants d'un même paradigme.
Emergence et explication
Authors: Van de Vijer Gertrudis
Published: November 2018

This paper aims at showing that the debate on emergence in cognitive sciences has suffered from a too narrow physicalist treatment, articulated in terms of levels and properties. On the basis of an analysis of the epistemological and metaphysical presuppositions of orthodox emergentism, commonly called "non-reductionist physicalism", it is argued that an approach in organisational terms might account more adequately for emergent phenomena. Taking into account data from other disciplines, in particular biology and clinical psychology, the latter might allow for a more contextual, relational and temporal theory of emergence.