bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMBINING EXTREMAL OPTIMIZATION WITH SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION FOR EFFECTIVE POINT MATCHING
Authors: MESHOUL SOUHAM , BATOUCHE MOHAMED
Published: November 2003

Feature point matching is a key step for most problems in computer vision. It is an ill-posed problem and suffers from combinatorial complexity which becomes even more critical with the increase in data and the presence of outliers. The work covered in this paper describes a new framework to solve this problem in order to achieve robust registration of two feature point sets assumed to be available. This framework combines the use of extremal optimization heuristic with a clever startup routine which exploits some properties of singular value decomposition. The role of the latter is to produce an interesting matching configuration whereas the role of the former is to refine the initial matching by generating hypothetical matches and outliers using a far-from-equilibrium based stochastic rule. Experiments on a wide range of real data have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method and its ability to achieve reliable feature point matching.
DIFFERENTIAL ANALYSIS OF BILATERAL MAMMOGRAMS
Authors: GEORGSSON FREDRIK
Published: November 2003

Computer support for early detection of breast cancer requires a proper mimicking of the way radiologists compare mammographic images; by comparing bilateral (images of the left and right breasts) and temporal images. In this paper, one method for bilateral registration and intensity normalization and two methods for difference analysis are described. The bilateral registration is based on anatomical features and assumptions of how the female breast is deformed under compression. The first method for differential analysis is based on the absolute difference between the registered images while the second method is based on statistical differences between properties of corresponding neighborhoods. The methods are tested on images from the MIAS database (on 100 images with 59 abnormalities distributed over four types) and evaluated by FROC-analysis. The performances of the two methods are similar but the statistical method gives better performance at a lower false positive rate and is better in particular for detecting asymmetrical developments.
ON THE USE OF MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS AND GENETIC ALGORITHMS FOR THE SEGMENTATION OF CERVICAL CELL IMAGES
Authors: LASSOUAOUI NADIA , BELOUCHRANI A. , HAMAMI-MITICHE L.
Published: November 2003

This paper deals with the segmentation problem of cervical cell images. This segmentation consists of separating each cell into its core and its cytoplasm. The mentioned separation is part of a uterus cancer recognition system based on the morphology of both the cell core and the cell cytoplasm. In this paper, we propose to perform the above separation by using a multifractal algorithm. An important feature of the proposed algorithm is its low computation cost. To increase the quality of the segmentation, we propose an optimization step based on genetic algorithms. The proposed processing has been tested on several images. Herein, we present only the results obtained for three different cell images.
FREE-FORM 3D OBJECT RECOGNITION IN RANGE DATA USING WEAK CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LOCAL FEATURES
Authors: CAMPBELL RICHARD J. , FLYNN PATRICK J.
Published: November 2003

Model-Based 3D object recognition systems have a variety of potential applications, but widespread use of such systems has not occurred, due to a number of factors including the representational limitations of models. One historical limitation is the discriminatory representation of free-form objects. The system described in this paper recognizes free-form objects in dense range data acquired by a structured light rangefinder. Images and object models are represented as a network of salient segments which are then brought into correspondence until a reliable pose estimate is available. Experiments with a database of images and object models highlight the contributions of this system.
A DISCRETE BOLTZMANN EQUATION BASED ON HEXAGONS
Authors: ANDALLAH LAEK S. , BABOVSKY HANS
Published: November 2003

We develop the theory of a Boltzmann equation which is based on a hexagonal discretization of the velocity space. We prove that such a model contains all the basic features of classical kinetic theory, like collision invariants, H-theorem, equilibrium solutions, features of the linearized problem etc. This theory includes the infinite as well as finite hexagonal grids which may be used for numerical purposes.
A PHASE FIELD MODEL WITH THERMAL MEMORY GOVERNED BY THE ENTROPY BALANCE
Authors: BONETTI ELENA , COLLI PIERLUIGI , FREMOND MICHEL
Published: November 2003

We introduce a thermomechanical model describing dissipative phase transitions with thermal memory in terms of the entropy balance and the principle of virtual power written for microscopic movements. The thermodynamical consistence of this model is verified and existence of solutions is proved for a related initial and boundary value problem.
DISCRETE COMPACTNESS FOR p AND hp 2D EDGE FINITE ELEMENTS
Authors: BOFFI DANIELE , DEMKOWICZ LESZEK , COSTABEL MARTIN
Published: November 2003

In this paper we discuss the hp edge finite element approximation of the Maxwell cavity eigenproblem. We address the main arguments for the proof of the discrete compactness property. The proof is based on a conjectured L2 stability estimate for the involved polynomial spaces which has been verified numerically for p≤15 and illustrated with the corresponding one dimensional model problem.
COHERENT DESCRIPTION FOR HITHERTO UNEXPLAINED RADIOACTIVITIES BY SUPER- AND HYPERDEFORMED ISOMERIC STATES
Authors: MARINOV A. , GELBERG S. , KOLB D. , BRANDT R. , PAPE A.
Published: November 2003

Recently, long-lived high spin super- and hyperdeformed isomeric states with unusual radioactive decay properties have been discovered. Based on these newly observed modes of radioactive decay, consistent interpretations are suggested for previously unexplained phenomena seen in nature. These are the Po halos, the low-energy enhanced 4.5 MeV α-particle group proposed to be due to an isotope of a superheavy element with Z=108, and the giant halos.
RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMICS WITH SPONTANEOUS CHIRAL SYMMETRY BREAKING
Authors: ZHANG SUN , WANG FAN
Published: November 2003

We study the hydrodynamics of the nuclear matter of two flavors of light quarks with spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking based on the Poisson bracket method. The effects of mass are included and the full hydrodynamic equation for pions is given. The in-medium dispersion relation of pions in the neutron rich background state and the possibility of the phase transition to pion condensation are also discussed.
FERMI SURFACE MAPPING BY PHOTOEMISSION
Authors: OSTERWALDER J.
Published: November 2003

Angle-resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (ARUPS) data are usually measured spectrum by spectrum at various emission angles or photon energies in order to observe the dispersion of energy bands in solids and on their surfaces. In these lecture notes an alternative experimental procedure is described which yields a direct mapping of constant energy surfaces within the band structure, and specifically of the Fermi surface. This approach appears very promising, in particular when applied to magnetic systems and systems with narrow bands. Fermi surfaces of surface states are seen in direct relation to the underlying bulk Fermi surface.
COMPUTATIONAL THEORY OF REFLECTION HIGH ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
Authors: MAKSYM P. A.
Published: November 2003

The theory of reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) by crystal surfaces is reviewed, with special emphasis on computational techniques. Multiple scattering is accounted for by solving the Schrödinger equation exactly to obtain the amplitudes of the diffracted beams above the surface. The surface and substrate are divided into atomic layers and the RHEED intensities for the entire system are determined from the scattering properties of the individual layers. Alternative methods for implementing this approach are explained and compared. Recent applications to analysis of real RHEED data are used to illustrate the general theory and it is shown that it can provide very good agreement with experiment. The computational efficiency of RHEED calculations is examined carefully and key bottlenecks are identified. This leads to a new computational technique which is much faster than existing ones. Some problems connected with the implementation of this approach are examined in detail.
Note from the Editor-In-Chief
Authors:   de Varennes
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Legal Aid in South-East Asia and China: Seven Lessons of Bangkok
Authors:   Kirby
Published: November 2003

Between 10–14 June 1999, Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia took part in, and summed up a forum on legal aid in Asia held in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants were drawn from centres throughout the region. The forum was organised by the Washington-based International Human Rights Law Group and the Hong Kong based Asian Human Rights Commission - two human rights non-governmental organisations. In his summary Justice Kirby drew on the interventions made during the forum by legal practitioners from the participating states. He suggests a number of lessons and themes for future exploration. His chief point is simple. It applies as much in Australia as in its region. Without affordable and effective access to independent, neutral and professional courts, talk of the rule of law is hollow and liable to be deceptive.
Asia-Pacific Human Rights Documents and Resources: Volume 1 by Fernand de Varennes
Authors:   Buti
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Towards Freedom: Human Rights and Self-Determination in East Timor
Authors:   Turack
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Through the World's Eye by Michael Kirby
Authors:   Gerber
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Establishing at National Human Rights Commission in Taiwan: The Role of NGOS and Challenges Ahead
Authors:   Liao
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Election Violence in Sri Lanka: Implementing the Right to a Free and Fair Election
Authors:   Saul
Published: November 2003

This article assesses the freedom and fairness of the 2001 parliamentary election in Sri Lanka according to a variety of criteria, judging the effects of violence and procedural irregularity on the election outcome. Despite its ambiguity, the international right to a free and fair election, expressed through the principles of the UDHR and the ICCPR, is substantially incorporated in the domestic law of Sri Lanka. The Constitution and elections legislation recognise essential democratic and electoral rights and establish administrative procedures and judicial remedies for enforcing them. Specific controversies over electoral laws have typically been resolved within the framework of the rule of law, through either the political process or the courts, including debates about the method of voting, the powers of the Election Commissioner and the registration of parties. Referendum and emergency powers have, however, been abused to interfere with free elections in some situations. Further, recent elections have degenerated into widespread violence, intimidation and procedural irregularity, culminating in the December 2001 parliamentary election. The violent events of the 2001 election suggest that despite the formal maturity of Sri Lankan election law, the law is not being adequately enforced and deterrence, through criminal sanctions, is failing. While most police and election officials are committed to ensuring the integrity of elections, many politicians and candidates have undermined elections, in a society militarised by a protracted ethnic separatist conflict.
Truth-Seeking and Local Histories in East Timor
Authors:   Rawski
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Shari'a Law and Society: Tradition and Change in South Asia - Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin: Book Review
Authors:   Nabizadeh
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands
Authors:   de Doelder
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Position and Structure of the Prosecutor's Office in the United States
Authors:   Walther
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
New Criminological Literature in Europe
Authors:   Kürzinger
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Minimum Culpability for Criminal Homicide
Authors:   Mitchell
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Diversion in Austria: Legal Aspects
Authors:   Löschnig-Gspandl
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Some Problems in Investigation of War Victimisation in the Territory of the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Authors:   Ignjatović
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Slovenian State Officials. Slovenian Citizens, and Refugees in Slovenia: How They Perceive Each Other
Authors:   Lobnikar,   Pagon,   Meško,   Umek
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Proceedings in the International Criminal Court: Some Lessons to Learn from ICTY Experience
Authors:   Tochilovsky
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
International Judicial Criminal Cooperation in Combating Narcotic Drugs Crimes in Iranian Law
Authors:   Rahmdel
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Cultural Delicts: the Repercussion of Cultural Conflicts on Delinquent Behaviour. Reflections on the Contribution of Legal Anthropology to a Contemporary Debate
Authors:   Foblets
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Police Co-operation in the English Channel Region 1968-1996
Authors:   Sheptycki
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Towards a Permanent International Criminal Court
Authors:   Stevens
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Guest Editor's Foreword
Authors:   Ambos
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Debate on Juvenile Justice in the Netherlands, 1891--1901
Authors:   Weijers
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
La concurrence des traités relatifs aux droits de l'homme devant le juge national, Claudia Sciotti (Bruylant: Institut des hautes études européennes 1997, 124 pages)
Authors:   Joubert
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Literature on German Criminal Law in English
Authors:   Huber
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Current Trends in Austrian Criminal Law
Authors:   Burgstaller
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The Case of Substantive Criminal Law before the Bars of Constitutional Law -- An Overview from the Perspective of the German Legal Order
Authors:   Lagodny
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Constitutionalism in the British Dependent Territories of the Caribbean
Authors:   Smartt
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Human rights as a foundation for family law reform
Authors:   Goonesekere
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Young people's participation within the family:Parents' accounts
Authors:   SRC="/iso-ents/isolat2/cacute-s.gif" ALT="cacute">,   Tomanović
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Child maintenance and the role of the South African State
Authors:   Clark
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe, Children's Rights Education Curriculum Resource
Authors:   Levine
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Civil Society's Push for Political Space: Child and Adolescent Rights Councils in Brazil
Authors:   Ahnen
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Consulting with children and young people
Authors:   Walker
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Capital punishment: The execution of child offenders in the United States
Authors:   James
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Bullying in Spanish secondary schools: A study on a national scale for the Ombudsman's Report on school violence
Authors:   del Barrio,   Martín,   Montero,   Fernández,   Gutiérrez
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The child participation principle in child protection law in New South Wales
Authors:   Parkinson
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Government obligation to provide access to social security for children of minority ethno-linguistic groups: The case of Arab children in Israel
Authors:   Veerman,   Levine
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The merits and demerits of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
Authors:   Chirwa
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
An age of reason: Paradoxes in the U.S. legal construction of adulthood
Authors:   Schaffner
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Preventing adolescent pregnancy: the protection offered by international human rights law
Authors:   Packer
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Child victims of immigration law and policy: A study of the effect of Hong Kong immigration law on children and their families
Authors:   Samuels
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Report to the Convention Against Torture – Torture of Guatemalan Children, Guatemala, Casa Alianza.
Authors:   Bagozzi
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The international baby food action network: Defending every child's birthright
Authors:   Linnecar
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
An approach to assess and analyse the health and nutrition situation of children in the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors:   Jonsson
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Christine Breining-Kaufmann, Hunger als Rechtsproblem – völkerrechtliche Aspekte eines Rechtes auf Nahrung
Authors:   Zöockler
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Julia Groenewold & Eve Porter (eds.), World in Crisis: The Politics of Survival at the End of the 20th Century
Authors:   Falla
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
A. Fernandez and S. Jenkner (eds.), International Declarations and Conventions on the Right to Education and Freedom of Education
Authors:   Bennett
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Regulating child pornography on the Internet – the implications of Article 34 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors:   Jones
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Geert Cappelaere, Anne Grandjean and Renate Winter, Children in Conflict with the Law in Rwanda, Report of a Mission (2–25 August 1997)
Authors:   Sahovic
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Lawrence LeBlanc, The Convention on the Rights of the Child: United Nations Lawmaking on Human Rights
Authors:   Abramson
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The impact of Islamic law on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: The plight of non-marital children under Shari'a
Authors:   Syed
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Henry J. Steiner and Philip Alston, International Human Rights in Context: Law, Politics, Morals – Texts and Materials
Authors:   de Waart
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
The impact of children's rights education: A Canadian study
Authors:   Howe,   Covell
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Ludwig Salgo, Der Anwalt des Kindes -- Die Vertretung von Kindern in zivilrechtlichen Kinderschutzverfahren
Authors:   Gerstein
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
Rachel Hodgkin and Peter Newell, Implementation Handbook for the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors:   Veerman,   Hirano
Published: November 2003

No Abstract
A Framework for the Design and Analysis of a Chaining Protocol, with Client-Centric Buffer Reservation, for Multimedia Streaming
Authors: Schultz Joel Jeffrey , Znati Taieb
Published: November 2003

As the Internet becomes a more popular distribution channel for multimedia, one inevitably encounters the problem of the amount of bandwidth required for quality multimedia presentations. Bandwidth may be controlled through various techniques such as compression, caching, or layered encoding of data. These techniques, however, may be unsuitable for applications with stringent quality of service requirements, as it may lead to severe degradations of the quality of the content being distributed. This article proposes a new version of a media content delivery algorithm, based on the “chaining” strategy, that supports “VCR operations.” The proposed algorithm explicitly balances the client-side requirements to support the VCR functionalities while preserving the advantages of using the client playback device as a proxy video server, as specified in the original chaining algorithm. The article also investigates the effect of supporting VCR operations on the performance of the proposed scheme and the impact these operations have on chaining.
An Efficient Simulation Methodology for the Design of Traffic Lights at Intersections in Urban Areas
Authors: Sadoun Balqies
Published: November 2003

City traffic light control is a complex, challenging problem, making it difficult to perform analyses with traditional analytical techniques. An essential goal of traffic management, planning, and design is setting traffic signals at intersections to minimize the queue length and vehicle delay time. The author presents a simulation methodology that can be used as an efficient design aid for the analysis, management, and design of efficient traffic signaling in intersections. A four-leg signalized intersection is used as a design example. The performance of the three-phase and four-phase plans using simulation was compared, and simulation results showed that the three-phase plan has better performance characteristics than the four-phase plan. The main performance metrics considered are the mean waiting time, mean queue length, and mean utilization of green-light time. The results obtained demonstrate the efficiency of the methodology.
Reusing a Simulation Facility Software Architecture for Embedded Simulation
Authors: Cioch Frank A. , Lohrer Scott
Published: November 2003

The authors take a ground vehicle simulation software architecture, which was designed for stationary simulation in crewstations in a laboratory environment, and reuse it to add embedded simulation capabilities to fielded ground vehicles. The purpose of embedded simulation is to enhance soldier effectiveness both before and during actual battlefield conditions. As a result, in a fielded ground vehicle, the computer specialist responsible for setting up, starting, controlling, monitoring, and stopping the simulation is not present. Unlike in a laboratory environment, in a fielded vehicle, the simulation software itself is responsible for performing these functions. The authors provide a case study illustrating characteristics of a system architecture that allow it to be long-lived by evolving not only to changing requirements due to technological and methodological changes but also to changes due to new and previously unthought-of patterns of system utilization.
Fast Simulations of Large-Scale Highly Congested Systems
Authors: Schruben Lee W. , Roeder Theresa M.
Published: November 2003

Focusing on resource cycles, the authors developed a semiconductor wafer factory (fab) simulation that executed more than an order of magnitude faster than a job-tracing simulation previously in use. The authors summarize the methodologies used and conclude that the differences in execution speeds are due to the fundamental differences in using an event graph paradigm to model the discrete event system dynamics instead of the more popular process flow paradigm that is used by almost all commercial simulation packages. However, the execution speed of a resource-driven model is insensitive to system congestion, whereas a job-driven model slows dramatically (or halts) as the system becomes heavily loaded. The authors conclude that a resource-driven approach using event scheduling logic offers the best approach to modeling very large-scale highly congested systems such as those found in communication, transportation, and unit-manufacturing operations.
Application of Model Predictive Control to Robust Management of Multiechelon Demand Networks in Semiconductor Manufacturing
Authors: Braun Martin W. , Rivera Daniel E. , Carlyle W. Matthew , Kempf Karl G.
Published: November 2003

Model predictive control (MPC) is presented as a robust, flexible decision framework for dynamically managing inventories and satisfying customer demand in demand networks. In this paper, a formulation and the benefits of an MPC-based, control-oriented tactical inventory management system meaningful to the semiconductor industry are presented via two significant examples. The translation of available information in the supply chain problem into MPC variables is demonstrated with a single-product, two-node supply chain example. Simulations demonstrating the ability of a properly tuned MPC control system to maintain performance and robustness despite plant-model mismatch are shown. Insights gained from these simulations are used to formulate a partially decentralized MPC implementation for a six-node, two-product, three-echelon demand network problem developed by Intel Corporation. These simulations show that the demand network is well managed under conditions that involve simultaneous demand forecast inaccuracies and plant-model mismatch.
A Mesoscopic Approach to the Simulation of Semiconductor Supply Chains
Authors: Marthaler Dan , Armbruster Dieter , Ringhofer Christian
Published: November 2003

Production flows through factories are modeled through conservation laws leading to nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs). For a linear production line, models based on conservation laws can be derived from first principles, using methods from gas dynamics. For reentrant manufacturing, a heuristic model is presented merging a nonlocal state equation relating throughput time to work in progress through Little’s law to produce a nonlinear, nonlocal hyperbolic PDE. These two models can serve as the building blocks of fast simulations of the dynamics of capacity-limited supply chains. The authors present simulations for a chain consisting of a reentrant module, followed and preceded by a linear module. The response of the system to various production scenarios is discussed.
A Simulation Framework for the Performance Assessment of Shop-Floor Control Systems
Authors: Mönch Lars , Rose Oliver , Sturm Roland
Published: November 2003

The authors discuss the concept and design criteria for a framework that facilitates the performance assessment of shop-floor control systems. Their basic concept includes a simulation model that emulates the shop floor of a wafer fab, sends information to the control system, and receives information back from the control system. The shop-floor control system is realized as a separate module that interfaces to the simulator via a data layer that contains the current shop-floor status and the control information generated by the controller. The authors provide detailed information on how the simulation model and shop-floor control system communicate and how each system triggers events in the other system. They show how this framework supports the performance assessment of the shop-floor control system under consideration. They also present a prototype of the framework currently implemented in the course of the SRC/International Sematech FORCe project “Scheduling of Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Facilities.”
Achieving Optimal Cycle Time Improvement in a 300-mm Semiconductor Fab Using Dynamic Simulation and Design of Experiments
Authors: Mercier Dominique , Bonnin Olivier , Vialletelle Philippe
Published: November 2003

Advanced 300-mm ASIC/SOC (application-specific integrated circuit/system on a chip) fabrication plants with multiproduct and multiprocess models will require both a high level of flexibility and efficiency to achieve cost-effective manufacturing cycle times. Today, potential solutions to achieve breakthrough manufacturing cycle times are under consideration. Given the dynamic nature of all of the manufacturing phenomena involved in chip fabrication, the increasing manufacturing complexity level, and the huge investment required, the industry has turned to dynamic simulation as the standard tool to use when attempting to provide an accurate analysis of the impact of each strategic or tactical decision being made in the fabrication plant. A design of experiments based on dynamic simulation, using real production equipment performances as input, is the basis of these experiments. This model allows testing of various manufacturing scenarios and measuring their impact on manufacturing cycle time.
Mapping the Indices of Seats–Votes Disproportionality and Inter-Election Volatility
Authors: Taagepera Rein , Grofman Bernard
Published: November 2003

Measures of electoral system disproportionality and of party system volatility (as well as malapportionment and vote splitting) present similar statistical issues in terms of deciding what index is most appropriate, but it is not common to view indices of disproportionality and volatility as serving similar ends. Making use of 12 different criteria, we evaluate 19 indices that have been previously proposed as measures of either disproportionality of electoral seats–votes results or over-time volatility of party vote (or seat) shares. We suggest that, on balance, Gallagher’s (1991) index, which has achieved increasing acceptance in the seats–votes literature on disproportionality (see esp. Lijphart, 1994) offers the most desirable combination of features, although the advantages it offers over the Loosemore-Hanby index are not large and are debatable. We also find that Dalton’s principle of transfers presents an ambiguity when one party has a larger number of excess seats, while another has a larger proportion of them.
Political Party Adaptation in US Congressional Campaigns
Authors: Kolodny Robin , Dulio David A.
Published: November 2003

We argue that political parties in the US have consciously opted to employ political consultants for their candidates’ needs in order to help cultivate competitive national elections. Thus, consultant use by political parties does not signal party decline, but party adaptation. Further, the use of political consultants by the political parties is so complete that consultants can be considered employees of the political parties; not in the traditional sense of individuals on the payroll, but in the modern corporate sense of independent contractors who are hired to complete a defined project. We investigate how national political party committees spend the money they have allocated for individual candidates in congressional races using data from the 1998 and 2000 election cycles. We examine Federal Election Commission (FEC) records of payments political parties make via coordinated expenditures.
The Imaginary Breeze: Remarks on the Air of the Quattrocento
Authors: Didi-Huberman Georges
Published: November 2003

Aby Warburg placed the wind, or air, at the centre of his investigation of the art of the Italian Renaissance. This article investigates how an ‘external cause of the image’ takes on the role of a figure in Quattrocento painting and sculpture, and becomes foundational for Warburg’s understanding of the Pathosformel and of Nachleben.
Havana: Memoirs of Material Culture
Authors: Bruno Giuliana
Published: November 2003

This article engages the ‘fashioning’ of cultural memory. It is a travelogue through the city of Havana, and looks in particular at the curatorial design of its museums. In this Cuban city where time is frozen in architecture, and peels off buildings, where all that is solid rots and melts in the air, memory is ‘suited’ to ruinous fabrics. In the Museum of the Revolution, torn shirts and worn-out skirts speak of the country’s struggle. A model modernist apartment makes room for novel times. Similarly, the Museum of Decorative Arts displays objects of material culture to give space to a history that includes private life. In its (with) drawing room, historic conjunctions are tailored to the making of female space. In Havana, memory is not erected as monument but fashioned as material document. In a city of fantastic 20th-century architecture, and moving urban culture, history is written as interior design.
Waiting and Seeing
Authors: Rifkin Adrian
Published: November 2003

This article argues for a Visual Culture of the endless elision of the object and the discourse in their own and each other’s anachronism as historical, on the one hand, and projections of the contemporary subject, on the other. It suggests that we are better to lose ourselves in our involuntary histories than to master them by methodological virtuosity and that we should wait for an enlightenment that will never come rather than engage ourselves in tactical teleologies, all the while writing into the now that waiting is. It criticizes the narrowly canonical basis of Visual Culture, of what wishes to be a discipline at the point of philosophical transformation.
Variable structure control of electrohydraulic servo systems using fuzzy CMAC neural network
Authors: Zhiming Jiang , Shengwei Wang , Tingqi Lin
Published: November 2003

This paper presents a novel variable structure control (VSC) scheme based on the use of fuzzy cerebellar model articulation controller (FCMAC) for the control of electrohydraulic position servo systems. FCMAC is used to develop an adaptive equivalent control law by learning the uncertainties resulting from unmodelled dynamics and external disturbances. This feature makes it possible to use a small gain of the discontinuous control while satisfying the existence condition of the sliding mode in the presence of large uncertainties. As a result, the chattering is suppressed greatly, while the merits of the traditional VSC are maintained. The actual switching function is used to update the FCMAC weights and the existence of the sliding mode is proved. The simulations and experiments on a typical electrohydraulic position servo system are conducted to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the control scheme.
An object-oriented approach to software development in C for small embedded systems
Authors: Pont Michael J.
Published: November 2003

This paper is concerned with the development of software for embedded systems which will typically be implemented using a small microcontroller (8051, PIC, HC08 or similar device). It is argued that C remains the most appropriate means of developing software for such systems, and guidelines are presented that allow the use of key object-oriented development techniques with this language. Two additional design techniques are also discussed: these are referred to as Project Header and Port Header. An example is used to illustrate the techniques described in the paper.
Stable fuzzy control for a class of nonlinear systems
Authors: Sharkawy A. B. , El-Awady H. , Moustafa Kamal A.F.
Published: November 2003

The paper investigates the construction of fuzzy controllers for a class of nonlinear systems. Our approach implements fuzzy partition to the state variables based on Lyapunov synthesis. The resulting control law is stable and able to exploit the dynamic variables of the system in a linguistic manner. The proposed method enables the designer systematically to derive the rule base of the control. We implement the scheme to both tracking and stabilizing control for a two-link rigid robot and overhead crane load swing. Numerical tests show the feasibility of the proposed control scheme.
Tool tracking for endoscopic surgery
Authors: Gomes M. P.S.F. , Kumar P. V.S. , Timoney A. G. , Davies B. L.
Published: November 2003

A computer-assisted surgical trainer for endoscopic surgery is described. The specific case of the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is presented. This paper concentrates on the instrumentation of the tools - this is the basis of the trainer that allows the users’ actions to be monitored and 3D navigational aid to be provided. Solutions are presented for (1) tracking the resectoscope’s position and orientation, (2) measuring the cutting tool’s motion, and (3) detecting the diathermy’s activation.
A singular pencil model and neural network cascade fault diagnosis strategy for the lumber-drying process
Authors: Wang Xiaochun George , Liu Wei
Published: November 2003

This paper presents some results that were obtained in fault diagnosis for a wood-drying process. It is difficult to detect and diagnose faults or failure in the drying process due to complex dynamic nonlinearity, coupling effects among key variables, and process disturbances caused by the variation of lumber sizes, species and environmental factors. In this paper, a real-time fault diagnosis algorithm is developed based on a singular pencil model and neural network classifier. Inputs of the network are the process I/O data, such as moisture and temperature, and estimated parameters and states, while outputs of the network are process fault situations. A wood-drying kiln is studied as a test case, which is with two actuators and 23 sensors, six estimated parameters and states, and 11 fault situations. The simulation results show that the strategy appears to be better suited to diagnose faults of such industrial processes.
An improved PID-type fuzzy controller employing individual fuzzy P, fuzzy I and fuzzy D controllers
Authors: Bhattacharya S. , Chatterjee A. , Munshi S.
Published: November 2003

Since the emergence of fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs), control system engineers are in pursuit of more and more sophisticated versions of these controllers to achieve better performance, particularly in situations where providing a control action to even a minimal degree of satisfaction is a problem. The present paper is an attempt to contribute in this field. This work proposes a fuzzy PID controller comprising fuzzy P, fuzzy I and fuzzy D controllers in parallel. While fuzzy P and fuzzy I controllers are implemented in incremental form, the fuzzy D controller is realized in position form. Simulation studies reveal that the new scheme has a significantly improved performance compared to the Ziegler-Nichols tuned PID controller and static fuzzy PID controllers currently in use.
Hazard of thermal radiation from a heated fire shutter surface to a standing person
Authors: Wong L T
Published: November 2003

Fire shutters for openings of a compartment wall would be heated to an elevated temperature in a fire emergency and emit thermal radiation to any adjacent compartment. A person close to the heated shutter surface would receive a thermal radiant heat flux and would feel skin pain. The thermal radiant heat flux upon exposed human skin close to a 3 3 3 m heated fire shutter surface was studied. The time taken for the person to experience pain was determined with the predicted thermal radiant heat flux. Properly locating a fire shutter at a distance from a building exit is recommended.
A method for profiling lighting and small power demands in buildings
Authors: Jones A D , Underwood C P
Published: November 2003

A method is proposed for generating daily power demand pro” les for lighting and small power in commercial buildings. The method is based on second-order regression model ” tting to monitored half-day data sets. Results for both maximum and minimum daily patterns of demand are presented thus forming an envelope of certainty within which a ‘typical’ daily pro” le might be expected to lie. A comparison between the predicted envelopes and randomly selected monitored data shows that the model describes actual power utilization with a good degree of accuracy. A method is proposed for generating ‘typical’ power demand pro” les using a random number sequence with its limits de” ned by the bounds of the power demand envelope and results are presented for summer, winter and mid-season conditions. The results are applicable to power network design, building energy simulations and for predicting casual heat gain pro” les for building thermal analyses.
Effect of room modelling and sensor position on performance assessment of variable air volume control systems
Authors: Riederer P , Dexter A L
Published: November 2003

Variable air volume (VAV) systems are commonly used for air conditioning in buildings. The testing of different control strategies and controllers for this application has been a main concern in several simulation studies. In these simulations much attention has been paid to the accuracy of the models of the VAV system while very simple models are often used at the room level. These room models assume that the air in the room is perfectly mixed, even when the prevailing conditions are not at all homogeneous. Another important issue when testing controllers is the method used to assess the control performance. Since it makes no sense to use very detailed room models, if the method of performance assessment is insensitive to the way in which the room is modelled, both issues must be treated simultaneously. The paper considers the problem of assessing the performance of VAV systems that use ceiling diffusers. The study includes the development of a convection model for a room. Its complexity is reduced to a minimum to allow detailed dynamic simulation of a whole building, complete with its VAV system and other building services (e.g., sun-blinds, lighting, etc.). Since air‘ ow in a room depends strongly on the type of diffuser that is used, the study is carried out for both round and slot diffusers. Results are presented that show that the room model and the position of the sensor affect the performance in different ways depending on the diffuser type and the operating mode. It is concluded that there are only small differences in terms of thermal comfort but signi” cant differences in terms of overall energy consumption. The effect of sensor position on energy consumption is found to be a function of steady state temperature differences.
The CIBSE Guide expression for ventilation exchange
Authors: Davies M G
Published: November 2003

The traditional CIBSE Guide model for design heat ‘ ow calculations (e.g., Figure A5.1 in the 1986 Guide Book A) is based on ambient temperature tao, room air temperature tai and room environmental temperature tei which was taken to be representative of the room as a whole. The ventilation conductance Crv or NV/3 linking tao and tai is physical in origin and the conduction conductance SAU linking tao and tei is largely physical. The tai-to-tei link, haSA or 4.8SA, however is an equivalent construct having no physical meaning. The Guide combines NV/3 and haSA into the single conductance C*v. The article reviews the early derivations of the room index temperature tei and of haSA. It was based on exchange between the air, surface A and combined surface 5A of a cubic enclosure. The article shows that the Guide model follows exactly from a delta-to-star transformation of the two convective and one radiative links in the room model. If however the Guide argument is applied to a room with a very small window, it is found that teidepends solely on the radiative and convective characteristics of the window and ignores the characteristics of the room as a whole. If separate emissivities and convection coef” cients are assumed for the A and 5A surfaces of a cube, the values of the conductances con‘ ict with standard heat ‘ ow theory. The concept of environmental temperature is fundamentally ‘ awed; indeed, the CIBSE Guide arguments are based on a raft of shortcomings.
Interface design in computer-based language testing
Authors: Fulcher Glenn
Published: November 2003

There is no published material in the language testing literature on the process of, or good practice in, developing an interface for a computer-based language test. Nor do test development bodies make publicly available any information on how the interface for their computer-based language tests was developed. This article describes a three phase process model for interface design drawing on practices developed in the software industry, adapting them for computer-based language tests (CBTs). It describes good practice in initial design, emphasizes the importance of usability testing, and argues that only through following a principled approach to interface design can the threat of interface-related construct-irrelevant variance in test scores be avoided. The article also charts concurrent test development activities that take place during each phase of the design process. The model may be used in CBT project management, and it is argued that the publication of good interface design processes contributes to the mix of validity evidence presented to support the use of a CBT.
Validation of a web-based ESL test
Authors: Chapelle Carol A. , Jamieson Joan , Hegelheimer Volker
Published: November 2003

The web offers new opportunities to realize some of the current ideals for interactive language assessment by providing learners information about their language ability at their convenience. If such tests are to be trusted to provide learners with information that might help to improve their language ability, the tests need to undergo validation processes, but validation theory does not offer specific guidance about what should be included in a validity argument. Conventional wisdom suggests that low-stakes tests require less rigorous validation than high-stakes tests, but what are the factors that affect decisions about the validation process for either? Attempting to make these contributing factors explicit, this article examines the ways in which the purpose of a low-stakes web-based ESL (English as a second language) test guided its design and the validation process. The validity argument resulting from the first phase of the validation process is illustrated.
Promoting the communication skills of primary school children excluded from school or at risk of exclusion: An intervention study
Authors: Law James , Sivyer Sonia
Published: November 2003

Previous research has focused on the close association between speech and language difficulties and emotional and behavioural difficulties. However, little attempt has so far been made to examine this relationship in children with emotional or behavioural difficulties who are at risk of exclusion or who have been excluded from school. In particular there are no data on the impact of speech and language interventions on this group of children. This study tests the hypothesis that children with emotional or behavioural difficulties currently excluded from school or at risk of exclusion, receiving intervention for their language and communications skills, would make significant progress both in terms of language, self esteem and behaviour in relation to a comparison group. Children made significant progress as a result of treatment compared to no-treatment, in the areas of language and social communication skills, and self esteem. The data suggest that, in the short term at least, the type of intervention carried out had beneficial effects for the children concerned. Implications for practice for speech and language therapists and teachers working with this client group are also discussed.
The process of collaboration within a special school setting: An exploration of the ways in which skills and knowledge are shared and barriers are overcome when a teacher and speech and language therapist collaborate
Authors: Tollerfield Isobel
Published: November 2003

In the following account the process of collaboration is explored through diary notes and transcripts from audio and videorecorded classroom and brainstorming sessions. Qualitative data on the skills and knowledge that teachers and speech and language therapists contribute and develop through collaboration are analysed. McCartney's (1999b) systems model of collaboration is then used as a framework to discuss how potential barriers can be removed or alleviated in a special school setting. Implications for inclusion are considered.