Context analysis to support development of virtual reality applications To develop a usable Virtual Reality system, the prospective context of use of such a system may need to be considered in order to make sure it meets the requirements and restrictions of that context. In this paper, a contextual analysis is described for a virtual reality system to aid medical diagnosis and treatment planning of vascular disorders. Semi-structured interviews were coupled with observations in an ethnographic approach to requirements gathering in the daily work environment of (interventional) radiologists and vascular surgeons. The identified potential usability problems of a fully immersive prototype, coupled with the needs, requirements and real-life environment of the end-users lead to guidelines for the development of a VR application on a semi-immersive desktop environment. The findings lead us to believe that contextual analysis can be a powerful way to inform the design of a VR application by offering an understanding of the context of use and to inform developers of the most appropriate degree of immersiveness of the VR environment.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

desktop virtual reality
contextual design
ethnography


Efficient reconfigurable Manchester adders for low-power media processing A new highly reconfigurable Manchester adder for low-power media signal processing is presented. The proposed circuit can be run-time partitioned. Its 64-bit version performs one 64-, two 32-, four 16-, or eight 8-bit additions. When the AMS 0.35mm 2-poly 3-metal 3.3V CMOS (CSD) process is used to produce a layout, an energy dissipation of only 78 pJ and a worst propagation delay of about 10.2 ns are obtained. The novelty demonstrated in this letter is that the introduction of dummy bit positions along the carry-path can be avoided using on-purpose dynamic logic stages.

O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

cmos circuit
multimedia processing
low-power arithmetic


Numerical convergence and physical fidelity analysis for Maxwells equations in metamaterials In this paper, we develop a leap-frog mixed finite element method for solving Maxwells equations resulting from metamaterials. Our scheme is similar to the popular Yees FDTD scheme used in electrical engineering community, and is preferable for three dimensional large scale modeling since no storage of the large coefficient matrix is needed. Our scheme is proved to obey the Gausss law automatically if the initial fields satisfy that. Furthermore, the conditional stability and optimal error estimate for the proposed scheme are proved. To our best knowledge, we are unaware of any other publications devoted to the convergence analysis of this leap-frog explicit scheme for Maxwells equations even in a simple medium, while our results for metamaterials automatically reduce to the standard Maxwells equations in vacuum by dropping some terms resulting from the constitutive equations. Numerical results confirming our analysis are presented.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


Weak convergence of finite element approximations of linear stochastic evolution equations with additive noise A unified approach is given for the analysis of the weak error of spatially semidiscrete finite element methods for linear stochastic partial differential equations driven by additive noise. An error representation formula is found in an abstract setting based on the semigroup formulation of stochastic evolution equations. This is then applied to the stochastic heat, linearized Cahn-Hilliard, and wave equations. In all cases it is found that the rate of weak convergence is twice the rate of strong convergence, sometimes up to a logarithmic factor, under the same or, essentially the same, regularity requirements.

B I O B I O O O B O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O B O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

finite element
stochastic
additive noise
weak convergence

parabolic equation
hyperbolic equation
heat equation
cahn-hilliard-cook equation
wave equation
wiener process
error estimate


Numerical modeling of magnetic induction tomography using the impedance method This article discusses the impedance method in the forward calculation in magnetic induction tomography (MIT). Magnetic field and eddy current distributions were obtained numerically for a sphere in the field of a coil and were compared with an analytical model. Additionally, numerical and experimental results for phase sensitivity in MIT were obtained and compared for a cylindrical object in a planar array of sensors. The results showed that the impedance method provides results that agree very well with reality in the frequency range from 100kHz to 20MHz and for low conductivity objects (10S/m or less). This opens the possibility of using this numerical approach in image reconstruction in MIT.

B I O O O B O O B I O O O O B I O O O O O O O B O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

tomography
impedance method
magnetic field
numerical modeling


How to help seismic analysts to verify the French seismic bulletin? In this paper, classifiers based on Multi-Layer Perceptrons and Support Vector Machines are used in order to classify seismic events that occurred in metropolitan France. The results are exploited in the software RAMSES to help the seismic analysts to conduct efficiently the revision of the weekly French seismic bulletin. With 96.5% of good classification, and less than 7% of the events emphasized for verification, RAMSES strikingly improves the speed of the revision.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

neural networks
seismic event classification


Robust stability of uncertain fuzzy Cohen-Grossberg BAM neural networks with time-varying delays In this paper, the Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy model representation is extended to the stability analysis for uncertain Cohen-Grossberg type bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with time-varying delays using linear matrix inequality (LMI) theory. A novel LMI-based stability criterion is obtained by using LMI optimization algorithms to guarantee the asymptotic stability of uncertain Cohen-Grossberg BAM neural networks with time varying delays which are represented by TS fuzzy models. Finally, the proposed stability conditions are demonstrated with numerical examples. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

fuzzy cohen-grossberg bam neural networks (fcgbamnns)


Fluid-structure interaction problems in free surface flows: Application to boat dynamics In this paper, we present some recent studies on fluid-structure interaction problems in the presence of free surface flow. We consider the dynamics of boats simulated as rigid bodies. Several hydrodynamic models are presented, ranging from full Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations to reduced models based on potential flow theory. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

computational fluid dynamics
fluid-structure interaction
dynamics of rowing


information-theoretic approaches to branching in search Deciding what to branch on at each node is a key element of search algorithms. We present four families of methods for selecting what question to branch on. They are all information-theoretically motivated to reduce uncertainty in remaining subproblems . In the first family, a good variable to branch on is selected based on lookahead. In real-world procurement optimization, this entropic branching method outperforms default CPLEX and strong branching. The second family combines this idea with strong branching. The third family does not use lookahead, but instead exploits features of the underlying structure of the problem. Experiments show that this family significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art branching strategy when the problem includes indicator variables as the key driver of complexity. The fourth family is about branching using carefully constructed linear inequality constraints over sets of variables.

O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

branching heuristics
mixed-integer programming


Efficient solution to the 3D problem of automatic wall paintings reassembly This paper introduces a new approach for the automated reconstruction- reassembly of fragmented objects having one surface near to plane, on the basis of the 3D representation of their constituent fragments. The whole process starts by 3D scanning of the available fragments. The obtained representations are properly processed so that they can be tested for possible matches. Next, four novel criteria are introduced, that lead to the determination of pairs of matching fragments. These criteria have been chosen so as the whole process imitates the instinctive reassembling method dedicated scholars apply. The first criterion exploits the volume of the gap between two properly placed fragments. The second one considers the fragments overlapping in each possible matching position. Criteria 3,4 employ principles from calculus of variations to obtain bounds for the area and the mean curvature of the contact surfaces and the length of contact curves, which must hold if the two fragments match. The method has been applied, with great success, both in the reconstruction of objects artificially broken by the authors and, most importantly, in the virtual reassembling of parts of wall paintings belonging to the Mycenaic civilization (c.1300 BC.), excavated in a highly fragmented condition in Tyrins, Greece

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

fragmented objects reassembly
wall paintings reconstruction
pattern matching
3d pattern analysis
geometry


Resolution enhancement of nondestructive testing from B-scans This article presents an approach to extend our previous work of the minimum-weighted norm method in computerized tomography. In particular concentrating on applications of ultrasonic nondestructive testing, the resolution enhancement in the image reconstruction from B-scans is achieved. To combat the degradation problem due to physical focus of finite-sized ultrasonic transducer and incompleteness of B-scan data, a profile-oriented prior knowledge about the object being detected is incorporated in the image reconstruction, in the form of weighted summation of specific basis functions. Each basis function is characterized by an image of coherent illumination pattern associated with a specific measuring time and a specific measuring position. From the demonstrations with both simulated and experimental data values, this technique proves a great potential in improving the image quality. 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 22, 185193, 2012

B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

ultrasonic nondestructive testing
resolution enhancement

minimum-weighted norm
b-scans
profile-oriented prior knowledge


User centric cloud service model in public sectors: Policy implications of cloud services ? This study examines the acceptance of cloud computing services in government agencies by focusing on the key characteristics that affect behavioral intent. The study expanded upon the technology acceptance model by incorporating contextual factors such as availability, access, security, and reliability. The research model was empirically verified by investigating the perception of users working in public institutions. Modeling results showed that user intentions and behaviors were largely influenced by the perceived features of cloud services. Also these features were found to be the significant antecedents of cloud computing usefulness and ease of use. The findings should guide governments' promotion of cloud public services to increase user awareness by enhancing usability and appeal and ensuring security.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O B B O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B

cloud computing
technology acceptance model
security
reliability
access


A characterization of concordance relations The notion of concordance is central to many multiple criteria techniques relying on ordinal information, e.g. outranking methods. It leads to compare alternatives by pairs on the basis of a comparison of coalitions of attributes in terms of importance. This paper proposes a characterization of the binary relations that can be obtained using such comparisons within a general framework for conjoint measurement that allows for intransitive preferences. We show that such relations are mainly characterized by the very rough differentiation of preference differences that they induce on each attribute.

O O O B O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

concordance
outranking methods
conjoint measurement

multiple criteria analysis
nontransitive preferences


Impact of sourcing flexibility on the outsourcing of services under demand uncertainty This paper investigates the relationship between market conditions and the value and use of sourcing flexibility for service processes. We develop and analyze a series of models, and we derive expressions for the optimal switching decision, the value of the option to outsource, the value of the option to backsource, and the probability and timing of switches between the alternative sources. One contribution is the models and associated derivations, which are largely new to the literature and may serve as a tool to support service sourcing plans and decisions. The second contribution is a series of results with managerial implications: (1) The probability of outsourcing is generally increasing in volatility for high-skill process and decreasing in volatility for low-skill processes. Earlier work has found that the hysteresis band is increasing in volatility, which is interpreted as an indicator of increasing organizational inertia. We also find that the hysteresis band is increasing in volatility, but interestingly for the case of high-skill processes, organizational inertia tends to be decreasing in volatility. (2) The option to backsource is generally more valuable for high-skill processes than for low-skill processes. This result suggests that investments to make it easier to backsource should have a higher priority for high-skill processes. (3) The value of the option to backsource a high-skill service process can be decreasing in volatility. The result suggests that a rather nuanced consideration of volatility is in order when considering investments in the flexibility to backsource a high-skill process.

O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

services outsourcing
backsourcing
real options


A Robotic Model of Reaching and Grasping Development We present a neurorobotic model that develops reaching and grasping skills analogous to those displayed by infants during their early developmental stages. The learning process is realized in an incremental manner, taking into account the reflex behaviors initially possessed by infants and the neurophysiological and cognitive maturation occurring during the relevant developmental period. The behavioral skills acquired by the robots closely match those displayed by children. The comparison between incremental and nonincremental experiments demonstrates how some of the limitations characterizing the initial developmental phase channel the learning process toward better solutions.

O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

developmental robotics
humanoid
incremental learning


Performance analyses of Notch Fourier Transform (NFT) and Constrained Notch Fourier Transform (CNFT) Fourier analysis of sinusoidal and/or quasi-periodic signals in additive noise has been used in various fields. So far, many analysis algorithms including the well-known DFT have been developed. In particular, many adaptive algorithms have been proposed to handle non-stationary signals whose discrete Fourier coefficient (DFCs) are time-varying. Notch Fourier Transform (NFT) and Constrained Notch Fourier Transform(CNFT) proposed by Tadokoro et al. and Kilani et al., respectively, are two of them, which are implemented by filter banks and estimate the DFCs via simple sliding algorithms of their own. This paper presents, for the first time, statistical performance analyses of the NFT: and the CNFT. Estimation biases and mean square errors (MSEs) of their sliding algorithms will be derived in closed Form. As a result, it is revealed that both algorithms are unbiased, and their estimation MSEs are related to the signal frequencies, the additive noise variance and orders of comb filters used in their filter banks. Extensive simulations are performed to confirm the analytical findings.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

notch fourier transform (nft)
constrained nft
performance analysis
mean square error (mse)


Complementary cycles in almost regular multipartite tournaments, where one cycle has length four Let D D be a digraph with vertex set V(D) V ( D ) and independence number ?(D) ? ( D ) . If x?V(D) x ? V ( D ) , then the numbers d+(x) d + ( x ) and d?(x) d ? ( x ) are the outdegree and indegree of x x , respectively. The global irregularity of a digraph D D is defined by In 1999, Yeo conjectured that each regular c c -partite tournament D D with c?4 c ? 4 and |V(D)|?8 | V ( D ) | ? 8 contains a pair of vertex-disjoint directed cycles of lengths 4 4 and |V(D)|?4 | V ( D ) | ? 4 . In 2004, Volkmann confirmed this conjecture for c?5 c ? 5 and c=4 c = 4 and ?(D)?4 ? ( D ) ? 4 . As a supplement to this result, we prove in this paper the following theorem. Let D D be an almost regular c c -partite tournament with |V(D)|?8 | V ( D ) | ? 8 such that all partite sets have the same cardinality r r . If c?5 c ? 5 or c=4 c = 4 and r?6 r ? 6 , then D D contains a pair of vertex-disjoint directed cycles of lengths 4 4 and |V(D)|?4 | V ( D ) | ? 4 .

B I O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

multipartite tournaments
complementary cycles


Data assimilation framework: Linking an open data assimilation library (OpenDA) to a widely adopted model interface (OpenMI) A generic framework for data assimilation is presented. It bridges together two open source projects: OpenDA and OpenMI. OpenMI compliant models can easily get access to data assimilation algorithms. Tested on a catchment in Denmark assimilating hydraulic head.

B I O O O O B I O B O O O O O O B O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O B O B B O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O

hydrological modeling
kalman filter
uncertainty


Realistic scalability of noise in dynamic circuits The usage of noise-sensitive dynamic circuits has become commonplace due to speed and area requirements, making the noise issue even more prominent. This paper focuses on the trends of coupling and its effects on dynamic circuits. It presents closed form analytical solutions for noise, as well as noise tolerance metrics for dynamic circuits. These solutions are within 5% of dynamic simulations. It is shown that not all scaling trends are negative for noise, and that the scaling down of supply voltage and increasing frequency, help improve certain aspects of the noise immunity of dynamic circuits. Most of the works treated the noise immunity and the noise content separately. This paper introduces an analysis of noise seatability by looking at the noise immunity and the noise content simultaneously.

O O O O O B I O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O B I O O O O O O B I O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O B I O

dynamic circuits
noise content
noise immunity
noise tolerance


envy, truth, and profit We consider profit maximizing (incentive compatible) mechanism design in general environments that include, e.g., position auctions (for selling advertisements on Internet search engines) and single-minded combinatorial auctions. We analyze optimal envy-free pricings in these settings, and give economic justification for using the optimal revenue of envy-free pricings as a benchmark for prior-free mechanism design and analysis. Moreover, we show that envy-free pricing has a simple nice structure and a strong connection to incentive compatible mechanism design, and we exploit this connection to design prior-free mechanisms with strong approximation guarantees.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

prior-free
envy-free pricing
revenue maximization
optimal auction
truthful mechanisms


Model Checking One-Dimensional Cellular Automata We show that the first order theory of a one-dimensional cellular automaton, construed as a structure with the global map and equality, is decidable. The argument employs bi-infinite versions of Buchi automata that can also be used to demonstrate that the spectra of cellular automata oil finite grids are regular. For existential properties our method can be used to produce witnesses.

B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

first order logic
decidability
first order spectra


Comparison of visualization of optimal clustering using self-organizing map and growing hierarchical self-organizing map in cellular manufacturing system We model visual clustering of machine-part cell formation using GHSOM model. We examine the optimal GHSOM map that helps manager to visualize optimum cell formation. We compare SOM and GHSOM models based on the network architecture and goodness of cell formation to find the efficacy of the performance on a set of 15 benchmarked problems. GHSOM algorithm concludes as the best model as it improves the GTE performance measure for 75% of the cell formation problems than the SOM model and the other best models from the literature.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

cellular manufacturing system
visual clustering


detecting non-ergodic simulation models of logistics networks Simulation is a frequently applied method when analysing logistics networks. Also within the Collaborative Research Center 559 "Modelling of Large Logistics Networks" simulation is broadly applied and process chains are used as a mutual basis for model development and description. Previous research activities exposed non-ergodicity of models as one of the typical application-specific problems which are difficult to discover by simulation. In order to detect non-ergodic models the problem has been reduced to its core employing the more analysis oriented modelling formalism of Petri nets. With the help of the Petri net formalism we developed an efficient method for the detection of non-ergodic models. Since Petri nets is not the common modelling paradigm for logisticians, this method had to be made available in the process chain modelling world of the logistics area, additionally supported by an appropriate tool. This paper describes our corresponding approach and also demonstrates the process of identifying a problem class in an application area, reducing it to its core, establishing a solution in an analysis-oriented formalism and making corresponding techniques available in the application-oriented modelling world and thus also available for the end-user.

O O B O O B O B O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O B O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

logistics
process chains
simulation
petri nets


SIMD, SMP and MIMD-DM approaches for real-time 2D image stabilization We present a real-time image stabilization method, based on a 2D motion model, and exploiting different levels of parallelism in its implementation. This stabilization method is decomposed into three parts. First, the image matching is determined by a feature-based technique. In the second part, the motion between consecutive frames is estimated and filtered to extract the unwanted motion component. Finally, these component is used to correct (warp) the images, resulting in a stable sequence. To validate our stabilization approach in a real-time on-board system context, the algorithm was implemented and tested over different hardware platforms, allowing a performance evaluation in function of the adopted architecture. In this paper, we present some results concerning the parallel implementation of the algorithm, using the SIMD ALTIVEC instructions set, a symmetric multi-processor architecture (SMP) and a MIMD-DM architecture.

O B O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O

real-time application
simd instructions
mimd-dm


Simulation modeling decision support through belief networks This paper presents an automated approach aimed at optimizing simulation model performance by means of intelligent agents and belief networks. The method described embeds intelligent agents in simulation models to conduct simulation real-time model evaluation. These agents can be considered intelligent observers placed within a model that inspect and make real-time decisions regarding the overall model performance. The knowledge encapsulation for the agents is provided via belief networks, which allow the agents to record their observations and make inferences. To exemplify this approach, a general-purpose resource allocation model describing an earthmoving operation is provided.

B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O

simulation modeling
resource allocation
intelligent agents


A fast and stable algorithm for downdating the singular value decomposition In this paper, we modify a classical downdating SVD algorithm and reduce its complexity significantly. We use a structured low-rank approximation algorithm to compute an hierarchically semiseparable (HSS) matrix approximation to the eigenvector matrix of a diagonal matrix plus rank-one modification. The complexity of our downdating algorithm is analyzed. We further show that the structured low-rank approximation algorithm is backward stable. Numerous experiments have been done to show the efficiency of our algorithm. For some matrices with large dimensions, our algorithm can be much faster than that using plain matrixmatrix multiplication routine in Intel MKL in both sequential and parallel cases.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

hss matrices
cauchy-like matrices
numerical stability


Augmented Reality Vehicle system: Left-turn maneuver study Augmented Reality AR is a promising paradigm that can offer users with real-time, high-quality visualization of a wide variety of information. In AR, virtual objects are added to the real-world view in real time. The AR technology can offer a very realistic environment for enhancing drivers performance on the road and testing drivers ability to react to different road design and traffic operations scenarios. This can be achieved by adding virtual objects (people, vehicles, hazards, and other objects) to the normal view while driving an actual vehicle in a real environment. This paper explores a new Augmented Reality Vehicle ARV system and attempts to apply this new concept to a selected traffic engineering application namely the left-turn maneuver at two-way stop-controlled TWSC intersection. This TWSC intersection experiment, in addition to testing the feasibility of the application, tries to quantify the size of gaps accepted by different drivers characteristics (age and gender). The ARV system can be installed in any vehicle where the driver can see the surrounding environment through a Head Mounted Display HMD and virtual objects are generated through a computer and added to the scene. These different environments are generated using a well defined set of scenarios. The results from this study supported the feasibility and validity of the proposed ARV system and they showed promise for this system to be used in the field-testing for the safety and operation aspects of transportation research. Results of the left-turn maneuver study revealed that participants accepted gaps in the range of 4.09.0s. This finding implies that all gaps below 4s are rejected and all gaps above 9s are likely to be accepted. The mean value of the left-turn time was 4.67s which is a little bit higher than reported values in the literature (4.04.3s). Older drivers were found to select larger gaps to make left turns than younger drivers. The conservative driving attitude of older drivers indicates the potential presence of reduced driving ability of elderly. Drivers characteristics (age and gender) did not significantly affect the left-turn time. Based on the survey questions that were handed to participants, most participants indicated good level of comfort with none or small level of risk while driving the vehicle with the ARV system. None of the participants felt any kind of motion sickness and the participants answers indicated a good visibility and realism of the scene with overall good system fidelity.

B I O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

intelligent transportation system
left turn maneuver
gap acceptance


Granulometric analysis of corneal endothelium specular images by using a germgrain model Specular microscopy is widely used to study the human corneal endothelium status in vivo. In this paper, the corneal endothelium is represented as a binary image composed of the cell inscribed circles. The granulometric distribution function of the complement of this image is used as a functional descriptor, which provides information about the shape, size and spatial arrangement of cells. Experimental evaluation using bootstrap techniques shows its ability to discriminate between controls and pathological cases. It represents a reliable and graphical alternative to the classical indices (cell density, hexagonality and coefficient of variation of cell areas), which behave poorly when detecting subtle abnormalities.

O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

human corneal endothelium
germgrain model

granulometry
shape analysis
texture analysis


Maximum studentized score tests for the detection of outliers in time series regression models Efficient score tests exist among others, for testing the presence of additive and/or innovative outliers that are the result of the shifted mean of the error process under the regression model. A sample influence function of autocorrelation-based diagnostic technique also exists for the detection of outliers that are the result of the shifted autocorrelations. The later diagnostic technique is however not useful if the outlying observation does not affect the autocorrelation structure but is generated due to an inflation in the variance of the error process under the regression model. In this paper, we develop a unified maximum studentized type test which is applicable for testing the additive and innovative outliers as well as variance shifted outliers that may or may not affect the autocorrelation structure of the outlier free time series observations. Since the computation of the p-values for the maximum studentized type test is not easy in general, we propose a Satterthwaite type approximation based on suitable doubly non-central F-distributions for finding such p-values [F.E. Satterthwaite, An approximate distribution of estimates of variance components, Biometrics 2 (1946), pp. 110-114]. The approximations are evaluated through a simulation study, for example, for the detection of additive and innovative outliers as well as variance shifted outliers that do not affect the autocorrelation structure of the outlier free time series observations. Some simulation results on model misspecification effects on outlier detection are also provided.

O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

autocorrelated errors
shifted normal mean and variance
score test
p-value of the test


Cursor Movement Control Development by Using ANFIS Algorithm Our non-invasive brain computer interface uses EEG signals and beta frequency bands over sensorimotor cortex to control cursor movement horizontally (i.e., one-dimension). The main goal of this study is to help people with sever motor disabilities (i.e., Spinal cord injuries) and pro vide them a new way of communication and control options by which they can move the cursor in one dimension. In this study, offline analysis of the data collected was used to make the user able controlling the movement of the cursor horizontally (i.e., one dimension). The data was collected during a session in which the user selected among two targets by thinking and moving either the right hand little finger or the left hand little finger. The Adaptive-Network based fuzzy inference system algorithm was examined for the classification method with some Parameters. In the offline analysis, the method used showed a significant performance in the classification accuracy level and it gave an accuracy level of more than 80%. This result suggests that using the adoptive-network based fuzzy inferences system algorithm will improve online operation of the current BCI system.

O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

brain-computer interface
fuzzy logic
electroencephalogram


Images of health technology in national and local strategies Objectives: This paper examines the potential of various models relating technology to society and institutional structures to inform health policy. Among the models discussed are various versions of technological determinism, social constructivism, actor network theory and critical theory. Methods: The paper considers recent developments in policy and strategy that aim to shape the way the UK's National Health Service (NHS) integrates Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into health care and considers what these alternative models highlight or emphasise, and how they might influence the activities of setting local implementation strategies. Results and Conclusions: Contemporary ICTs are often presented as having a particular relevance and power in reforming or transforming the delivery of health care. Understanding how such technologies might be conceived of, implemented and become an integral part of some future health care system is an important and challenging task that requires innovative theoretical treatments.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

health policy
local implementation strategies

social shaping of technology
actor-network theory
nhs information technology policy


Random heuristic search: applications to GAs and functions of unitation Describing a wide range of search methods at various levels of detail, the theory of random heuristic search speaks of their qualitative and quantitative aspects. This paper begins by outlining the theory, reviewing some of the more basic principles and results, and then goes on to illustrate its application by presenting both fine-grained and coarse-grained models for a genetic algorithm applied to functions of unitation. Particular emphasis is given to the interrelationships between the models.

B I I O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O

random heuristic search
functions of unitation


Evolving model trees for mining data sets with continuous-valued classes This paper presents a genetic programming (GP) approach to extract symbolic rules from data sets with continuous-valued classes, called GPMCC. The GPMCC makes use of a genetic algorithm (GA) to evolve multi-variate non-linear models [Potgieter, G., & Engelbrecht, A. (2007). Genetic algorithms for the structural optimisation of learned polynomial expressions. Applied Mathematics and Computation] at the terminal nodes of the GP. Several mechanisms have been developed to optimise the GP, including a fragment pool of candidate non-linear models, k-means clustering of the training data to facilitate the use of stratified sampling methods, and specialized mutation and crossover operators to evolve structurally optimal and accurate models. It is shown that the GPMCC is insensitive to control parameter values. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the GPMCC is comparable to that of NeuroLinear and Cubist, while producing significantly less rules with less complex antecedents.

O B I O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


key-dependency for a wavelet-based blind watermarking algorithm When a host image is watermarked multiple times by the same algorithm collisions can occur. This makes it difficult for an image to host multiple watermarks. But this hosting is necessary for an image distribution chain, where several persons all watermark the same image. Wavelet domain transformations provide several possibilities to customize the transformation process. We discuss the applicability of the methods of wavelet filter parametrization and wavelet packet decomposition for secret watermark embedding on the algorithm of Dugad et al. We conclude that filter parametrization is not suited while wavelet packet decomposition shows good results.

O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

wavelet packets
parameterized wavelet filters
multiple watermarking


Finitely additive extensions of distribution functions and moment sequences: The coherent lower prevision approach We study the information that a distribution function provides about the finitely additive probability measure inducing it. We show that in general there is an infinite number of finitely additive probabilities associated with the same distribution function. Secondly, we investigate the relationship between a distribution function and its given sequence of moments. We provide formulae for the sets of distribution functions, and finitely additive probabilities, associated with some moment sequence, and determine under which conditions the moments determine the distribution function uniquely. We show that all these problems can be addressed efficiently using the theory of coherent lower previsions. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

coherent lower prevision
moment sequence

lower distribution function
lower riemann-stieltjes integral
complete monotonicity


an application of heterogeneous agents to fabricate large, realistic corporate transaction data sets for data mining tool testing and evaluation We describe methods used to specify and instantiate hundreds of heterogeneous agents and their use in a simulation of national trade and shipping. The agents, representing synthetic corporate entities, interacted to produce hundreds of thousands of trade transaction documents. The goal for the system was for the corpus of documents to evidence diverse, but realistic linkage patterns of corporate entities engaged in emergent shipping behaviors. We then used the documents to test and evaluate a data mining tool that purported to be able to detect these types of behavioral patterns. Our contributions include a design algorithm for a heterogeneous MAS that produces multi-featured outcomes, and a method for instantiating realistic heritages and preferences of agents that extends recent work in heterogeneous random utility modeling.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

lifelike and believable qualities
synthetic agents: human-like
multi-agent simulation and modeling
agents and complex systems


Comparative study of approximation algorithms and heuristics for SINR scheduling with power control ? Various recent theoretical studies have achieved considerable progress in understanding combined link scheduling and power control in wireless networks with SINR constraints. These analyses were mainly focused on designing and analyzing approximation algorithms with provable approximation guarantees. While these studies revealed interesting effects from a theoretical perspective, so far there has not been a systematic evaluation of the theoretical results in simulations. In this paper, we examine the performance of various approximation algorithms and heuristics for the common scheduling problems on instances generated by different random network models, e.g., taking clustering effects into account. Using (mixed) integer linear programming, we are able to compute the theoretical optima for some of these instances such that the performance of the different algorithms can be compared with these optima. The simulations support the practical relevance of the theoretical findings. For example, setting transmission powers by a square-root power assignment, the network's capacity increases significantly in comparison to uniform power assignments. Furthermore, the developed approximation algorithms are able to exploit this gap providing in general a better performance than any algorithm using uniform transmission powers, even with unlimited computational power. The obtained results are robust against changes in parameters and network generation models.

O O O B I O O O B O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O B I O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

sinr
link scheduling
simulations
approximation algorithms
power control


Robust design optimization by polynomial dimensional decomposition This paper introduces four new methods for robust design optimization (RDO) of complex engineering systems. The methods involve polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) of a high-dimensional stochastic response for statistical moment analysis, a novel integration of PDD and score functions for calculating the second-moment sensitivities with respect to the design variables, and standard gradient-based optimization algorithms. New closed-form formulae are presented for the design sensitivities that are simultaneously determined along with the moments. The methods depend on how statistical moment and sensitivity analyses are dovetailed with an optimization algorithm, encompassing direct, single-step, sequential, and multi-point single-step design processes. Numerical results indicate that the proposed methods provide accurate and computationally efficient optimal solutions of RDO problems, including an industrial-scale lever arm design.

O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

design under uncertainty
anova dimensional decomposition
orthogonal polynomials


Circadian rhythm changes in heart rate variability during chronic sound stress To study the circadian rhythm changes of the heart rate variability (HRV) during chronic sound stress, Wistar rats were implanted with telemetry transmitters and exposed to chronic ultrasound stress for 14 days. The heart rate, mean R-R intervals (mean R-R) and body temperature were monitored hourly. The spectra of five-minute heart rate variability were plotted on a log-log scale of frequency versus power spectral density, and the spectral exponent beta of the regression line of this plot was calculated. The exponent beta, heart rate (HR) and body temperature recorded hourly were plotted and fitted to sine curves to observe the circadian rhythm of these parameters. The correlation coefficient of the fitted sine curves in beta decreased from 0.644 in the control period to 0.105 in the stress period, indicating that the rhythm of beta deceased during stress. This did not occur in the other two parameters, demonstrating that the HRV exponent can assess chronic stress.

O O O O B I I O B I I O O O O O O O O B I I O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

heart rate variability
chronic sound stress


editable polycube map for gpu-based subdivision surfaces In this paper we propose an editable polycube mapping method that, given an arbitrary high-resolution polygonal mesh and a simple polycube representation plus optional sketched features indicating relevant correspondences between the two, provides a uniform, regular and artist-controllable quads-only mesh with a parameterized subdivision scheme. The method introduces a global parameterization, based on a divide and conquer strategy, which allows to create polycube-maps with a much smaller number of patches, and gives much more control over the quality of the induced subdivision surface. All this makes it practical for real-time rendering on modern hardware (e.g. OGL 4.1 and D3D11 tessellation hardware). By sketching these correspondence features, processing large-scale models with complex geometry and topology is now feasible. This is crucial for obtaining watertight displaced Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces and high-quality texturing on real-time applications.

O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

gpu subdivision surface
digital geometry processing
surface parameterization


beyond schema evolution to database reorganization While the contents of databases can be easily changed, their organization is typically extremely rigid. Some databases relax the rigidity of database organization somewhat by supporting simple changes to individual schemas. As described in this paper, OTGen supports not only more complex schema changes, but also database reorganization. A database administrator uses a declarative notation to describe mappings between objects created with old versions of schemas and their corresponding representations using new versions. OTGen generates a transformer that applies the mappings to update the database to the new definitions, thus facilitating improvements in performance, functionality, and usability of the database. 1

O B B O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O B O O O B O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O B O O B O O B O

organization usability evolution performance schema paper database update

contention functional definition object map version complexity change


Motor pattern selection by combinatorial code of interneuronal pathways We use a modeling approach to examine ideas derived from physiological network analyses, pertaining to the switch of a motor control network between two opposite control modes. We studied the femurtibia joint control system of the insect leg, and its switch between resistance reflex in posture control and active reaction in walking, both elicited by the same sensory input. The femurtibia network was modeled by fitting the responses of model neurons to those obtained in animals. The strengths of 16 interneuronal pathways that integrate sensory input were then assigned three different values and varied independently, generating a database of more than 43 million network variants. We demonstrate that the same neural network can produce the two different behaviors, depending on the combinatorial code of interneuronal pathways. That is, a switch between behaviors, such as standing to walking, can be brought about by altering the strengths of selected sensory integration pathways.

O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

physiological simulations
exhaustive search
stick insect
movement control
neuronal network
sensory feedback


Animal models got you puzzled?: think pig Swine are an excellent large animal model for human health and disease because their size and physiology are similar to humans, in particular, with respect to the skin, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys. In addition, the pig has many emerging technologies that will only enhance the development of the pig as the nonrodent biomedical model of choice.

O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O

genetically modified
genome
toxicology
vinclozolin


Multimodal neuroimaging computing: a review of the applications in neuropsychiatric disorders Multimodal neuroimaging is increasingly used in neuroscience research, as it overcomes the limitations of individual modalities. One of the most important applications of multimodal neuroimaging is the provision of vital diagnostic data for neuropsychiatric disorders. Multimodal neuroimaging computing enables the visualization and quantitative analysis of the alterations in brain structure and function, and has reshaped how neuroscience research is carried out. Research in this area is growing exponentially, and so it is an appropriate time to review the current and future development of this emerging area. Hence, in this paper, we review the recent advances in multimodal neuroimaging (MRI, PET) and electrophysiological (EEG, MEG) technologies, and their applications to the neuropsychiatric disorders. We also outline some future directions for multimodal neuroimaging where researchers will design more advanced methods and models for neuropsychiatric research.

B B O O O O O O O B O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O B O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O B O


an ic manufacturing yield model considering intra-die variations In deep submicron feature sizes continue to shrink aggressively beyond the natural capabilities of the 193 nm lithography used to produce those features thanks to all the innovations in the field of resolution enhancement techniques (RET). With reduced feature sizes and tighter pitches die level variations become an increasingly dominant factor in determining manufacturing yield. Thus a prediction of design-specific features that impact intra-die variability and correspondingly its yield is extremely valuable as it allows for altering such features in a manner that reduces intra-die variability and improves yield. In this paper, a manufacturing yield model which takes into account both physical layout features and manufacturing fluctuations is proposed. The intra-die systematic variations are evaluated using a physics-based model as a function of a design's physical layout. The random variations and their across-die spatial correlations are obtained from data harvested from manufactured test structures. An efficient algorithm is proposed to reduce the order of the numerical integration in the yield model. The model can be used to (i) predict manufacturing yields at the design stage and (ii) enhance the layout of a design for higher manufacturing yield.

O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I

cmp
random variation
systematic variation
spatial correlation


On selecting an optimal wavelet for detecting singularities in traffic and vehicular data Serving as a powerful tool for extracting localized variations in non-stationary signals, applications of wavelet transforms (WTs) in traffic engineering have been introduced; however, lacking in some important theoretical fundamentals. In particular, there is little guidance provided on selecting an appropriate WT across potential transport applications. This research described in this paper contributes uniquely to the literature by first describing a numerical experiment to demonstrate the shortcomings of commonly-used data processing techniques in traffic engineering (i.e., averaging, moving averaging, second-order difference, oblique cumulative curve, and short-time Fourier transform). It then mathematically describes WTs ability to detect singularities in traffic data. Next, selecting a suitable WT for a particular research topic in traffic engineering is discussed in detail by objectively and quantitatively comparing candidate wavelets performances using a numerical experiment. Finally, based on several case studies using both loop detector data and vehicle trajectories, it is shown that selecting a suitable wavelet largely depends on the specific research topic, and that the Mexican hat wavelet generally gives a satisfactory performance in detecting singularities in traffic and vehicular data.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O

the mexican hat wavelet
oblique cumulative curve

wavelet transform
singularity detection
traffic data analysis
short-time fourier transform


haskell program coverage We describe the design, implementation and use of HPC, a tool-kit to record and display Haskell Program Coverage. HPC includes tools that instrument Haskell programs to record program coverage, run instrumented programs, and display information derived from coverage data in various ways.

B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


The Zeta-image, illuminant estimation, and specularity manipulation ? A novel log-chromaticity illumination constraint we call the Zeta-image. The new feature is equivalent to a novel application of the KullbackLeibler Divergence. For illumination estimation the method outperforms other unsupervised methods. Post-processing any color constancy method, that methods accuracy is improved. Using the Zeta-image we are able to manipulate specular content in the image.

O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O

specular
illuminant estimation
color constancy


Binary synthesis Recent high-level synthesis approaches and C-based hardware description languages attempt to improve the hardware design process by allowing developers to capture desired hardware functionality in a well-known high-level source language. However, these approaches have yet to achieve wide commercial success due in part to the difficulty of incorporating such approaches into software tool flows. The requirement of using a specific language, compiler, or development environment may cause many software developers to resist such approaches due to the difficulty and possible instability of changing well-established robust tool flows. Thus, in the past several years, synthesis from binaries has been introduced, both in research and in commercial tools, as a means of better integrating with tool flows by supporting all high-level languages and software compilers. Binary synthesis can be more easily integrated into a software development tool-flow by only requiring an additional backend tool, and it even enables completely transparent dynamic translation of executing binaries to configurable hardware circuits. In this article, we survey the key technologies underlying the important emerging field of binary synthesis. We compare binary synthesis to several related areas of research, and we then describe the key technologies required for effective binary synthesis: decompilation techniques necessary for binary synthesis to achieve results competitive with source-level synthesis, hardware/software partitioning methods necessary to find critical binary regions suitable for synthesis, synthesis methods for converting regions to custom circuits, and binary update methods that enable replacement of critical binary regions by circuits.

B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

performance
synthesis from software binaries
hardware/software partitioning
hardware/software codesign
fpga
configurable logic
warp processors


A note on the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions to neutral stochastic partial functional differential equations with non-Lipschitz coefficients In this note, we study the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions to neutral stochastic partial functional differential equations under some Carathodory-type conditions on the coefficients by means of the successive approximation. In particular, we generalize and improve the results that appeared in Govindan [T.E. Govindan, Almost sure exponential stability for stochastic neutral partial functional differential equations, Stochastics 77 (2005) 139154] and Bao and Hou [J. Bao, Z. Hou, Existence of mild solutions to stochastic neutral partial functional differential equations with non-Lipschitz coefficients, Comput. Math. Appl. 59 (2010) 207214].

O O O O O O O O O O O B I I I I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I I I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

carathodory condition
non-lipschitz condition
mild solution


Patinformatics: Tasks to tools This article starts with an overview of the field of patinformaticsthe science of analyzing patent information to discover relationships and trends. This is followed by a survey of many common analysis tasks in this field, and many of the software tools available to tackle these tasks. The survey is set out under the tasks of list cleanup and grouping of concepts; list generation; co-occurrency matrices and circle graphs; clustering of structured data; clustering of unstructured data; mapping document clusters; adding temporal component to cluster map; citation analysis; subject/action/object functions. The author concludes that patinformatics has developed very rapidly over the last few years, and provides continuing challenges and opportunities in making optimal use of the resources available to achieve reliable and meaningful results. Useful tables summarizing aspects of this survey are included.

B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O B I O O O B I O O O B I O O O B I I O O O O O O B I O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

patinformatics
list cleanup
list generation
circle graphs
data clustering
mapping document clusters
citation analysis

patent information analysis
software analysis tools
patent intelligence
concept grouping
co-occurrency matrices


Modular static scheduling of synchronous data-flow networks This paper addresses the question of producing modular sequential imperative code from synchronous data-flow networks. Precisely, given a system with several input and output flows, how to decompose it into a minimal number of classes executed atomically and statically scheduled without restricting possible feedback loops between input and output? Though this question has been identified by Raymond in the early years of Lustre, it has almost been left aside until the recent work of Lublinerman, Szegedy and Tripakis. The problem is proven to be intractable, in the sense that it belongs to the family of optimization problems where the corresponding decision problem-there exists a solution with size c-is NP-complete. Then, the authors derive an iterative algorithm looking for solutions for c=1,2,aEuro broken vertical bar where each step is encoded as a satisfiability (SAT) problem. Despite the apparent intractability of the problem, our experience is that real programs do not exhibit such a complexity. Based on earlier work by Raymond, the current paper presents a new encoding of the problem in terms of input/output relations. This encoding simplifies the problem, in the sense that it rejects some solutions, while keeping all the optimal ones. It allows, in polynomial time, (1) to identify nodes for which several schedules are feasible and thus are possible sources of combinatorial explosion; (2) to obtain solutions which in some cases are already optimal; (3) otherwise, to get a non trivial lower bound for c to start an iterative combinatorial search. The method has been validated on several industrial examples. The solution applies to a large class of block-diagram formalisms based on atomic computations and a delay operator, ranging from synchronous languages such as Lustre or Scade to modeling tools such as Simulink.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O

real-time systems
block-diagrams
compilation
np-completeness
partial orders
preorders


Exact and approximate construction of offset polygons ? The Minkowski sum of two sets A,B?R2 A , B ? R 2 , denoted A?B A ? B , is defined as {a+b?a?A,b?B} { a + b ? a ? A , b ? B } . We describe an efficient and robust implementation of the construction of the Minkowski sum of a polygon in R2 R 2 with a disc, an operation known as offsetting the polygon. Our software package includes a procedure for computing the exact offset of a straight-edge polygon, based on the arrangement of conic arcs computed using exact algebraic number-types. We also present a conservative approximation algorithm for offset computation that uses only rational arithmetic and decreases the running times by an order of magnitude in some cases, while having a guarantee on the quality of the result. The package will be included in the next public release of the Computational Geometry Algorithms Library, CgalVersion 3.3. It also integrates well with other Cgalpackages; in particular, it is possible to perform regularized Boolean set-operations on the polygons the offset procedures generate.

O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

minkowski sums
exact geometric computation
robustness


ontology based affective context representation In this paper we propose an ontology based representation of the affective states for context aware applications that allows expressing the complex relations that are among the affective states and between these and the other context elements. This representation is open to map different affective spaces; basic and secondary states relation (using Fuzzy Logic), the relation between these states and other context elements as location, time, person, activity etc. The proposed affective context model is encoded in OWL. Due to difficulties in direct detection of the secondary affective states we propose a method to infer the characteristic values of these states from other context elements values. The deduces states are used here to improve the behavior of a Context Aware Museum Guide in order to react more intuitively and more intelligent by taking into account the users affective states.

B O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

affective computing
context awareness
logical inference


Biased mutation operators for subgraph-selection problems Many graph problems seek subgraphs of minimum weight that satisfy a set of constraints. Examples include the minimum spanning tree problem (MSTP), the degree-constrained minimum spanning tree problem (d-MSTP), and the traveling salesman problem (TSP). Low-weight edges predominate in optimum solutions to such problems, and the performance of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) is often improved by biasing variation operators to favor these edges. We investigate the impact of biased edge-exchange mutation. In a large-scale empirical investigation on Euclidean and uniform random instances, we describe the distributions of edges in optimum solutions of the MSTP, the d-MSTP, and the TSP in terms of the edges' weight-based ranks. We approximate these distributions by exponential functions and derive approximately optimal probabilities for selecting edges to be incorporated into candidate solutions during mutation. A theoretical analysis of the expected running time of a (1 + 1)-EA on nondegenerate instances of the MSTP shows that when using the derived probabilities for edge selection in mutation, the (1 + 1)-EA is asymptotically as fast as a classical implementation of Kruskal's minimum spanning tree algorithm. In experiments on the MSTP, d-MSTP, and the TSP, we compare the new edge-selection strategy to four alternative methods. The results of a (1 + 1)-EA on instances of the MSTP support the theory and indicate that the new strategy is superior to the other methods in practice. On instances of the d-MSTP, a more sophisticated EA with a larger population and unbiased recombination performs better with the new biased mutation than with alternate mutations. On the TSP, the advantages of weight-biased mutation are generally smaller, because the insertion of a specific new edge into a tour requires the insertion of a second dependent edge as well. Although we considered Euclidean and uniform random instances only, we conjecture that the same biasing toward low-weight edges also works well on other instance classes structured in different ways.

O B O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

biased operators
minimum spanning tree problem (mstp)
traveling salesman problem (tsp)


Discrete approximations to real-valued leaf sequencing problems in radiation therapy For a given mn m n nonnegative real matrix A A , a segmentation with 1-norm relative error e e is a set of pairs (?,S)={(?1,S1),(?2,S2),,(?k,Sk)} ( ? , S ) = { ( ? 1 , S 1 ) , ( ? 2 , S 2 ) , , ( ? k , S k ) } , where each ?i ? i is a positive number and Si S i is an mn m n binary matrix, and e = | A ? ? i = 1 k ? i S i | 1 / | A | 1 , where |A|1 | A | 1 is the 1-norm of a vector which consists of all the entries of the matrix A A . In certain radiation therapy applications, given A A and positive scalars ?,? ? , ? , we consider the optimization problem of finding a segmentation (?,S) ( ? , S ) that minimizes z = ? i = 1 k ? i + ? k + ? e subject to certain constraints on Si S i . This problem poses a major challenge in preparing a clinically acceptable treatment plan for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and is known to be NP-hard. Known discrete IMRT algorithms use alternative objectives for this problem and an L L -level entrywise approximation A ? (i.e.each entry in A A is approximated by the closest entry in a set of L L equally-spaced integers), and produce a segmentation that satisfies A ? = ? i = 1 k ? ? i S i . In this paper we present two algorithms that focus on the original non-discretized intensity matrix and consider measures of delivery quality and complexity (??i+?k) ( ? ? i + ? k ) as well as approximation error e e . The first algorithm uses a set partitioning approach to approximate A A by a matrix A ? that leads to segmentations with smaller k k for a given e e . The second algorithm uses a constrained least square approach to post-process a segmentation { ( ? ? i , S i ) } of A ? to replace ? ? i with real-valued ?i ? i in order to reduce k k and e e .

O O O O B I I O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O B O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


GPU-based computation of discrete periodic centroidal Voronoi tessellation in hyperbolic space Periodic centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) in hyperbolic space provides a nice theoretical framework for computing the constrained CVT on high-genus (genus>1) surfaces. This paper addresses two computational issues related to such a hyperbolic CVT framework: (1) efficient reduction of unnecessary site copies in neighbor domains on the universal covering space, based on two special rules; (2) GPU-based parallel algorithms to compute a discrete version of the hyperbolic CVT. Our experiments show that with the dramatically reduced number of unnecessary site copies in neighbor domains and the GPU-based parallel algorithms, we significantly speed up the computation of CVT for high-genus surfaces. The proposed discrete hyperbolic CVT guarantees to converge and produces high-quality results.

O O O O O B I I O B I O B I I O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

centroidal voronoi tessellation
universal covering space
hyperbolic space


Efficient Transient Analysis of Markovian Models Using a Block Reduction Approach One of the most widely used techniques to obtain transient measures is the uniformization method. However, although uniformization has many advantages, the computational cost required to calculate transient probabilities is very large for stiff models. We study efficient solutions that can be applied to an approximate method developed for calculating transient state probabilities of Markov models and cumulative expected reward measures over a finite interval. Our work is based on a method that approximates the state probabilities at time t by the state probabilities calculated at a random time with Erlangian distribution. The original method requires an inversion of a matrix obtained from the state transition rate matrix that destroys special structures such as sparseness and banded matrices. This precludes the use of the technique for large models. In our work we propose efficient solutions that can take advantage of special structures. Finally, we present examples that show that the proposed technique is computationally very efficient for stiff models when compared with uniformization.

O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B

performability
reward models
performance models


Feature selection for improved 3D facial expression recognition An entropy based feature selection process for 3D facial expression recognition is proposed. MPEG-4 Facial Definition Parameters are used as a base for feature selection. Two-level SVM classifier system is employed to classify six basic expressions of the face. Tests are performed on BU-3DFE database and the system achieves 88% average recognition rate.

O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O B I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

facial expression analysis
facial feature selection
faces biometrics


A data-driven stochastic approach to model and analyze test data on fatigue response A stochastic approach to model and analyze test data on the fatigue response of materials and laminated composites is developed. The developed approach is data-driven in nature. It has been customary to describe the fatigue response of metallic and laminated composite materials using a suitable parameter that can serve as the indicator and descriptor of damage accumulation. In the present methodology, the fatigue response of the material is quantified by interpreting the corresponding material parameter to be an embedded Markov process. The true probability distributions of the fatigue response parameter are extracted from sample test data based on an analytical approach, and they are used in the formulation. To this end, the Maximum Entropy Method is incorporated into the formulation. A recursive stochastic matrix equation is developed based on the test data using the theory of reliability and FokkerPlankKolmogorov equation. Application of the methodology to a composite laminate is demonstrated.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O

fatigue behavior
failure of materials
stochastic process modeling
markov chains


Analyzing requirements - Evolution in engineering design using the method of problem-reduction Traditional requirements definition activities begin with the engineer or design team performing a needs-analysis to identify user requirements [5]. While recent studies have focused on Conceptual Design activities, research into the requirements-definition pro cess has for the most part been lacking. Needs-analysis is generally subjective, and varies according to the composition and experience of the design team. Systematic procedures for defining and ranking requirements could consolidate the foundation on which the design process is predicated and enhance its outcome by providing the designer with a consistent, reliable approach to product development [1]. Before such systematic procedures could be developed, it would be necessary to establish an understanding of the existing process by which requirements evolve. and to create a model for evaluating this process. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted at Stanford University using empirical data from an actual spaceflight experiment, sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), and flown aboard the Space Shuttle. A large body of empirical evidence was examined, and on the basis of this evidence, the method of problem-reduction using AND/OR graphs proved to be an effective framework for analyzing requirements-evolution.

O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

design theory
needs-analysis
product design
problem-reduction
information modelling


Choosing the optimal set of instruments from large instrument sets It is well known that instrumental variables (IV) estimation is sensitive to the choice of instruments both in small samples and asymptotically. Recently, a simple method has been suggested in the literature for choosing the instrument set. The method involves minimising the approximate mean square error (MSE) of a given IV estimator where the MSE is obtained using refined asymptotic theory. An issue with this method is the fact that when considering large sets of valid instruments, it is not clear how to order the instruments in order to choose which ones ought to be included in the estimation. A possible solution to the problem using nonstandard optimisation algorithms is provided. The properties of the algorithms are discussed. A Monte Carlo study illustrates the potential of the new method. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


A Hybrid MAC Scheme to Improve the Transmission Performance in Body Sensor Networks Wireless body sensor networks (WBSNs) constitute a key technology for closing the loop between patients and healthcare providers, as WBSNs provide sensing ability, as well as mobility and portability, essential characteristics for wide acceptance of wireless healthcare technology. However, one important and difficult aspect of WBSNs is to provide data transmissions with quality of service, among other factors due to the antennas being small size and placed close to the body. Such transmissions cannot be fully provided without the assumption of a MAC protocol that solves the problems of the medium sharing. A vast number of MAC protocols conceived for wireless networks are based on random or scheduled schemes. This paper studies firstly the suitability of two MAC protocols, one using CSMA and the other TDMA, to transmit directly to the base station the signals collected continuously from multiple sensor nodes placed on the human body. Tests in a real scenario show that the beaconed TDMA MAC protocol presents an average packet loss ratio lower than CSMA. However, the average packet loss ratio is above 1.0%. To improve this performance, which is of vital importance in areas such as e-health and ambient assisted living, a hybrid TDMA/CSMA scheme is proposed and tested in a real scenario with two WBSNs and four sensor nodes per WBSN. An average packet loss ratio lower than 0.2% was obtained with the hybrid scheme. To achieve this significant improvement, the hybrid scheme uses a lightweight algorithm to control dynamically the start of the superframes. Scalability and traffic rate variation tests show that this strategy allows approximately ten WBSNs operating simultaneously without significant performance degradation.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

wireless body sensor network
real performance tests


playing the language-games of design and use-on skill and participation This paper deals with computers and cooperative work. Focus in not on applications for cooperative work, but on the cooperative process of designing such and other computer applications. Focus is on the role of skill and participation in design as a creative and communicative process. The paper suggests a need to go beyond the Cartesian philosophical assumptions of rationalistic reasoning as epistemology and dualism as ontology, so strongly embedded in traditional design methods. There are many philosophical candidates for such a reinterpretation. In this paper I have chosen to elaborate on language-games and the ordinary language philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Hence, focus is on the shift in design from language as description towards language as action. Some consequences of such a shift is illustrated with reflections on examples from UTOPIA (a research and development project for skill enhancing computer based tools for graphic workers), and with design ideas on an application simulator from a new research programme on Cooperative Design and Communication.

O O O O B O O B O O O B O O O O B I O O O O B O B I O O O O B O O O O O O B O O O O B O B O O O B O O B O O B O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O B O O O B O B O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O B O O B O B O O O B O O O O O B O O O O O O O O B O O B I O B

communication
applications
examples
cooperative design
design
project
creative
paper
role
reasoning
research
language
cooperative work
process
skill
action
tools

use
simulation
developer
computation
games
graphics
participant
ontologies
play
cooperation
reflectance
design method
embedding
programmer


Co-sizing of an electromechanical device by using optimisation process Purpose - This paper deals with the collaborative design of electromagnetic devices over the internet network. The design is made by both mechanical and electrical engineers. So, the paper tries to show the importance but also constraints to size such a system using a collaborative optimisation process. Design/methodology/approach - The paper compares two approaches in order to size an electromechanical actuator between mechanical and electrical engineers. In the first one, each profession designs its part, and only common constrained are negotiated. This can result in a design process with many iterations. In the second one, electrical and mechanical engineers built together a common model of the structure and a common list of specifications: this allows a global optimisation that is more efficient. Findings - The main result of the paper is that the second approach in which a global model is built between electrical and mechanical engineers is more efficient. Originality/value - The originality of the paper is to explore the problems and difficulties of an optimisation of an electromechanical device between engineers of different culture working together over the internet network.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

optimization techniques
electromagnetism
electrically operated devices


An algorithm for trading off quantization error with hardware resources for MATLAB-based FPGA design Most practical FPGA designs of digital signal processing (DSP) applications are limited to fixed-point arithmetic owing to the cost and complexity of floating-point hardware. While mapping DSP applications onto FPGAs, a DSP algorithm designer must determine the dynamic range and desired precision of input, intermediate, and output signals in a design implementation. The first step in a MATLAB-based hardware design flow is the conversion of the floating-point MATLAB code into a fixed-point version using "quantizers" from the Filter Design and Analysis (FDA) Toolbox for MATLAB. This paper describes an approach to automate the conversion of floating-point MATLAB programs into fixed-point MATLAB programs, for mapping to FPGAs by profiling the expected inputs to estimate errors. Our algorithm attempts to minimize the hardware resources while constraining the quantization error within a specified limit. Experimental results on five MATLAB benchmarks are reported for Xilinx Virtex II FPGAs.

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automation
field programmable gate arrays
fixed-point arithmetic
floating-point arithmetic


an aig-based qbf-solver using sat for preprocessing In this paper we present a solver for Quantified Boolean Formulas (QBFs) which is based on And-Inverter Graphs (AIGs). We use a new quantifier elimination method for AIGs, which heuristically combines cofactor-based quantifier elimination with quantification using BDDs and thus benefits from the strengths of both data structures. Moreover, we present a novel SAT-based method for preprocessing QBFs that is able to efficiently detect variables with forced truth assignments, allowing for an elimination of these variables from the input formula. We describe the used algorithm which heavily relies on the incremental features of modern SAT-solvers. Experimental results demonstrate that our preprocessing method can significantly improve the performance of QBF preprocessing and thus is able to accelerate the overall solving process when used in combination with state-of-the-art QBF-solvers. In particular, we integrated the preprocessing technique as well as the quantifier elimination method into the QBF-solver AIGSolve , allowing it to outperform state-of-the-art solvers.

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a proactive wireless self-protection system Though mobile computing systems constitute the core of the next generation ubiquitous pervasive services, they still have many flaws in their security. This paper describes a novel framework for wireless anomaly based intrusion detection and response system, which is capable of detecting complex malicious attacks. This framework is based on multi-channel online monitoring and analysis of wireless network features with respect to multiple observation time windows. These features are related to Data Link Layer frame behaviors and the mobility of stations. A general purpose wireless self-protection system (WSPS) is presented. WSPS has the following modules: Wireless network probes, Wireless features filtration and generation module, Wireless network flow generator, behavior analysis module, and action module. WSPS self protects against attacks by online monitoring and analyzing anomalies and misuses in the network features, and utilizes the low false alerts of the analysis module. The validation and effectiveness of this framework is carried out by experimenting with more than 20 different types of wireless attacks using Wireless LANs (WLANs). Our experimental results show that our approach can protect from wireless network attacks with average false-positive rate of 2.234\%, and average detection rate of 99.13\% for all the experimented attacks.

O O B O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O B O O B O O O O B B O B O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B O O B O O O O O O O O O O O O B B O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


Data Visualization Optimization via Computational Modeling of Perception We present a method for automatically evaluating and optimizing visualizations using a computational model of human vision. The method relies on a neural network simulation of early perceptual processing in the retina and primary visual cortex. The neural activity resulting from viewing flow visualizations is simulated and evaluated to produce a metric of visualization effectiveness. Visualization optimization is achieved by applying this effectiveness metric as the utility function in a hill-climbing algorithm. We apply this method to the evaluation and optimization of 2D flow visualizations, using two visualization parameterizations: streaklet-based and pixel-based. An emergent property of the streaklet-based optimization is head-to-tail streaklet alignment. It had been previously hypothesized the effectiveness of head-to-tail alignment results from the perceptual processing of the visual system, but this theory had not been computationally modeled. A second optimization using a pixel-based parameterization resulted in a LIC-like result. The implications in terms of the selection of primitives is discussed. We argue that computational models can be used for optimizing complex visualizations. In addition, we argue that they can provide a means of computationally evaluating perceptual theories of visualization, and as a method for quality control of display methods.

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information visualization
human information processing
neural nets