Theoretical study on binding of S100B protein S100B protein is one of the factors involved in the down-regulation of tumor suppressor protein p53, a transcription activator that signals for cycle arrest and apoptosis. As the inactivation of normal p53 functions is found in over half of human cancers, restoration of normal p53 functions through the destruction or prevention of S100B - p53 complexes represents a possible approach for the development of anti-cancer drugs. The aim of this work was to propose the S100B binding interface through an examination of the literature and use of molecular modeling (MM) techniques with AutoDock program and the AMBER force field. We propose two residues in the S100B binding pocket (Val56, Phe76) and two residues on the protein surface (Val52, Ala83) are essential for ligand binding. The data presented here indicate that interactions with these four residues are necessary for a reduction in the incidence of the S100B - p53 complex. Additionally, we have tried to explain a mechanism for the action of pentamidine, the best-known S100B ligand, and have proposed two S100B - pentamidine structures. The results presented here may be useful for the efficient design of new S100B ligands.

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


Prediction of novel drug indications using network driven biological data prioritization and integration With the rapid development of high-throughput genomic technologies and the accumulation of genome-wide datasets for gene expression profiling and biological networks, the impact of diseases and drugs on gene expression can be comprehensively characterized. Drug repositioning offers the possibility of reduced risks in the drug discovery process, thus it is an essential step in drug development.

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


Breaking and repairing trapdoor-free group signature schemes from Asiacrypt'2004 Group signature schemes allow a member of a group to sign messages anonymously on behalf of the group. In case of later dispute, a designated group manager can revoke the anonymity and identify the originator of a signature. In Asiacrypt2004, Nguyen and Safavi-Naini proposed a group signature scheme that has a constant-sized public key and signature length, and more importantly, their group signature scheme does not require trapdoor. Their scheme is very efficient and the sizes of signatures are smaller than those of the other existing schemes. In this paper, we point out that Nguyen and Safavi-Naini's scheme is insecure. In particular, it is shown in our cryptanalysis of-the scheme that it allows a non-member of the group to sign on behalf of the group. And the resulting signature convinces any third party that a member of the group has indeed generated such a signature, although none of the members has done so. Therefore is in case of dispute, even the group manager cannot identify who has signed the message. In the paper a new scheme that does not suffer from this problem is provided.

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

digital signature
cryptography
information security


Characterization of Rickettsial Diseases in a Hospital-Based Population in Central Tunisia In Tunisia, 2 rickettsial groups, spotted fever group and typhus group, have been described since the beginning of the 20th century. Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), also known as Boutonneuse fever, caused by Rickettsia conorii and transmitted by the dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the most frequent rickettsial infection observed. Its seroprevalence in our region is 9% among blood donors and 23% in hospitalized febrile patients. Typhus group rickettsioses, caused by R. typhi and R. prowazekii, are less frequently reported than in the 1970s. Only sporadic cases of typhus were reported in the last decade. However, R. typhi antibodies were present in 3.6% among healthy people and 40% in patients with acute fever of undetermined origin. In the unit of Infectious Diseases at Farhat Hached University Hospital in Sousse, during 2007, 5% of hospitalized patients had eruptive fever, and half of the cases met clinical criteria of MSF and/or were confirmed by rickettsial serology. The majority of cases (90%) were noted in hot seasons, and contact with domestic animals was found in 76%. The most common symptoms were fever (present in all cases), skin rash (in 85% to 98% of cases), and headache (in 69.5% of cases). The clinical triad (fever + rash +tache noire) was noted in 32 to 61%. Normal blood cells or leukopenia, cytolysis, and thrombopenia were the most frequent biological abnormalities. Complications and malignant forms of rickettsial infections were reported in 3.5 to 6% among hospitalized adult patients. When specific serology was performed, MSF was confirmed in 15%, and we noted an emergence of murine typhus (MT) mistaken for R. conorii or viral infection. Rickettsia felis was identified in 1 patient, whereas 17% of cases remained undetermined. Rickettsia conorii Malish was identified by PCR in skin biopsies. Doxycycline was the antibiotic of choice for rickettsial infections; it was prescribed in the majority of patients, associated with fever defervescence, in a mean of 72 hours. The mean length of stay among hospitalized patients with rickettsial infections was 5.9 days. In conclusion, in our region, MSF and murine typhus are endemic. Doxycycline should be prescribed in patients with acute fever and skin rash, especially in hot seasons. These rickettsioses were characterized by benign prognosis. More skin biopsies are needed to identify other SFG rickettsies.

O O 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 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 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

rickettsia conorii
rickettsia felis
tunisia

rrickettsia typhi
rickettsia prowazekii
epidemiology


Quality of protection analysis and performance modeling in IP multimedia subsystem IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is widely considered as the main solution for the next generation multimedia rich communication. In order to provide multi-level security service in IMS to mobile users for multimedia applications, it is insufficient to take the security benefits into consideration, but adequately analyzing the impact of security policies in IMS on the performance cost quantitatively is also necessary and significant. In this paper, we first propose a novel study of IMS performance by a QPN model to much more precisely describe SIP signaling in IMS, and made performance evaluation. Then we defined totally seven levels of IMS security policies according to IMS specifications in 3GPP and proposed QoP partition model which quantitatively reflects strength of protection of SIP signaling and users' security needs. Further more, we did our original contributions to use the QPN model to evaluate the impacts of security mechanism on system performance cost quantitatively. With the multi-view security partition introduced, different security policies could be adjusted according to the application and users' security requirements, so that multi-level security service can be provided to diverse users and applications for a better tradeoff between security requirements and system performance in IMS. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

B I I 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 O 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 B 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 B 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 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

ims
sip
quality of protection
security partition


The application of information systems for the design and operation of flexible machining cells The use of information systems in manufacturing applications has dramatically changed over the last few years. The design and implementation of somewhat dated relational databases has been replaced by the generation of information models, that can be simultaneously used for the development of information systems and satisfy their integration requirements. Over the last ten years the authors have been involved in a series of research programmes focusing on the design and operation of flexible machining cells. The use of information systems has been a central theme and the enabling technology to achieve a number of novel design concepts and operational strategies for such cells. The initial research was based on the utilization of relational databases to integrate a variety of modelling and design tools. However, the additional effort required to integrate such databases to manufacturing software tools, in the form of developing file translators, information gateways and interfaces, has made the authors adopt a new approach. With this approach the information requirements are represented in a neutral format within a data model, using a formal data specification language developed by the Standards for the Exchange of Product (STEP) committee. This paper describes these changes in the design and implementation of information systems in manufacturing applications, and provides an initial view of future research requirements.

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 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 O O O O O O O O O


A multidimensional approach to evaluating management journals: Refining pagerank via the differentiation of citation types and identifying the roles that management journals play In this article, the authors introduce two citation-based approaches to facilitate a multidimensional evaluation of 39 selected management journals. The first is a refined application of PageRank via the differentiation of citation types. The second is a form of mathematical manipulation to identify the roles that the selected management journals play. Their findings reveal that Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, and Administrative Science Quarterly are the top three management journals, respectively. They also discovered that these three journals play the role of a knowledge hub in the domain. Finally, when compared with Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters, Philadelphia, PA), their results closely match expert opinions.

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


Investigation of Piezoelectrically Generated Synthetic Jet Flow The purpose of this paper is to investigate the compressible turbulent synthetic jet flow characteristics of a dual diaphragm piezoelectric actuator. Experimentally, a flow visualization system was established to obtain the particle streak images scattered from 10-mu m red fluorescent spheres for observing the synthetic jet flowfield produced by a dual diaphragm piezo actuator. The centerline velocity of the synthetic jet was also measured by using a hot-wire anemometry system. In the analysis, the computational approach adopted the transient three-dimensional conservation equations of mass and momentum with the moving boundary specified to represent the piezo diaphragm motion. The standard k-epsilon two-equation turbulent model was employed for turbulence closure. For the actuator operating at the frequency of 648 Hz, the particle streakline images in the cross-sectional plane visualized a turbulent jet flow pattern in the far-field area. The hot-wire anemometry data indicated that the measured centerline velocity of synthetic jets reached 3.8 m/s at y/d=50. The predictions were compared with the visualized particle streak images and centerline velocity of the synthetic jet in order to validate the computer code. The numerical simulation revealed the time-periodic formation and advection of discrete vortex pairs. Caused by the outward movement of the piezo diaphragms, air near the orifice was entrained into the actuator cavity when the vortex pairs were sufficiently distant from the orifice.

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

synthetic jet flow
flow visualization system


fairer usage contracts for drm DRM has been widely promoted as a means to enforce copyright. In many previous papers, it has been argued that DRM gives too much power to rights holders and actually goes beyond the restrictions provided by copyright laws. In this paper we argue that DRM does not actually implement the fundamentals of copyright law, and is rather a mechanism for enforcing licence and contract restrictions on digital data. However, we believe that DRM does have a place in the digital distribution of copyrighted works and present two mechanisms that would allow users to get a more balanced deal from the rights holders. The mechanisms we present also allow for newer business models that cannot be easily implemented with current DRM systems.

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

negotiation
fair use
credential
persistent access control
rel
rights expression languages
odrl


Integration of a GIS and a complex three-dimensional hydrodynamic, sediment and heavy metal transport numerical model The paper presents an integration of a geographic information system (GIS) and a complex three-dimensional hydrodynamic sediment and heavy metal transport numerical model. The integration overcomes the two-dimensional constraint of conventional GIS by supplementing advance tools for three-dimensional, dynamic visualization. The application of a GIS-based interface module together with the three-dimensional, dynamic display tools enhances communication of relationships and trends of hydrodynamic and pollutant transport simulation in both spatial and temporal context, and thus promotes better coastal water quality planning and management. Model functionality includes input data viewing and editing, mesh grid configuration, and result interpretation. The functionality of the GIS-model integrated system is illustrated through a case study on the Pearl River Estuary (PRE).

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

sediment and heavy metal transport
geographic information system

three-dimensional visualization of coastal data


expressive textures If a moving image is more expressive than words or than a still image, then an animated facial expression can explain more in depth the feelings of a virtual character. Facial animation has been used in many applications, from entertainment to research on virtual humans and tele-presence. The aim of most of the approaches is to achieve high degrees of realism of virtual characters and is supplemented by complex models of kinematics, muscle movement, movement of clothing as well as cognition and behavioral models. Video avatars and image-based techniques are also used for creating virtual humans. However, the complexity of the geometric and physically simulated facial models used by the above methods make them unsuitable for use in distributed collaborative virtual environments running on low bandwidth networks or over the internet. Therefore, the majority of approaches for such environments are using simplified models of virtual human, which the obvious disadvantage of lower degrees of realism.The Reflective Textures method, presented in this paper, makes use of textures of images of both synthetic faces or faces captured from video and of a simple low-polygon face/head model. It provides an interactive way of fine-tuning and adjusting the underlined model to allow a more realistic mapping for a specific facial image. Furthermore, it concentrates in creating facial expressions by manipulation of the texture. Facial Expressions such as Fear, Happiness, Melancholy or Surprise, blinking of the eyes and movement of the pupils is automatically achieved for any mapped facial image by the system.

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

facial expressions
collaborative virtual environments


Cross-layer quality-driven adaptation for scheduling heterogeneous multimedia over 3G satellite networks Wireless networks are experiencing a paradigm shift from focusing on the traditional data transfer to accommodating the rapidly increasing multimedia traffic. Hence, their scheduling algorithms have to concern not only network-oriented quality-of-service (QoS) profiles, but also application-oriented QoS targets. This is particularly challenging for satellite multimedia networks that lack fast closed-loop power control and reliable feedbacks. In this paper, we present a cross-layer packet scheduling scheme, namely Hybrid Queuing and Reception Adaptation (HQRA), which performs joint adaptations by considering the traffic information and QoS targets from the applications, the queuing dynamics induced from the network, as well as the end-to-end performance and channel variations from respective users. By jointly optimizing multiple performance criteria at different layers, the scheme enjoys quality-driven, channel-dependant, and network-aware features. HQRA can well accommodate return link diversity and the imperfect feedbacks, whilst ensuring robustness in highly heterogeneous and dynamic satellite environments. We evaluate its performance over diverse network and media configurations in comparison with the state-of-the-art solutions. We observe noticeable performance gains on application-oriented QoS, bandwidth utilization, and objective video quality, together with favorable fairness and scalability measures.

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

cross-layer
quality-driven
multimedia streaming
radio resource management
sdmb


Retrieving keyworded subgraphs with graph ranking score Keyword queries have long been popular to search engines and to the information retrieval community and have recently gained momentum for its usage in the expert systems community. The conventional semantics for processing a user query is to find a set of top-k web pages such that each page contains all user keywords. Recently, this semantics has been extended to find a set of cohesively interconnected pages, each of which contains one of the query keywords scattered across these pages. The keyword query having the extended semantics (i.e., more than a list of keywords hyperlinked with each other) is referred to the graph query. In case of the graph query, all the query keywords may not be present on a single Web page. Thus, a set of Web pages with the corresponding hyperlinks need to be presented as the search result. The existing search systems reveal serious performance problem due to their failure to integrate information from multiple connected resources so that an efficient algorithm for keyword query over graph-structured data is proposed. It integrates information from multiple connected nodes of the graph and generates result trees with the occurrence of all the query keywords. We also investigate a ranking measure called graph ranking score (GRS) to evaluate the relevant graph results so that the score can generate a scalar value for keywords as well as for the topology.

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

graph-structured data
steiner tree
graph ranking score (grs)


The number and distributions of limit cycles for a class of quintic near-Hamiltonian systems This paper is about the number of limit cycles for a quintic near-Hamiltonian system. It is proved that the system can have 20, 22, 24 limit cycles with different distributions of limit cycles for each case. The limit cycles are obtained by using the methods of bifurcation theory and qualitative analysis. (c) 2006 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 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

limit cycle
near-hamiltonian system
hilbert's 16(th) problem
stability


Sentence-Level Emotion and Valence Tagging The paper proposes the tagging of sentence-level emotion and valence based on the word-level constituents on the SemEval 2007 affect sensing news corpus. The baseline system for each emotion class assigns the class label to each word, while the WordNet Affect lists updated using the SentiWordNet were also used as the lexicon-based system. Though the inclusion of morphology into the lexicon-based system improves the performance of the word-level emotion tagging, the Conditional Random Field-based machine-learning framework was employed for the word-level emotion-tagging system, and it outperforms both the baseline- and lexicon-based systems. Six separate sense scores for six emotion types are calculated from the SentiWordNet and applied to word-level emotion tagged constituents for identifying sentential emotion scores. Three emotion scoring methods followed by a post-processing technique were employed for identifying the sentence-level emotion tags. In addition to that, the best two emotion tags corresponding to the maximum obtained sense scores are assigned to the sentences, whereas the sentence-level valence is identified based on the total sense scores of the word-level emotion tags along with their polarity. Evaluation was carried out with respect to the best two emotion tags on 250 gold standard test sentences and achieved satisfactory results for sentence-level emotion and valence tagging.

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

emotion
valence
wordnet affect
sentiwordnet


Point of care use of a personal digital assistant for patient consultation management - Experience of an intravenous resource nurse team in a major Canadian teaching hospital The development and integration of a personal digital assistant (PDA)-based point-of-care database into an intravenous resource nurse (IVRN) consultation service for the purposes of consultation management and service characterization are described, The IVRN team provides a consultation service 7 days a week in this 1000-bed tertiary adult care teaching hospital. No simple, reliable method for documenting IVRN patient care activity and facilitating IVRN-initiated patient follow-up evaluation was available. Implementation of a PDA database with exportability of data to statistical analysis software was undertaken in July 2001. A Palm IIIXE PDA was purchased and a three-table, 13-field database was developed using HanDBase software. During the 7-month period of data collection, the IVRN team recorded 4868 consultations for 40 patient care areas. Full analysis of service characteristics was conducted using SPSS 10.0 software. Team members adopted the new technology with few problems, and the authors now can efficiently track and analyze the services provided by their IVRN team.

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

intravenous nurses
workload
documentation


Applications of rough sets to Gamma-hyperideals in left almost Gamma-semihypergroups The relations between rough sets and algebraic systems have been already considered by many mathematicians. This article concerns the relationship between rough sets and left almost Gamma-semihypergroups. In this article, using Pawlak idea, the properties of lower and upper approximations of sub LA-Gamma-semihypergroup (respectively Gamma-hyperideal, bi-Gamma-hyperideal and interior Gamma-hyperideal) are investigated.

O O B I 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 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

la-gamma-semihypergroups
gamma-hyperideals
rough gamma-hyperideals


Conformation and absolute configuration of 11,12-cyclopropyl retinal analogs - an RHF/DFT/CIS study Ab initio RHF and DFT/B3LYP calculations at the 6-31G** level have been performed to study possible conformations of the cyclopropyl retinal Schiff base analog 3 of known absolute configuration. In both the free base and the protonated form, the geometries are determined on the diene side by optimum conjugative interaction with the three-membered ring, on the triene side by repulsive interaction with the 9-methyl group. There are three low energy conformations, in which the seven-membered ring is either in a chair or in a twist-chair conformation. To decide between these alternatives, chiroptical parameters were calculated employing the GAUSSIAN/CIS routines and compared with the CD spectrum obtained by Nakanishi et al. Of the energy-minimized geometries only two fit the experimental data. In both, the dihedral angle C12-C13, which is indicative of the relative orientation of the two chromophores, is positive.

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 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


Simplifying the automatic design of a fuzzy logic controller using evolutionary programming With the availability of a wide range of Evolutionary Algorithms such as Genetic Algorithms, Evolutionary Programming, Evolutionary Strategies and Differential Evolution, every conceivable aspect of the design of a fuzzy logic controller has been optimized and automated. Although there is no doubt that these automated techniques can produce an optimal fuzzy logic controller, the structure of such a controller is often obscure and in many cases these optimizations are simply not needed. We believe that the automatic design of a fuzzy logic controller can be simplified by using a generic rule base such as the MacVicar-Whelan rule base and using an evolutionary algorithm to optimize only the membership functions of the fuzzy sets. Furthermore, by restricting the overlapping of fuzzy sets, using triangular membership functions and singletons, and reducing the number of parameters to represent the membership functions, the design can be further simplified. This paper describes this method of simplifying the design and some experiments performed to ascertain its validity.

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

evolutionary algorithms
evolutionary programming
fuzzy logic controller


integrating shape and pattern in mammalian models The giraffe and its patches, the leopard and its spots, the tiger and its stripes are spectacular examples of the integration of a pattern and a body shape. We present an approach that integrates a biologically-plausible pattern generation model, which can effectively deliver a variety of patterns characteristic of mammalian coats, and a body growth and animation system that uses experimental growth data to produce individual bodies and their associated patterns automatically. We use the example of the giraffe to illustrate how our approach takes us from a canonical embryo to a full adult giraffe in a continuous way, with results that are not only realistic looking, but also objectively validated. The flexibility of the approach is demonstrated by examples of big cat patterns, including an interpolation between patterns. The approach also allows a considerable amount of user control to fine-tune the results and to animate the resulting body with the pattern.

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

use
examples
integration
data
generation model
flexibility
shape
animation
control
growth
user
interpolation
pattern

experimentation
systems
association
clonal mosaic patterns
animal models
animal patterns
model
continuation
natural phenomena
patch
texture synthesis


Exact truss topology optimization for external loads and friction forces In replying to a valuable Discussion by Mariano Vazquez Espi, the authors show that the problem of friction forces in general can be handled by the Prager-Rozvany layout theory, and the optimal Michell layout does not always correspond to the maximum value of the static friction force. Moreover, it is explained that discontinuities in the specific cost function can be accommodated by an extended version of the Prager-Shield optimality criteria, which was already demonstrated in the second author's first (1976) book.

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

michell trusses
support costs
prager-rozvany layout theory
discontinuous cost functions


An exhaustive search for good 64-bit linear congruential random number generators with restricted multiplier This paper explores that the different prime moduli can affect both the number of primitive root and the spectral test performance for 64-bit linear congruential generators (LCGs). Three forms of prime modulus and two types restriction on multiplier are considered in this paper. We perform computerized experiments that indicate significant differences exist among the number of primitive root of three forms of prime modulus. These differences can affect the performance of the spectral test. Two good 64-bit LCGs with significantly better spectral values and excellent empirical performance are presented. They are suitable for the requirements of today?s computer simulation studies.

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 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

linear congruential generator
sophiegermain prime
full period


An ultra low power, low voltage tailless QFG based differential amplifier with High CMRR, rail to rail operation and enhanced slew rate This paper proposes a novel tailless ultra low power low voltage high CMRR differential amplifier (D.A.) with rail-to-rail input common mode range (ICMR) based on quasi floating gate (QFG) transistors. For low voltage operation, the tail current source of the conventional D.A. is removed and the resulted lack of CMRR is highly compensated by means of two simple inverters. The required supply voltage is only VGS + VDS(sat) (with their usual meanings of symbols) which is one VDS(sat) lower than the required supply voltage for the conventional D.A. Unlike the conventional differential amplifier, slew rate (SR) in the proposed one is not limited by the tail current source and is determined by the amplitude of input signals. The principle of operation, small signal analysis and the formula of the most important parameters of the proposed D.A. are presented. HSPICE simulation results using TSMC 0.18 mu m CMOS process parameters and +/- 0.4 V supply voltage are presented which verify the high performance of the proposed scheme. The simulation results show a rail-to-rail operation and 121 dB CMRR for the proposed tailless differential amplifier. The corner case simulation results are also provided which show a robust performance for the proposed structure. Its unity gain bandwidth product is 72.3 MHz that is 2.31 times larger than that of conventional differential amplifier. Positive and negative SRs are improved by a factor of 7.4 and 3.58 times respectively compared to conventional one. It has also an ultra low power dissipation of 6.89 mu W.

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

high cmrr
ultra low power
low voltage
rail to rail
tailless differential amplifier


Using augmented reality for students health - case of combining educational learning with standard fitness Excessive use of non physical entertainments and lack of adequate indoors physical activities in conjunction with pressure from parents for a higher academic performance is creating serious health concerns amongst young students throughout the world. This problem is more sever in industrial societies such as Taiwan with warnings from the government. In order to solve this acute problem we propose a better use of computer technology in form of integrating the augmented reality (AR) with the regular educational process, where a newly designed AR-Fitness system combines physical exercises with academic lessons and associated tests. The new combined learning environment implements four standard physical fitness training schemes with cognitive learning in five categories of physical education (PE) knowledge including Cardiopulmonary Endurance, Flexibility, Explosiveness, Muscular Endurance and Sport Injury to test the new system.

O B I 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 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 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 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

augmented reality
fitness
education
health


Facets of the (s,t)-p ( s , t ) - p -path polytope We give a partial description of the (s,t)-p ( s , t ) - p -path polytope of a directed graph D D which is the convex hull of the incidence vectors of simple directed (s,t) ( s , t ) -paths in D D of length p p . First, we point out how the (s,t)-p ( s , t ) - p -path polytope is located in the family of path and cycle polyhedra. Next, we give some classes of valid inequalities which are very similar to the inequalities which are valid for the p p -cycle polytope, that is, the convex hull of the incidence vectors of simple cycles of length p p in D D . We give necessary and sufficient conditions for these inequalities to be facet defining. Furthermore, we consider a class of inequalities that has been identified to be valid for (s,t) ( s , t ) -paths of cardinality at most p p . Finally, we transfer the results to related polytopes, in particular, the undirected counterpart of the (s,t)-p ( s , t ) - p -path polytope.

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

(s
t)-p ( s
t ) - p -path (s
t ) - p (s
t ) - p ( s
t ) - p
p p -cycle p p p p p
lifting
polyhedral characterizations


Ensuring latency targets in multiclass web servers Two recent advances have resulted in significant improvements in web server quality-of-service. First, both centralized and distributed web servers can provide isolation among service classes by fairly distributing system resources. Second, session admission control can protect classes from performance degradation due to overload. The goal of this work is to design a general "front-end" algorithm that uses these two building blocks to support a new web service model, namely, multiclass services which control response latencies to within prespecified targets. Our key technique is to devise a general service abstraction to adaptively control not only the latency of a particular class, but also to bound the interclass relationships. In this way, we capture the extent to which classes are isolated or share system resources (as determined by the server architecture and system internals) and hence their effects on each other's QoS. For example, if the server provides class isolation (i.e., a minimum fraction of system resources independent of other classes), yet also allows a class to utilize unused resources from other classes, the algorithm infers and exploits this behavior, without an explicit low level model of the server. Thus, as new functionalities are incorporated into web servers, the approach naturally exploits their properties to efficiently satisfy the classes' performance targets. We validate the scheme with trace driven simulations.

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

web servers
qos
admission control
multiclass


FORTUNAA framework for the design and development of hardware-based secure systems We extended and validated the logic-probabilistic security framework FORTUNA. We could conduct security analysis semi-automatically on hardware-based systems. With the tool we found an novel architectural flaw on the SPARC V8, V9 processor.

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

hardware-based security
information security
formal methods for security
security metrics
security evaluation tool


A per-application mobility management platform for application-specific handover decision in overlay networks With the advance of various wireless access technologies, the demand for a mobile user equipped with multiple air interfaces simultaneously executing diverse applications emerged. In such network environments, per-application mobility management is a key to allow each application of an end user device to dynamically and fully take advantage of the most suitable access technology. In this paper, we devised a comprehensive architectural platform with cross-layer techniques to realize this disruptive technology, i.e., per-application mobility management. The proposed platform enables the triggering of vertical handover decisions based on the dynamic measurements from the entire protocol stack. For per-application, the handover decision as well as the mobility management and the transport/application protocol control adaptation for handover performance optimization are made with cross-layer techniques. Through the simulation results, it is shown that multi-layer handover triggering of the proposed platform enhances the QoS of the application services by making handover decisions when the QoS requirements of an application is not satisfied as well as when a mobile user moves out of the current access network in overlay network environments. It is also presented that per-application handover based on the proposed platform enhances the QoS of the application services compared to the handover approaches which make every on-going service flows handover together to the same access network.

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

per-application mobility management
application-specific handover decision
cross-layer approach


A numerical study of the Kernel-conformation transformation for transient viscoelastic fluid flows We analyze a generic conformation tensor transformation for simulating the HWNP. The numerical scheme is constructed in the context of finite differences. The numerical study considers transient benchmarks in Computational Rheology. Complex flows are solved, including the die-swell free surface problem.

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

high weissenberg number problem
kernel conformation tensor
viscoelastic fluids
die-swell phenomenon


Strategic logistics outsourcing: An integrated QFD and fuzzy AHP approach This paper develops an integrated approach, combining quality function deployment (QFD), fuzzy set theory, and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach, to evaluate and select the optimal third-party logistics service providers (3PLs). In the approach, multiple evaluating criteria are derived from the requirements of company stakeholders using a series of house of quality (HOQ). The importance of evaluating criteria is prioritized with respect to the degree of achieving the stakeholder requirements using fuzzy AHP. Based on the ranked criteria, alternative 3PLs are evaluated and compared with each other using fuzzy AHP again to make an optimal selection. The effectiveness of proposed approach is demonstrated by applying it to a Hong Kong based enterprise that supplies hard disk components. The proposed integrated approach outperforms the existing approaches because the outsourcing strategy and 3PLs selection are derived from the corporate/business strategy.

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

logistics outsourcing
selection
quality function deployment
analytic hierarchy process
fuzzy


using multi-dimensional in-depth long-term case studies for information visualization evaluation Information visualization is meant to support the analysis and comprehension of (often large) datasets through techniques intended to show/enhance features, patterns, clusters and trends, not always visible even when using a graphical representation. During the development of information visualization techniques the designer has to take into account the users' tasks to choose the graphical metaphor as well as the interactive methods to be provided. Testing and evaluating the usability of information visualization techniques are still a research question, and methodologies based on real or experimental users often yield significant results. To be comprehensive, however, experiments with users must rely on a set of tasks that covers the situations a real user will face when using the visualization tool. The present work reports and discusses the results of three case studies conducted as Multi-dimensional In-depth Long-term Case studies. The case studies were carried out to investigate MILCs-based usability evaluation methods for visualization tools.

O O O O O O O B 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 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 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

usability evaluation
information visualization


Soft methodology selection of wind turbine parameters to large affect wind energy conversion Wind turbine power coefficient analyzing. Selecting and analyzing a subset of wind turbine parameter. Variable selection based on using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system. Improving the prediction performance of the predictors. Providing the most influential parameters on the predictor.

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

wind turbine
wind energy
power coefficient
variable selection


A supply chain network game theory model with product differentiation, outsourcing of production and distribution, and quality and price competition In this paper, we develop a supply chain network game theory model with product differentiation, possible outsourcing of production and distribution, and quality and price competition. The original firms compete with one another in terms of in-house quality levels and product flows, whereas the contractors, aiming at maximizing their own profits, engage in competition for the outsourced production and distribution in terms of prices that they charge and their quality levels. The solution of the model provides each original firm with its optimal in-house quality level as well as its optimal in-house and outsourced production and shipment quantities that minimize the total cost and the weighted cost of disrepute, associated with lower quality levels and the impact on a firms reputation. The governing equilibrium conditions of the model are formulated as a variational inequality problem. An algorithm, which provides a discrete-time adjustment process and tracks the evolution of the product flows, quality levels, and prices over time, is proposed and convergence results given. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate how such a supply chain network game theory model can be applied in practice. The model is relevant to products ranging from pharmaceuticals to fast fashion to high technology products.

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

outsourcing
product differentiation
game theory

supply chain management
supply chain networks
quality competition


bureaucratic protocols for secure two-party sorting, selection, and permuting In this paper, we introduce a framework for secure two-party (S2P) computations, which we call bureaucratic computing, and we demonstrate its efficiency by designing practical S2P computations for sorting, selection, and random permutation. In a nutshell, the main idea behind bureaucratic computing is to design data-oblivious algorithms that push all knowledge and influence of input values down to small black-box circuits, which are simulated using Yao's garbled paradigm. The practical benefit of this approach is that it maintains the zero-knowledge features of secure two-party computations while avoiding the significant computational overheads that come from trying to apply Yao's garbled paradigm to anything other than simple two-input functions.

B I 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 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

oblivious algorithms
secure two-party computation


On two definitions of the factor of safety commonly used in the finite element slope stability analysis In the 2D finite element slope stability analysis, there are two commonly used definitions on the factor of safety. The first is the strength reserving definition, which defines the factor of safety as the factor by which the shear strength of the soil would have to be divided to bring the slope into the state of critical equilibrium. The second is the overloading definition, which defines the factor of safety as the ratio of total resisting forces to total driving forces along a certain slip line. This study formulates a uniform initial value problem of ordinary differential equations for locating the critical slip lines corresponding to the two definitions and proposes a predictioncorrection procedure for the initial value problem. Through solving the relevant initial value problem, the critical slip line can be located without specifying its shape and location. It is also demonstrated that while the finite element method is utilized for analyzing slope stability, the critical slip lines based on the overloading definition might be for the most part shallower than those by the strength reserving definition and the conventional limit equilibrium methods, and hence the design based on the overloading definition might be precarious.

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

slope stability analysis
factor of safety
critical slip line
finite element method


Damped Techniques for the Limited Memory BFGS Method for Large-Scale Optimization This paper is aimed to extend a certain damped technique, suitable for the BroydenFletcherGoldfarbShanno (BFGS) method, to the limited memory BFGS method in the case of the large-scale unconstrained optimization. It is shown that the proposed technique maintains the global convergence property on uniformly convex functions for the limited memory BFGS method. Some numerical results are described to illustrate the important role of the damped technique. Since this technique enforces safely the positive definiteness property of the BFGS update for any value of the steplength, we also consider only the first WolfePowell condition on the steplength. Then, as for the backtracking framework, only one gradient evaluation is performed on each iteration. It is reported that the proposed damped methods work much better than the limited memory BFGS method in several cases.

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

the limited memory bfgs method
damped technique

large-scale optimization
line search framework


A multimedia ontology model based on linguistic properties and audio-visual features We define an ontology model based on linguistic properties and low-level audio visual features. We use standard techniques and descriptors to model knowledge. Multimodal features increase the quality of representation in knowledge base information systems. The use of peer2peer paradigm increases sharing and reusability of knowledge.

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


Perforated polymer membranes fabricated by nanoimprint A bi-layer process was developed based on a polymeric sacrificial layer to generate free-standing polymer membranes. Regular hole patterns were generated in the top layer via nanoimprint and etched down to the sacrificial layer using reactive ion etching. The underlying layer was partly dissolved in a wet etching process through the pores, thus creating an air gap. Large arrays with interconnected pores could be fabricated. This process can be applied to a wide selection of polymeric materials and was successfully applied to pore sizes of 200nm.

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 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

nanoimprint lithography
membrane
thermoplastic polymer
lift-off resist
support column


Second-order blind signal separation with optimal step size This paper proposes a new computational procedure for solving the second-order gradient-based blind signal separation (BSS) problem with convolutive mixtures. The problem is formulated as a constrained optimization problem where the time domain constraints on the unmixing matrices are added to ease the permutation effects associated with convolutive mixtures. A linear transformation using QR factorization is developed to transform the constrained optimization problem into an unconstrained problem. A conjugate gradient procedure with the step size derived optimally at each iteration is then proposed to solve the optimization problem. The advantage of the procedure is that it has low computational complexity, as it does not require multiple evaluations of the objective function. In addition, fast convergence of the conjugate gradient algorithm makes it suitable for online implementation. The convergence of the conjugate gradient algorithm with optimal step size is compared to the fixed step size case and the optimal step size steepest descent algorithm. Evaluations are performed in real and simulated environments.

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

blind signal separation
conjugate gradient
optimal step size


Scalable 3-D Terrain Visualization Through Reversible JPEG2000-Based Blind Data Hiding In this paper a new method is presented for 3-D terrain visualization via reversible JPEC2000-based blind data hiding with special focus on data synchronization and scalability. Online real-time 3-D terrain visualization involves considerable amount of data. The process is essentially the mapping of the aerial photograph, called texture, onto its corresponding digital elevation model (DEM) implying at least two distinct data inputs. The presence of large disparate data necessitates a compression strategy on one hand and the integration of the DEM and texture into one unit on the other. Whilst the compression must accommodate the scalability requirement originated by the diversity of clients, the unification of data ought to be synchronous. For scalability this paper relies on the multiresolution nature of the DWT-based JPEG2000 standard whereas the synchronized unification of DEM with the texture is realized by the application of a perceptually transparent data hiding strategy in the DWT domain. The proposed method is blind in the sense that only a secret key, if any, and the size of the original DEM are needed to extract the data from the texture image. We believe that this is one of the pioneering methods to propose scalable embedding of DEM in the texture image. The method is cost effective, in terms of memory and bandwidths, which is an advantage, especially, in real-time environments when quicker transfer of data is required. The results of a 3-D visualization simulation effected with our method were encouraging and gave a useful insight to the effectiveness of our method in various bandwidth scenarios.

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

data hiding
data synchronization
jpeg2000

3-d visualization
digital elevation model (dem)
discrete wavelet transform (dwt)
geographic information system (gis)


Probabilistic adaptations of point generation schemes in some global optimization algorithms Modifications in the trial point generation scheme are suggested to the differential evolution (de) and the controlled random search (crs) algorithm to improve their performances. Each of the modified de and the crs algorithm uses two different point generation schemes. A probabilistic adaptation of point generation schemes in each of the algorithms is proposed. Localizations in acceptance rule and in trial point generation schemes are also suggested in the resulting de and the crs algorithm, respectively. Numerical experiments indicate that the resulting algorithms are considerably better than their original counterparts. Therefore, they offer a reasonable alternative to many currently available stochastic algorithms, especially for problems requiring 'direct search type' methods.

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

global optimization
probabilistic adaptation

population set based method
modified differential evolution
modified controlled random search
continuous variable


Many-body energies during proton transfer in an aqueous system The energetics of the mechanism of proton transfer from a hydronium ion to one of the water molecules in its first solvation shell are studied using density functional theory and the Moller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) method. The potential energy surface of the proton transfer mechanism is obtained at the B3LYP and MP2 levels with the 6-311++G** basis set. Many-body analysis is applied to the proton transfer mechanism to obtain the change in relaxation energy, two-body, three-body and four-body energies when proton transfer occurs from the hydronium ion to one of the water molecules in its first solvation shell. It is observed that the binding energy (BE) of the complex decreases during the proton transfer process at both levels of theory. During the proton transfer process, the % contribution of the total two-body energy to the binding energy of the complex increases from 62.9 to 68.09% (39.9 to 45.95%), and that of the total three-body increases from 25.9 to 27.09% (24.16 to 26.17%) at the B3LYP/6-311++G** (MP2/ 6-311++G**) level. There is almost no change in the water-water-water three-body interaction energy during the proton transfer process at both levels of theory. The contribution of the relaxation energy and the total four-body energy to the binding energy of the complex is greater at the MP2 level than at the B3LYP level. Significant differences are found between the relaxation energies, the hydronium-water interaction energies and the four-body interaction energies at the B3LYP and MP2 levels.

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 B I 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 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


Harmonic-balance simulation of nonlinear scattering functions for computer-aided design of nonlinear microwave circuits Nonlinear scattering functions are a linearized representation of a nonlinear circuit under arbitrary large-signal conditions for the linear-equivalent design of nonlinear circuits. They are computed from a harmonic-balance nonlinear simulation of an active device, and their values are compared to the experimentally measured ones. Excellent agreement is found, revealing that they are, in fact, identical and confirming the validity and generality of the approach. With their use, linear computer-aided design concepts can be extended to nonlinear circuits in a rigorous way. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

nonlinear scattering functions
nonlinear microwave circuits

harmonic-balance simulation
computer-aided designs


Computer-aided diagnosis system for comparative reading of helical CT images for the detection of lung cancer In this paper, we present a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to automatically detect lung cancer candidates at an early stage using a present and a past helical CT screening. We have developed a slice matching algorithm that can automatically match the slice images of a past CT scan to those of a present CT scan in order to detect changes in the lung fields over time. The: slice matching algorithm consists of two main process: the process of extraction of the lungs, heart, and descending aorta and the process of matching slices of the present and past CT images using the information of the lungs, heart, and descending aorta. To evaluate the performance of this algorithm, we applied it to 50 subjects (total of 150 scans) screened between 1993 acid 1998. From these scans, we selected 100 pairs for evaluation (each pair consisted of scans fur the same subject). The algorithm correctly matched 88 out of the 100 pairs. The slice images for the present and past CT scans are displayed in parallel on the CRT monitor. Feature measurements: of the suspicious regions are shown on the relevant images to facilitate identification of changes in size, shape, and intensity. The experimental results indicate that the CAD system can he effectively used in clinical practice to increase the speed and accuracy of routine diagnosis.

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

helical ct screening
lung
comparative reading
slice matching algorithm


A pricing mechanism for digital content distribution over computer networks This paper uses modified economic growth theory to compare and contrast two currently available ways of digital content distribution: the client-server model and the peer-to-peer (P2P) model. We describe a monopolistic pricing scheme for distributing digital content over P2P networks that rewards peer users who actively participate in the distribution process. Our results show that digital distribution through a P2P network is more profitable and more efficient than in the corresponding client-server setting, if the pricing mechanism used provides strong incentives to users to share content. The basic results hold when the model is extended to include time-variant preferences across generations of consumers, and when the monopolist performs price discrimination based on generations. Some practical implications from the theoretical analysis are also discussed.

O B O O B I 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 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 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

client-server networks
content sharing
information goods
monopolistic seller
peer-to-peer networks
user participation incentives


Bandwidth estimation schemes for TCP over wireless networks The use of enhanced bandwidth estimation procedures within the congestion control scheme of TCP was proposed recently as a way of improving TCIP performance over links affected by random loss. This paper first analyzes the problems faced by every bandwidth estimation algorithm implemented at the sender side of a TCP connection. Some proposed estimation algorithms are then reviewed, analyzing and comparing their estimation accuracy and performance. As existing algorithms are poor in bandwidth estimation, and in sharing network resources fairly, we propose TIBET (Time Intervals based Bandwidth Estimation Technique). This is a new bandwidth estimation scheme that can be implemented within the TCIP congestion control procedure, modifying only the sender-side of a connection. The use of TIBET enhances TCIP source performance over wireless links. The performance of TIBET is analyzed and compared with other schemes. Moreover, by studying TCIP behavior with an ideal bandwidth estimation, we provide an upper bound to the performance of all possible schemes based on different bandwidth estimates.

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


Accelerating backpropagation using effective parameters at each step and an experimental evaluation An acceleration of backpropagation algorithm with momentum (BPM) is introduced. At every stage of the learning process, local quadratic approximation of the error function is performed and the Hessian matrix of the quadratic function is approximated. Effective learning rate and momentum factor are determined by means of maximum and minimum eigenvalues of the approximated Hessian matrix at each step. BPM algorithm is modified so as to work automatically with these effective parameters. Performance of this new approach is demonstrated in comparison with well-known training algorithms on conventional problems by an experimental evaluation.

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

learning rate
momentum
local quadratic approximation

multilayer neural networks
faster learning


The impact of learning styles on student grouping for collaborative learning: a case study Learning style models constitute a valuable tool for improving individual learning by the use of adaptation techniques based on them. In this paper, we present how the benefit of considering learning styles with adaptation purposes, as part of the user model, can be extended to the context of collaborative learning as a key feature for group formation. We explore the effects that the combination of students with different learning styles in specific groups may have in the final results of the tasks accomplished by them collaboratively. With this aim, a case study with 166 students of computer science has been carried out, from which conclusions are drawn. We also describe how an existing web-based system can take advantage of learning style information in order to form more productive groups. Our ongoing work concerning the automatic extraction of grouping rules starting from data about previous interactions within the system is also outlined. Finally, we present our challenges, related to the continuous improvement of collaboration by the use and dynamic modification of automatic grouping rules.

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

learning styles
group formation
adaptation


Distributed approximation of cellular coverage We consider the following model of cellular networks. Each base station has a given finite capacity, and each client has some demand and profit. A client can be covered by a specific subset of the base stations, and its profit is obtained only if its demand is provided in full. The goal is to assign clients to base stations, so that the overall profit is maximized subject to base station capacity constraints. In this work, we present a distributed algorithm for the problem, that runs in polylogarithmic time, and guarantees an approximation ratio close to the best known ratio achievable by a centralized algorithm. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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

distributed algorithms
assignment problem


A novel method for automatic modulation recognition Automatic recognition of the digital modulation plays an important role in various applications. This paper investigates the design of an accurate system for recognition of digital modulations. First, it is introduced an efficient pattern recognition system that includes two main modules: the feature extraction module and the classifier module. Feature extraction module extracts a suitable combination of the higher order moments up to eighth, higher order cumulants up to eighth and instantaneous characteristics of digital modulations. These combinations of the features are applied for the first time in this area. In the classifier module, two important classes of supervised classifiers, i.e., multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network and hierarchical multi-class support vector machine based classifier are investigated. By experimental study, we choose the best classifier for recognition of the considered modulations. Then, we propose a hybrid heuristic recognition system that an optimization module is added to improve the generalization performance of the classifier. In this module we have used a new optimization algorithm called Bees Algorithm. This module optimizes the classifier design by searching for the best value of the parameters that tune its discriminant function, and upstream by looking for the best subset of features that feed the classifier. Simulation results show that the proposed hybrid intelligent technique has very high recognition accuracy even at low levels of SNR with a little number of the features.

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 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 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

modulation recognition
pattern recognition
bees algorithm

hierarchical support vector machine based classifier

combination of the higher order moments (up to eighth) and higher order cumulants (up to eighth)


QUANTUM CORRELATIONS AT FINITE TEMPERATURE We show that, under the influence of finite temperature reservoirs, for a board class of states, Bell nonlocality always endures sudden death. Furthermore, for two states evolved from two different maximally entangled states, the larger the concurrence and quantum discord, the better the resource for dense coding. However, the more usefulness of a state for teleportation could not be owed to the larger negativity and geometric measure of discord.

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


Complementary sequences for ISI channel estimation A merit factor based on the sequence autocorrelation function, whose minimization leads to the reduction in the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the variance of "two-sided" intersymbol interference (ISI) channel estimation is introduced. Pairs of binary pilot symbol sequences (a preamble and a post-amble) for channel estimation are jointly designed to minimize this merit factor. Given that the number of channel taps is L and the length of a pilot symbol sequence is (N + L--1), where N greater than or equal to L, we distinguish between the case when N is even and the case when it is odd. For even N, we show that complementary sequences not only minimize the merit factor, but also the CRLB, For a subset of odd N we construct almost-complementary periodic sequence pairs that minimize the merit factor. The optimal pilot symbol block signaling requires alternating between two (in most cases) different binary sequences that form the merit-minimizing pair.

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 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

autocorrelation merit function
intersymbol interference (isi) channels
pilot symbols


agent-based trust model involving multiple qualities A key limitation of current Web services standards is the inability to differentiate service instances at runtime using (nonfunctional) qualities of services (QoS). Such differentiation is necessary to allow for runtime selection and binding to service instances in a manner that continually adapts selected services to the service consumer's preferences and needs. Quality values are volatile, depend on the trust associated with instances and service providers, and also depend on the needs of service consumers. We propose a multiagent framework where agents consider the consumers' QoS preferences, determine trust levels to associate to service instances and providers, and automatically select service instances on a consumer's behalf. The service agents use a trust model that is centered on a shared conceptualization for QoS (ontology) and a QoS preference model that considers consumer's tradeoffs among qualities as well as relationships between qualities. We evaluate our approach via simulations on simplified but realistic service instances and service consumers. Our results show that using these considerations for QoS, service agents are able to determine over time the 'best' service selection for a consumer.

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 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 B 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 B I O O O

quality of service
service-oriented architecture
multi agent systems
service-oriented computing
semantic web services


Model-based mixture discriminant analysis - an experimental study The subject of this paper is an experimental study of a discriminant analysis (DA) based on Gaussian mixture estimation of the class-conditional densities. Five parameterizations of the covariance matrixes of the Gaussian components are studied. Recommendation for selection of the suitable parameterization of the covariance matrixes is given. (C) 2004 Pattern Recognition Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O O B I 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

gaussian mixture model
density estimation
model selection


Technology and knowledge: the affirmation of power When Durkheim (1933) wrote that the introduction of technologies had produced profound changes... in the structure of our societies in a very short time, he was warning against the unqualified acceptance of rapid technological change before a knowledge base had had time to develop from the existing values and shared experiences of individuals. This paper will consider how the technologising of society, in the context of work, is at once a suppression of knowledge and a reaffirmation of its power. Interpretive analysis of office-based employees in three organisations reveals how the abstraction, the alienation, the anomie that disorientates, invades, isolates and ultimately separates individuals from the conditions of their work, are symptoms of this assault on knowledge. Paradoxically, the analysis also disputes the pre-eminence of this view. It considers the technologising of society to be establishing a prevailing knowledge base that provides a range of new opportunities for not only communicating at work, but also increasing mobility within and without the workplace, raising employment prospects, and nurturing a greater sense of self-sufficiency, accountability and responsibility. This paper contends that these are factors, which indicate that the technologising of society, by cultivating fresh sources of knowledge, is also empowering individuals through the facilitation of new autonomous working practices.

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


Memory-limited non-U-shaped learning with solved open problems In empirical cognitive science, for human learning, a semantic or behavioral U-shape occurs when a learner first learns, then unlearns, and, finally, relearns, some target concept. Within the formal framework of Inductive Inference, for learning from positive data, previous results have shown, for example, that such U-shapes are unnecessary for explanatory learning, but are necessary for behaviorally correct and non-trivial vacillatory learning. Herein we also distinguish between semantic and syntactic U-shapes. We answer a number of open questions in the prior literature as well as provide new results regarding syntactic U-shapes. Importantly for cognitive science, we see more of a previously noticed pattern that, for parameterized learning criteria, beyond very few initial parameter values, U-shapes are necessary for full learning power. We analyze the necessity of U-shapes in two memory-limited settings. The first setting is Bounded Memory State (BMS) learning, where a learner has an explicitly-bounded state memory, and otherwise only knows its current datum. We show that there are classes learnable with three (or more) memory states that are not learnable non-U-shapedly with any finite number of memory states. This result is surprising, since, for learning with one or two memory states, U-shapes are known to be unnecessary. This solves an open question from the literature. The second setting is that of Memoryless Feedback (MLF) learning, where a learner may ask a bounded number of questions about what data has been seen so far, and otherwise only knows its current datum. We show that there is a class learnable memorylessly with a single feedback query such that this class is not learnable non-U-shapedly memorylessly with any finite number of feedback queries. We employ self-learning classes together with the Operator Recursion Theorem for many of our results, but we also introduce two new techniques for obtaining results. The first is for transferring inclusion results from one setting to another. The main part of the second is the Hybrid Operator Recursion Theorem, which enables us to separate some learning criteria featuring complexity-bounded learners, employing self-learning classes. Both techniques are not specific to U-shaped learning, but applicable for a wide range of settings. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. 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 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 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


A multi-arm robotic system for optimal sculpting Recent research has considered robotic machining as an alternative to traditional CNC machining. However, one of the problems with serial link manipulators is that they have a low inherent stiffness due to the cantilever design of the links and low torsional stiffness of the actuators. This problem is addressed during the resolution of a Cartesian-space tool path, defined relative to the blank, into joint space using the pseudo-inverse method of redundancy resolution. The two-armed system is modeled as a single system using a relative Jacobian to relate the joint motions to the relative motion of the tool and blank. The null space of the relative Jacobian is used to optimize the joint trajectories by minimizing the system compliance factor. A minmax optimization and a null-space search are investigated in order to produce a global optimum. Simulation results show that stiff trajectories lower the level of torque consumption, which allows for an increase in productivity. The deflection of the tool relative to the blank is decreased as well.

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

robotic machining
compliance
relative jacobian


Enhancing preliminary design within concurrent engineering using the matrix of functions and functionalities In today's multidimensional world, companies are constantly facing new, increasingly demanding challenges: global business and local operation, the standardization and individualization of products, demanding customers, and fierce competition. These companies want to achieve a shorter product-development time, lower costs, higher quality of the product, and finally, customer satisfaction. In order to achieve these goals, companies have to take into account the first customer's wants and needs during the process of developing a new product. This article presents the concept of solutions for the functional requirements in the concurrent development of a product by means of a descriptive matrix of the functional requirements and functionalities based on the generative model and criteria for describing the products, the function requirements, and the functionalities. The matrix of the functional requirements and functionalities model intends to improve the initial, preliminary design process, where only the most basic, sporadic information (such as functional requirements and functionalities) is presented. The tasks are parallelized and integrated to reduce the time and costs involved. The model was created as a tool in order to connect the functional requirements with existing technical systems. They partially or fully resolve the functional requirements on the basis of a mathematical model and predetermined conditions, and therefore do not depend solely on the designer's intuition. The concept improves the main shortcomings of other known methods such as the morphological box. In order to demonstrate the validity, the benefits of the method, the dynamics, to produce explanatory theories and to develop a method that is relevant to practice, the matrix of the functional requirements and functionalities model is tested against a concrete product.

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 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

concurrent engineering processes
product development
design theory
functional matrix
functionality matrix


a programming language approach for context-aware mashups This paper focuses on mashup techniques as a solution for dynamic service composition in the Internet field. Existing mashups approaches provide simple means for efficient service interaction thanks to the use of asynchronous invocation schemes. However, the services are statically selected and wired to the mashups which significantly hinders the reusability. In addition, the asynchronous service invocations lead to fragmented mashup definitions obscuring the mashups' tasks. In this work we propose a programming language framework, called Dymac, that supports the development of context-aware mashups with the abilities of abstracting web services by type, performing dynamic service selection based on the context of use, and supporting sequential task-driven composition. With this framework web services become easier to maintain, web service selection is dynamic so that it is more adapted to the environment and the composition process of mashups is sequential and task explicit.

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 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 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 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 B O O O O O


A hybrid SARIMA. and support vector machines in forecasting the production values of the machinery industry in Taiwan This paper proposes a hybrid methodology that exploits the unique strength of the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model and the support vector machines (SVM) model in forecasting seasonal time series. The seasonal time series data of Taiwan's machinery industry production values were used to examine the forecasting accuracy of the proposed hybrid model. The forecasting performance was compared among three models, i.e., the hybrid model, SARIMA models and the SVM models, respectively. Among these methods, the normalized mean square error (NMSE) and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the hybrid model were the lowest. The hybrid model was also able to forecast certain significant turning points of the test time series. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O O B 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 B 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 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


Improved statistical models for limited datasets in uncertainty quantification using stochastic collocation This paper presents a data-driven framework for performing uncertainty quantification (UQ) by choosing a stochastic model that accurately describes the sources of uncertainty in a system. This model is propagated through an appropriate response surface function that approximates the behavior of this system using stochastic collocation. Given a sample of data describing the uncertainty in the inputs, our goal is to estimate a probability density function (PDF) using the kernel moment matching (KMM) method so that this PDF can be used to accurately reproduce statistics like mean and variance of the response surface function. Instead of constraining the PDF to be optimal for a particular response function, we show that we can use the properties of stochastic collocation to make the estimated PDF optimal for a wide variety of response functions. We contrast this method with other traditional procedures that rely on the Maximum Likelihood approach, like kernel density estimation (KDE) and its adaptive modification (AKDE). We argue that this modified KMM method tries to preserve what is known from the given data and is the better approach when the available data is limited in quantity. We test the performance of these methods for both univariate and multivariate density estimation by sampling random datasets from known PDFs and then measuring the accuracy of the estimated PDFs, using the known PDF as a reference. Comparing the output mean and variance estimated with the empirical moments using the raw data sample as well as the actual moments using the known PDF, we show that the KMM method performs better than KDE and AKDE in predicting these moments with greater accuracy. This improvement in accuracy is also demonstrated for the case of UQ in electrostatic and electrothermomechanical microactuators. We show how our framework results in the accurate computation of statistics in micromechanical systems.

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

uncertainty quantification
stochastic collocation
density estimation
moment matching

reproducing kernel hilbert space (rkhs)
microelectromechanical systems (mems)


Constrained algorithmic IP design for system-on-chip In the system on chip design context, RTL design of complex digital signal processing coprocessors can be improved by using algorithmic description as input for the synthesis process. System integration, that is a major step in SoC design, requires taking into account communication and timing constraints to design and integrate dedicated hardware accelerator. In this paper, we propose a design flow based on formal models that allows high-level synthesis under input/output timing constraints of DSP algorithms. Based on a generic architecture, the presented method provides automatic generation of customized hardware components. We show the effectiveness of our approach in a case study of a maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm for turbo decoding.

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

ip design and integration
hardware optimization
real-time soc design
dsp applications


A semi-mechanistic model building framework based on selective and localized model extensions In the core of many process systems engineering tasks, like design, control, optimization and fault diagnosis, a mathematical model of the underlying plant plays a key role. Such models are so important that extensive studies are available, recommending different modeling techniques to be adopted for specific processes or goals. It is usual and practical to split modeling techniques under two main groups: mechanistic methods and empirical or statistical methods. Both paradigms have been adopted, but very few frameworks were developed to combine and integrate features from both of them. In this article we describe a framework for data-driven evolution of static mechanistic models with a selective inclusion of simple empirical terms. To illustrate its practical potential, our framework is applied to the identification of a non-ideal reactor and to the optimization of the Otto-Williams benchmark reactor. (c) 2006 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 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 B O O O O O O O O O O O O

semi-mechanistic model
hybrid model
modelling
parameter identification
simulation


Relativized worlds with an infinite hierarchy We introduce the "Book Trick" as a method for using results about random oracles to create relativized worlds with an infinite polynomial-time hierarchy. We use it to show, for example, a single relativized world where one can find satisfying assignments to satisfiable formulae with only nonadaptive queries to an NP oracle, and the counting class SPP strictly contains the polynomial-time hierarchy, and the polynomial-time hierarchy is infinite. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. 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 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

theory of computation
computational complexity
relativization
polynomial-time hierarchy
ronald book