Verification of ASM refinements using generalized forward simulation This paper describes a generic proof method for the correctness of refinements of Abstract State Machines based on commuting diagrams. The method generalizes forward simulations from the refinement of I/O automata by allowing arbitrary m: n diagrams, and by combining it with the refinement of data structures.

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

refinement
forward simulation
commuting diagrams
abstract state machines

data refinement
transition systems
i/o-automata
dynamic logic
correctness proofs
interactive theorem proving
compiler verification


automating knowledge capture in the aerospace domain We present an approach to automating knowledge extraction in the aerospace engineering domain which has had a fundamental impact on the way engineers manage their collective knowledge built with years of experience. Even though obtaining labelled data in this domain is hard due to the high cost of domain experts' time, the application of the machine learning-based technology was successful, yielding results comparable to the state-of-the-art. Moreover, we present a comparison between several machine learning approaches in extracting knowledge from reports about jet engines. We show that the application of a semi-supervised approach does not provide a significant increase in accuracy so as to justify its adoption due to its much higher computational cost, but that the application of a large-scale approach considerably reduces both training and testing time while keeping accuracy comparable to the standard supervised approach, making it a good choice for this class of application scenarios.

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

machine learning
knowledge capture
aerospace


Capturing expertise from experts: The need to match knowledge elicitation techniques with expert system types Expert systems still. constitute a growing segment of computer-based information systems. Much has been written about their usefulness (2, 41) as well as general guidelines given for their development (42). However, little has been written to address the crucial initial development stage of knowledge acquisition. For those considering developing an expert system for their own organizational needs, it is important to recognize the various knowledge elicitation techniques available to capture this knowledge, Failure to recognize 1) the existence of different types of human knowledge used in systems, 2) the ways this knowledge can be represented in the system, and 3) the knowledge elicitation techniques appropriate to elicit that knowledge, can result in what is known as "representational mismatch" in the system (19). This paper reviews the various types of expert systems in conjunction with the human knowledge categories they emulate, and provides a framework for matching these with knowledge elicitation techniques.

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

expert system
knowledge acquisition
knowledge elicitation


Estimating the Gowers Norm of Modulo Functions over Prime Fields We show a technique for estimating an upper bound of the Gowers norm of modulo functions over prime fields, which reduces the estimation to the greatest common divisor of some periodic sequences. This estimation provides inapproximability of the modulo functions by low-degree polynomials over prime fields, which is a generalization of Viola and Wigderson's result in the case of the binary field.

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


E-MiLi: Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening in Wireless Networks WiFi interface is known to be a primary energy consumer in mobile devices, and idle listening (IL) is the dominant source of energy consumption in WiFi. Most existing protocols, such as the 802.11 power-saving mode (PSM), attempt to reduce the time spent in IL by sleep scheduling. However, through an extensive analysis of real-world traffic, we found more than 60 percent of energy is consumed in IL, even with PSM enabled. To remedy this problem, we propose Energy-Minimizing idle Listening (E-MiLi) that reduces the power consumption in IL, given that the time spent in IL has already been optimized by sleep scheduling. Observing that radio power consumption decreases proportionally to its clock rate, E-MiLi adaptively downclocks the radio during IL, and reverts to full clock rate when an incoming packet is detected or a packet has to be transmitted. E-MiLi incorporates sampling rate invariant detection, ensuring accurate packet detection and address filtering even when the receiver's sampling clock rate is much lower than the signal bandwidth. Further, it employs an opportunistic downclocking mechanism to optimize the efficiency of switching clock rate, based on a simple interface to existing MAC-layer scheduling protocols. We have implemented E-MiLi on the USRP software radio platform. Our experimental evaluation shows that E-MiLi can detect packets with close to 100 percent accuracy even with downclocking by a factor of 16. When integrated with 802.11, E-MiLi can reduce energy consumption by around 44 percent for 92 percent of users in real-world wireless networks.

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

energy efficiency
csma wireless networks
adapting clock rate
dynamic frequency scaling


Inspection of free-form shaped parts Free-form surface inspection requires the measurement surface and the corresponding design model in a common coordinate system so that comparison between the two surfaces can be made. In practical engineering applications, the free-form shaped parts are sometimes assigned profile tolerance with or without the reference of design datum(s) based on consideration of assembly, functionality and other manufacturing requirements. This paper discusses the profile verification techniques for free-form surface inspection with and without datums. The inspection of free-from surfaces includes two major processes: (1) the localization of measurement data to design coordinate system based on the datum reference information or a number of extracted surface features; and (2) the further localization based on the surface characteristics so that the deviation of the measured surface from the design model is minimized. Implementation and tests of inspection samples have been carried out to verify the developed inspection techniques.

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

profile tolerance
datum
localization
inspection


oral messages improve visual search Input multimodality combining speech and hand gestures has motivated numerous usability studies. Contrastingly, issues relating to the design and ergonomic evaluation of multimodal output messages combining speech with visual modalities have not yet been addressed extensively.The experimental study presented here addresses one of these issues. Its aim is to assess the actual efficiency and usability of oral system messages including some brief spatial information for helping users to locate objects on crowded displays rapidly and without effort.Target presentation mode, scene spatial structure and task difficulty were chosen as independent variables. Two conditions were defined: the visual target presentation mode (VP condition) and the multimodal target presentation mode (MP condition). Each participant carried out two blocks of visual search tasks (120 tasks per block, and one block per condition). Scene target presentation mode, scene structure and task difficulty were found to be significant factors. Multimodal target presentation mode proved to be more efficient than visual target presentation. In addition, participants expressed very positive judgments on multimodal target presentations which were preferred to visual presentations by a majority of participants. Besides, the contribution of spatial messages to visual search speed and accuracy was influenced by scene spatial structure and task difficulty. First, messages improved search efficiency to a lesser extent for 2D array layouts than for some other symmetrical layouts, although the use of 2D arrays for displaying pictures is currently prevailing. Second, message usefulness increased with task difficulty. Most of these results are statistically significant.

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

usability study
speech and graphics
experimental evaluation
multimodal system messages
visual target spotting


Dynamic behavior of the robust decorrelation process In this short paper, we discuss the dynamic behavior of a decorrelation process. We analyze the global convergence and give the optimal robust step size for fast convergence. Simulation results corroborate our theoretical analysis.

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


Genetic Algorithm with adaptive elitist-population strategies for multimodal function optimization This paper introduces a new technique called adaptive elitist-population search method. This technique allows unimodal function optimization methods to be extended to efficiently explore multiple optima of multimodal problems. It is based on the concept of adaptively adjusting the population size according to the individuals dissimilarity and a novel direction dependent elitist genetic operators. Incorporation of the new multimodal technique in any known evolutionary algorithm leads to a multimodal version of the algorithm. As a case study, we have integrated the new technique into Genetic Algorithms (GAs), yielding an Adaptive Elitist-population based Genetic Algorithm (AEGA). AEGA has been shown to be very efficient and effective in finding multiple solutions of complicated benchmark and real-world multimodal optimization problems. We demonstrate this by applying it to a set of test problems, including rough and stepwise multimodal functions. Empirical results are also compared with other multimodal evolutionary algorithms from the literature, showing that AEGA generally outperforms existing approaches.

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

genetic algorithms
multimodal optimization


3D ActionSLAM: wearable person tracking in multi-floor environments We present 3D ActionSLAM, a stand-alone wearable system that can track people in previously unknown multi-floor environments with sub-room accuracy. ActionSLAM stands for action-based simultaneous localization and mapping: It fuses dead reckoning data from a foot-mounted inertial measurement unit with the recognition of location-related actions to build and update a local landmark map. Simultaneously, this map compensates for position drift errors that accumulate in open-loop tracking by means of a particle filter. To evaluate the system performance, we analyzed 23 tracks with a total walked distance of 6,489 m in buildings with up to three floors. The algorithm robustly (93% of runs converged) mapped the areas with a mean landmark positioning error of 0.59m. As ActionSLAM is fully stand-alone and not dependent on external infrastructure, it is well suited for patient tracking in remote health care applications. The algorithm is computationally light-weight and runs in real-time on a Samsung Galaxy S4, enabling immediate location-aware feedback. Finally, we propose visualization techniques to facilitate the interpretation of tracking data acquired with 3D ActionSLAM.

O O O O O O O O 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

indoor tracking
pedestrian dead reckoning
location-aware computing
wearable systems


Project scheduling problem with mixed uncertainty of randomness and fuzziness Project scheduling problem is to determine the schedule of allocating resources so as to balance the total cost and the completion time. This paper considers project scheduling problem with mixed uncertainty of randomness and fuzziness, where activity duration times are assumed to be random fuzzy variables. Three types of random fuzzy models as expected cost minimization model, (?,?)-cost minimization model and chance maximization model are built to meet different management requirements. Random fuzzy simulations for some uncertain functions are given and embedded into genetic algorithm to design a hybrid intelligent algorithm. Finally, some numerical experiments are given for the sake of illustration of the effectiveness of the algorithm.

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 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 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


Land suitability procedure for sustainable citrus planning using the application of the analytical network process approach and GIS The new framework that incorporates three-discipline criteria is presented. ANP and GIS are applied to assess land suitability procedure for citrus production. The critical factors to obtain the optimum citrus production are investigated. Altitude, minimum temperature and Rainfall, are the most significant factors.

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

analytic network process (anp)
geographic information system (gis)
environmental factor


Analytical solutions and criteria for the quantum discord of two-qubit X-states Except for a few special states, computing quantum discord remains a complicated optimization process. In this paper, we present analytical solutions for computing quantum discord of the most general class of \(X\)-states and the criteria for each analytical solution to be valid. We discuss parameter regions that correspond to different analytical solutions and explain the underlying reasons for such structure to exist. We apply our formalism to study both arbitrary \(X\)-states and \(X\)-states with certain symmetries. We find that our analytical formalism is in excellent agreement with numerical calculation of quantum discord in both cases.

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

quantum information
quantum correlations
x-states


Adaptive stickslip friction and backlash compensation using dynamic fuzzy logic system A dynamic fuzzy logic-based adaptive algorithm is proposed for reducing the effect of stickslip friction and for the compensation of backlash. The control scheme proposed is an online identification and indirect adaptive control, in which the control input is adjusted adaptively to compensate the effect of these non-linearities. A tuning algorithm for fuzzy logic parameters is used to ensure stable performance. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is verified on a one degree of freedom (1-DOF) mechanical mass system with stickslip friction and on a one-link robot manipulator with backlash.

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


Image fusionthe ARSIS concept and some successful implementation schemes This article aims at explaining the ARSIS concept. By fusing two sets of images A and B, one with a high spatial resolution, the other with a low spatial resolution and different spectral bands, the ARSIS concept permits to synthesise the dataset B at the resolution of A that is as close as possible to reality. It is based on the assumption that the missing information is linked to the high frequencies in the sets A and B. It searches a relationship between the high frequencies in the multispectral set B and the set A and models this relationship. The general problem for the synthesis is presented first. The general properties of the fused product are given. Then, the ARSIS concept is discussed. The general scheme for the implementation of a method belonging to this concept is presented. Then, this article intends to help practitioners and researchers to better understand this concept through practical details about implementations. Two Multiscale Models are described as well as two Inter-Band Structure Models (IBSM). They are applied to an Ikonos image as an illustration case. The fused products are assessed by means of a known protocol comprising a series of qualitative and quantitative tests. The products are found of satisfactory quality. This case illustrates the differences existing between the various models, their advantages and limits. Tracks for future improvements are discussed.

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

multiresolution analysis
multiscale analysis
image pyramid
wavelet
data fusion
remote sensing


Hash channels It is believed that in authentication protocols where no random numbers are involved, it is hard to introduce subliminal channels. In this paper we show that subliminal channels exist in digital signature schemes where no random numbers are used. The source where the subliminal channels exist is widely acceptable hash functions with their outputs being of some randomness. Because the subliminal channels are established by using hash functions, the subliminal channels are called hash channels in this paper. This indicates that there exist subliminal channels in any authentication protocols that use hash functions. (C) 2005 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 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


Neuronal Differentiation Is Accompanied by Increased Levels of SNAP-25 Protein in Fetal Rat Primary Cortical Neurons Alzheimer's disease (AD) is accompanied by progressive memory loss and decline in general cognitive abilities. Neuropathological hallmarks include amyloid plaque formation, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal and synaptic loss. To improve research models in AD, we have characterized several aspects of the primary rat neuronal cell culture model, which relate directly to the study of neuroexocytosis, neuronal plasticity, and amyloidosis. We have attempted to isolate and assess the neuronal enrichment of a primary cortical cell culture by morphological and molecular techniques, following progress of these cultured cells for up to 18 days in culture to identify the optimum timeframe for the manipulation and data collection in these cells. We observed maximum neuronal differentiation around day 15, which was in decline by day 18, thus, the critical window for manipulations in these cultures seems to be between days 1215. The substantial increase in neuritic length and density was apparent at very early time points and peaked at day 15. In parallel to morphological assessments, we measured levels of a group of selected neuronally important proteins, including cytoskeletal and synaptic proteins. Change in the levels of cell-associated APP and synaptophysin were not as dramatic as that of SNAP-25 or secreted APP. Notably, this increased differentiation is accompanied by a dramatic increase in levels of SNAP-25 protein, which peaked at day 15 and declined thereafter. These results suggest that this neuronal population contains quantifiable presynaptic terminals. Thus, the establishment and molecular characterization of this neuronal model would have many implications in neuroscience research including synaptic differentiation and neuronal plasticity and for the evaluation of pharmacological interventions in the disease process

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

neuronal differentiation
neuronal plasticity

exocytosis
neuronal culture
neurotransmission
synaptic vesicle
synaptosomal protein


Discrete element method - An effective way for particle scale research of particulate matter Discrete element method (DEM) has been extensively used in the laboratory of particulate and multiphase processing at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to study the fundamentals of particulate matter at a particle scale. This paper briefly reviews the work in the laboratory, which covers the development of simulation techniques and their application to the study of particle packing and flow, transport properties and constitutive relationships of typical static or dynamic particulate systems. It is concluded, through representative comparison between simulated and measured results under different conditions, that DEM, as a major technique for discrete particle simulation, is an effective method for particle scale research of particulate matter.

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


Terminology tools: State of the art and practical lessons Objectives: As controlled medical terminologies evolve from simple code-name-hierarchy arrangements, into rich, knowledge-based ontologies of medical concepts increased demands are placed on both the developers and users of the terminologies. In response, researchers have begun developing tools to address their needs. The aims of this article are to review previous work done to develop these tools and then to describe work done at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH). Methods: Researchers working with the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and NYPH's Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) have created a wide variety of terminology browsers, editors and servers to facilitate creation, maintenance and use of these terminologies. Results: Although much work has been done, no generally available tools have yet emerged. Consensus on requirement for tool functions, especially terminology servers is emerging. Tools at NYPH have been used successfully to support the integration of clinical applications and the merger of health care institutions. Conclusions: Significant advancement has occurred over the post fifteen years in the development of sophisticated controlled terminologies and the tools to support them. The tool set at NYPH provides a case study to demonstrate one feasible architecture.

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 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 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

vocabulary
semantics
hospital information systems


One-dimensional positioning of carbon nanocapsules and spontaneous formation of carbon nanotubes by self-organization of gold nanoparticles Gold nanoparticles and nanowires encapsulated in carbon nanocapsules and nanotubes were spontaneously formed from one-dimensional self-organized gold nanoparticles on carbon thin films by annealing at low temperatures of 200400C. The one-dimensional arrangement of gold nanoparticles was found to be strongly dependent on the adhesive force at the atomic step edges of amorphous carbon thin films. The gold crystals inside the nanotubes are distorted by the crystal growth of the nanowires. The present result is expected as a future fabrication technique for self-assembled ultra-large-scale-integration nanowires and cluster-protected quantum dots protected by nanocapsules and nanotubes at scales beyond the limits of current photolithography.

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

nanowire
self-organization
carbon nanotube
gold nanoparticle
carbon nanocapsule


a dynamic osgi-based data stream system Softwares for production systems are facing challenges due to rapidly changing requirements and huge amount of data from different sources. Data stream systems are utilized to process the large quantity of data using stored queries. Since the downtime needs to be avoided, the data processing system must not be restarted. Consequently, a major challenge is the modification of running queries during the operation. We developed a data stream processing middleware, that is capable of changing process in parallel with the runtime. The middleware applies a three step procedure to implement changes. The original elements are duplicated, modified and finally reintegrated into the running process. A special focus is on state preservation during the reintegration phase. We evaluated our method by implementing a prototype. It provides a testbed for our future research and investigations.

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

state preservation
data stream processing
middleware


Forwarding in a content-based network This paper presents an algorithm for content-based forwarding, an essential function in content-based networking. Unlike in traditional address-based unicast or multicast networks, where messages are given explicit destination addresses, the movement of messages through a content-based network is driven by predicates applied to the content of the messages. Forwarding in such a network amounts to evaluating the predicates stored in a router's forwarding table in order to decide to which neighbor routers the message should be sent. We are interested in finding a forwarding algorithm that can make this decision as quickly as possible in situations where there are numerous, complex predicates and high volumes of messages. We present such an algorithm and give the results of studies evaluating its performance.

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

content-based network
matching
overlay
publish/subscribe


Moving Object Detection Based on Clausius Entropy This paper proposes a novel image segmentation method based on Clausius entropy and adaptive Gaussian mixture model for detecting moving objects in a complex environment. The results suggest that the proposed method performs better than existing methods in extracting the foreground in various video sequences composed of multiple objects, lighting reflections, and background clutter.

B I I O O B I 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

moving object detection
clausius entropy

adaptive gaussian distribution
foreground extraction


An energy-efficient multi-layer MAC (ML-MAC) protocol for wireless sensor networks The efficient use of energy is an important performance target to prolong the lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). As the idle listening of sensor nodes result in primary energy waste, many typical MAC protocols are designed to save power by placing the radio in the low-power sleep mode. In this paper a new energy-efficient multi-layer MAC (ML-MAC) protocol is proposed for wireless sensor networks. It is designed with two main features: low duty cycle and low number of collisions. Sensor nodes in ML-MAC have a very short listening time which would reduce the energy required to communicate with other nodes. Also, the number of collisions in cases where two or more nodes try to send at the same time is minimized in ML-MAC. This saves the energy required to re-send the corrupted packets. Simulation results show much better performance of the energy consumption compared with the existing MAC protocols.

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

energy management
medium access control (mac)
wireless sensor networks (wsns)


The use of Markov operators to constructing generalised probabilities A new approach to constructing generalised probabilities is proposed. It is based on the models using lower and upper previsions, or equivalently, convex sets of probability measures. Our approach uses sets of Markov operators in the role of rules preserving desirability of gambles. The main motivation being the operators of conditional expectations which are usually assumed to reduce riskiness of gambles. Imprecise probability models are then obtained in the ways to be consistent with those desirability preserving rules. The consistency criteria are based on the existing interpretations of models using imprecise probabilities. The classical models based on lower and upper previsions are shown to be a special class of the generalised models. Further, we generalise some standard extension procedures, including the marginal extension and independent products, which can be defined independently of the existing procedures known for standard models. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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 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 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

imprecise probabilities
markov operators

lower previsions
stochastic operators
risk aversion
conditional expectation


optimizing hierarchical menus by genetic algorithm and simulated annealing Hierarchical menus are now ubiquitous. The performance of the menu depends on many factors: structure, layout, colors and so on. There has been extensive research on novel menus, but there has been little work on improving performance by optimizing the menu's structure. This paper proposes algorithms based on the genetic algorithm (GA) and the simulated annealing (SA) for optimizing the performance of menus. The algorithms aim to minimize the average selection time of menu items by considering the user's pointer movement and search/decision time. We will show the experimental results on a static hierarchical menu of a cellular phone as an example where a small screen and limited input device are assumed. We will also show performance comparison of the GA-based algorithm and the SA-based one by using wide varieties of usage patterns.

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

genetic algorithm
simulated annealing
hierarchical menu


A propensity score approach in the impact evaluation on scientific production in Brazilian biodiversity research: the BIOTA Program Evaluation has become a regular practice in the management of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) programs. Several methods have been developed to identify the results and impacts of programs of this kind. Most evaluations that adopt such an approach conclude that the interventions concerned, in this case ST&I programs, had a positive impact compared with the baseline, but do not control for any effects that might have improved the indicators even in the absence of intervention, such as improvements in the socio-economic context. The quasi-experimental approach therefore arises as an appropriate way to identify the real contributions of a given intervention. This paper describes and discusses the utilization of propensity score (PS) in quasi-experiments as a methodology to evaluate the impact on scientific production of research programs, presenting a case study of the BIOTA Program run by FAPESP, the State of So Paulo Research Foundation (Brazil). Fundamentals of quasi-experiments and causal inference are presented, stressing the need to control for biases due to lack of randomization, also a brief introduction to the PS estimation and weighting technique used to correct for observed bias. The application of the PS methodology is compared to the traditional multivariate analysis usually employed.

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

propensity score
impact evaluation
biota program


A pattern recognition model for predicting a financial crisis in Turkey: Turkish Economic Stability Index Using the pattern recognition paradigm, we have designed a scalar composite leading indicator that predicts a financial crisis in Turkey about six months in advance. Logistic regression was employed to distinguish between near-crisis months and safe months from January 1998 through October 2000, which is the last month before the most recent crisis in Turkey. Thus trained and once validated, the Turkish Economy Stability Index (TESI) was then successfully tested using independent data from the 1994 crisis. One of the two dimensionless attributes that we integrated into TESI, the capital adequacy ratio of banks, a precursor of banking crises, was selected from among seven precursors of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The other one, the ratio of international reserves to short term outstanding external debt, is itself a precursor of currency crises. Our method for designing TESI may easily be applied to other emerging markets provided that they have had at least one financial crisis in recent history.

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

pattern recognition
logistic regression
turkey
emerging markets
economic stability

financial crises
data mining
classification
south asia
advance warning
leading indicators


Transformations between Pictures from 2D to 3D This paper describes programs for 3-dimensional engraving. The programs use raster or vector images to create a 3D model and, subsequently, convert this model into a sequence of control commands for 3D engraving machines. Three programs have been developed. A program for engraving general 3D surfaces from grey-scale images, a program for preparing these grey-scale images from patterns and vector images, and a program for fast 2D engraving. A simple and fast preparation of the 3D model, a user-friendly environment, and small hardware requirements were the principal goals.

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 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 O O O O O O O O

raster graphics
vector graphics
tool correction
direct tool controlling
hp-gl


4D EMBRYOGENESIS IMAGE ANALYSIS USING PDE METHODS OF IMAGE PROCESSING In this paper, we introduce a set of methods for processing and analyzing long time series of 3D images representing embryo evolution. The images are obtained by in vivo scanning using a confocal microscope where one of the channels represents the cell nuclei and the other one the cell membranes. Our image processing chain consists of three steps: image filtering, object counting (center detection) and segmentation. The corresponding methods are based on numerical solution of nonlinear PDEs, namely the geodesic mean curvature flow model, flux-based level set center detection and generalized subjective surface equation. All three models have a similar character and therefore can be solved using a common approach. We explain in details our semi-implicit time discretization and finite volume space discretization. This part is concluded by a short description of parallelization of the algorithms. In the part devoted to experiments, we provide the experimental order of convergence of the numerical scheme, the validation of the methods and numerous experiments with the data representing an early developmental stage of a zebrafish embryo.

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

image processing
embryogenesis
image analysis
image filtering
object counting
segmentation

finite volume method
partial differential equation


Analyzing urbanization data using ruralurban interaction model and logistic growth model A method for identifying problems in the time series of population is proposed. The method is applied to the WUP and census data of the US, China, and India. The WUP data set is not satisfactory. The modal parameters can be changed widely without affecting the emergence of SOC.

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

urbanization curve
urbanization dynamics
urban population
self-organized criticality


embedding rivers in polyhedral terrains Data conflation is a major issue in GIS: spatial data obtained from different sources, using different acquisition techniques, needs to be combined into one single consistent data set before the data can be analyzed. The most common occurrence for hydrological applications is conflation of a digital elevation model and rivers. We assume that a polyhedral terrain is given, and a subset of its edges are designated as river edges, each with a flow direction. The goal is to obtain a terrain where the rivers flow along valley edges, in the specified direction, while preserving the original terrain as much as possible. We study the problem of changing the elevations of the vertices to ensure that all the river edges become valley edges, while minimizing the total elevation change. We show that this problem can be solved using linear programming. However, several types of artifacts can occur in an optimal solution. We analyze which other criteria, relevant for hydrological applications, can be captured by linear constraints as well, in order to reduce such artifacts. We implemented and tested the approach on real terrain and river data, and describe the results obtained with different variants of the algorithm. Moreover, we give a polynomial-time algorithm for river embedding for the special case where only the elevations of the river vertices can be modified.

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


Exploring High-Throughput Computing Paradigm for Global Routing With aggressive technology scaling, the complexity of the global routing problem is poised to grow rapidly. Solving such a large computational problem demands a high-throughput hardware platform such as modern graphics processing units (GPUs). In this paper, we explore a hybrid GPU-CPU high-throughput computing environment as a scalable alternative to the traditional CPU-based router. We introduce net-level concurrency (NLC), which is a novel parallel model for router algorithms and aims to exploit concurrency at the level of individual nets. To efficiently uncover NLC, we design a scheduler to create groups of nets that can be routed in parallel. At its core, our scheduler employs a novel algorithm to dynamically analyze data dependencies between multiple nets. We believe such an algorithm can lay the foundation for uncovering data-level parallelism in routing, which is a necessary requirement for employing high-throughput hardware. Detailed simulation results show an average of 4x speedup over NTHU-Route 2.0 with negligible loss in solution quality. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on utilizing GPUs for global routing.

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

graphics processing unit
high throughput computing


Organizing and Managing Personal Electronic Files: A Mechanical Engineer's Perspective This article deals with the organization and management of the computer files handled by mechanical engineers on their personal computers. In engineering organizations, a wide variety of electronic files (documents) are necessary to support both business processes and the activities of design and manufacture. Whilst a large number of files and hence information is formally archived, a significant amount of additional information and knowledge resides in electronic files on personal computers. The widespread use of these personal information stores means that all information is retained. However, its reuse is problematic for all but the individual as a result of the naming and organization of the files. To begin to address this issue, a study of the use and current practices for managing personal electronic files is described. The study considers the fundamental classes of files handled by engineers and analyses the organization of these files across the personal computers of 40 participants. The study involves a questionnaire and an electronic audit. The results of these qualitative and quantitative elements are used to elicit an understanding of the practices and requirements of engineers for managing personal electronic files. A potential scheme for naming and organizing personal electronic files is discussed as one possible way to satisfy these requirements. The aim of the scheme is to balance the personal nature of data storage with the need for personal records to be shared with others to support knowledge reuse in engineering organizations. Although this article is concerned with mechanical engineers, the issues dealt with are relevant to knowledge-based industries and, in particular, teams of knowledge workers.

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 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 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 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

file sharing and file recognition and recall


A dynamic and differential CMOS lookup table with data-independent power consumption for cryptographic a Attacks based on a differential power analysis (DPA) are a main threat when designing cryptographic functions for implementation on chip cards. In this paper, a dynamic and differential lookup table (LUT) is presented and evaluated on a case study simulation. The proposed circuit shows a power consumption independent from the input data and can be employed to implement combinatorial functions in cryptographic processors when a high resistance against tampering is required. A typical application is the design of nonlinear functions ( for example, substitution boxes) since protecting them with less expensive countermeasures ( for example, random masking) implies a significant overhead. In the adopted case study, a 1.02 percent spread in the power consumption has been obtained when parasitic capacitances are taken into account. Moreover, a comparison with a static complementary metal-oxide semiconductor implementation shows an acceptable overhead in terms of area and power consumption.

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

differential power analysis
dpa
chip cards

power analysis
differential logic
dual-rail logic
cryptography


Carnitine Deficiency Disorders in Children Abstract: Mitochondrial oxidation of long-chain fatty acids provides an important source of energy for the heart as well as for skeletal muscle during prolonged aerobic work and for hepatic ketogenesis during long-term fasting. The carnitine shuttle is responsible for transferring long-chain fatty acids across the barrier of the inner mitochondrial membrane to gain access to the enzymes of ?-oxidation. The shuttle consists of three enzymes (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, carnitine acylcarnitine translocase, carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 2) and a small, soluble molecule, carnitine, to transport fatty acids as their long-chain fatty acylcarnitine esters. Carnitine is provided in the diet (animal protein) and also synthesized at low rates from trimethyl-lysine residues generated during protein catabolism. Carnitine turnover rates (300-500 ?mol/day) are <1% of body stores; 98% of carnitine stores are intracellular (total carnitine levels are 40-50 ?M in plasma vs. 2-3 mM in tissue). Carnitine is removed by urinary excretion after reabsorption of 98% of the filtered load; the renal carnitine threshold determines plasma concentrations and total body carnitine stores. Because of its key role in fatty acid oxidation, there has long been interest in the possibility that carnitine might be of benefit in genetic or acquired disorders of energy production to improve fatty acid oxidation, to remove accumulated toxic fatty acyl-CoA metabolites, or to restore the balance between free and acyl-CoA. Two disorders have been described in children where the supply of carnitine becomes limiting for fatty acid oxidation: (1) A recessive defect of the muscle/kidney sodium-dependent, plasma membrane carnitine symporter, which presents in infancy with cardiomyopathy or hypoketotic hypoglycemia; treatment with oral carnitine is required for survival. (2) Chronic administration of pivalate-conjugated antibiotics in which excretion of pivaloyl-carnitine can lead to carnitine depletion; tissue levels may become low enough to limit fatty acid oxidation, although no cases of illness due to carnitine deficiency have been described. There is speculation that carnitine supplements might be beneficial in other settings (such as genetic acyl-CoA oxidation defectssecondary carnitine deficiency, chronic ischemia, hyperalimentation, nutritional carnitine deficiency), but efficacy has not been documented. The formation of abnormal acylcarnitines has been helpful in expanded newborn screening programs using tandem mass-spectrometry of blood spot acylcarnitine profiles to detect genetic fatty acid oxidation defects in neonates. Carnitine-deficient diets (vegetarian) do not have much effect on carnitine pools in adults. A modest 50% reduction in carnitine levels is associated with hyperalimentation in newborn infants, but is of doubtful significance. The above considerations indicate that carnitine does not become rate-limiting unless extremely low; testing the benefits of nutritional supplements may require invasive endurance studies of fasting ketogenesis or muscle and cardiovascular work.

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

carnitine
children
deficiency
fatty acids

acyl-coa disorder metabolism pivalate supplementation


Relationship between Malocclusion and Heart Rate Variability Indices in Young Adults A Pilot Study Objectives: Heart rate variability (HRV) has been used to assess sympathetic and parasympathetic modulation of heart rate. Chronic stress relates to reduced HRV. Malocclusion has effects on quality of life, which can lead to chronic stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that malocclusion, as chronic stress, may contribute to reduced HRV. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between malocclusion and HRV indices in healthy young adults. Methods: Thirty-seven non-smoking healthy subjects, aged 22 to 25 years, were examined. Malocclusion was defined by Angle classification. HRV indices included root mean square of successive differences, low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and ratio of LF to HE The effects of malocclusion on quality of life and mental health were assessed using self-reported questionnaires, the condition-specific Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index (CS-OIDP) and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL), respectively. Results: Significantly lower score of HF and higher heart rate (HR) level and CS-OIDR score were observed in subjects with malocclusion (n = 17) compared to those in the control subjects (n = 20) (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between HR and score of "anxiety" in HSCL (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The data showed an association between malocclusion and lower HRV. Based on our results, orthodontic treatment might contribute not only to improvement of oral esthetic and functional problems but also to improvement of stress and HRV indices.

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

malocclusion
heart rate variability
high frequency

oral health-related quality of life
young adult


Fusion of color, local spatial and global frequency information for face recognition This paper presents a novel face recognition method by means of fusing color, local spatial and global frequency information. Specifically, the proposed method fuses the multiple features derived from a hybrid color space, the Gabor image representation, the local binary patterns (LBP), and the discrete cosine transform (DCT) of the input image. The novelty of this paper is threefold. First, a hybrid color space, the RCrQ color space, is constructed by combining the R component image of the RGB color space and the chromatic component images, Cr and Q, of the YCbCr and YIQ color spaces, respectively. The RCrQ hybrid color space, whose component images possess complementary characteristics, enhances the discriminating power for face recognition. Second, three effective image encoding methods are proposed for the component images in the RCrQ hybrid color space to extract features: (i) a patch-based Gabor image representation for the R component image, (ii) a multi-resolution LBP feature fusion scheme for the Cr component image, and (iii) a component-based DCT multiple face encoding for the Q component image. Finally, at the decision level, the similarity matrices generated using the three component images in the RCrQ hybrid color space are fused using a weighted sum rule. Experiments on the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) version 2 Experiment 4 show that the proposed method improves face recognition performance significantly. In particular, the proposed method achieves the face verification rate (ROC III curve) of 92.43%, at the false accept rate of 0.1%, compared to the FRGC baseline performance of 11.86% face verification rate at the same false accept rate.

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

gabor image representation
the rcrq hybrid color space
the rgb color space

face recognition grand challenge (frgc)
local binary patterns (lbp)
the ycbcr color space
the yiq color space


Combining constructive and equational geometric constraint-solving techniques In the past few years, there has been a strong trend towards developing parametric, computer-aided design systems based on geometric constraint solving. An effective way to capture the design intent in these systems is to define relationships between geometric and technological variables. In general, geometric constraint solving including functional relationships requires a general approach and appropriate techniques to achieve the expected functional capabilities. This work reports on a hybrid method that combines two geometric constraint solving techniques: constructive and equational. The hybrid solver has the capability of managing functional relationships between dimension variables and variables representing conditions external to the geometric problem. The hybrid solver is described as a rewriting system and is shown to be correct.

O O 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 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 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

canonical forms
constructive techniques
equational techniques
rewriting systems


Study of Stability of an Erbium-doped Fiber Laser Asynchronous Modelocked at 10 GHz A We have presented a study of stabilization of an Erbium-doped fiber laser with modes coupled asynchronously operating at a rate of 10 GHz with pulses duration of subpicossegundos. We analyzed the effects of intracavitary dispersion and temperature on the stability of asynchronous coupling mechanism of the laser.

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


Random projection-based partial feature extraction for robust face recognition In this paper, a novel feature extraction method for robust face recognition (FR) is proposed. The proposed method combines a simple yet effective dimensionality increasing (DI) method with an information-preserving dimensionality reduction (DR) method. For the proposed DI method, we employ the rectangle filters which sum the pixel values within a randomized rectangle window on the face image to extract the feature. By convolving the face image with all possible rectangle filters having various locations and scales, the face image in the image space is projected to a very high-dimensional feature space where more discriminative information can be incorporated. In order to significantly reduce the computational complexity while preserving the most informative features, we adopt a random projection method based on the compressed sensing theory for DR. Unlike the traditional holistic-based feature extraction methods requiring the time-consuming data-dependent training procedure, the proposed method has the partial-based and data-independent properties. Extensive experimental results on representative FR databases show that, as compared with conventional feature extraction methods, our proposed method not only achieves the higher recognition accuracy but also shows better robustness to corruption, occlusion, and disguise.

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

face recognition
feature extraction
robustness
random projection
compressed sensing


Dendritic Cell-Based Vaccines for Pancreatic Cancer and Melanoma Based on leads from our recent animal studies, we are embarking on a series of new clinical trials to evaluate potential improvements in dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines for melanoma and pancreatic cancer. The first new strategy involves the use of a powerful chemokine (denoted secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine; SLC/CCL-21), which can both create functioning lymph node-like structures at sites of vaccination with tumor-loaded DCs and dramatically enhance vaccine efficacy in animal tumor models. Using this strategy, we are embarking on a clinical trial in melanoma patients with the intent to create functioning, ectopic, lymph node-like structures to enhance host antitumor immunity. The second strategy, in the setting of pancreatic cancer, involves a gene therapy and immunotherapy combination of a locally administered tumor necrosis factor-? gene vector followed by radiation (to induce tumor apoptosis/necrosis) and intratumorally administered monocyte-derived DCs (to uptake and present antigens from dying tumor cells to elicit potent, systemic, antitumor immunity).

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

vaccines
immunotherapy
melanoma
pancreatic cancer


Scalable Lumped Modeling of Single-Ended and Differential Inductors for RF IC Design A lumped scalable model of silicon integrated inductors for RF IC design is presented. It was validated up to 20 GHz using measured performance parameters of more than 70 single-ended and differentially driven spirals covering 0.2- to 8.3 nH inductance values. Excellent accuracy, full geometrical scalability, compactness and high capability for implementation in circuit simulators promote the proposed model as a reliable time-saving design tool. Two circuital example, i.e., 5-GHz down-converter and 10-GHz VCO, are also presented to demonstrate its use in practical cases. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals. Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 19: 110-119. 2009.

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

compact modeling
down-converter
rf design
silicon-based technology
spiral inductors and transformers
voltage-controlled oscillator


Optimization of process plant layout with pipe routing An optimization approach for the design of chemical plant geometric layout is presented. The task is decomposed into a sequence of subproblems that are solved using mixed integer linear programming models. The 3D layout problem with noninterference constraints is computationally difficult, and simultaneous treatment for placement of equipment and routing of pipes for the number of components comprising a typical plant is as yet impractical. In the approach presented, the optimization of the layout is computed first, and then is followed by the piping layout and routing. The models allow incorporation of practical design constraints. An example is presented that show the resulting design appear both reasonable and near-optimal. Different techniques are studied in order to do an automatic routing of a process plant layout. The procedure is based on a (partially arbitrary) selection of node positions where pipes can be routed, respecting restrictions of safety and minimum distances from components. These nodes are connected by arcs that avoid the physical space of components. The graph defined by the nodes and arcs are used to find the minimum cost for the pipes. Two methods may be used: a mixed integer linear program for the global minimization of the cost of all pipes, or a shortest path algorithm for the minimization of the cost of each pipe individually. The MILP approach can include capacity constraints, but it can be applied only for small problems. The shortest path approach is better for larger problems and can include pipes with branches and stress analysis. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

B O B I I 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 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 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

process plant layout
pipe routing
optimization


Electrical characterizations of preamorphized junctions under LF magnetic field The increased requirements for reduction of electronic system dimensions, essentially in embedded equipment such as automotive and avionics, lead to juxtapose high power modules and low level modules on the same printed circuit. This juxtaposition induces electromagnetic perturbations that can disturb or damage the operation of the system. In order to study thoroughly these phenomena, a low frequency (LF) magnetic field was applied to shallow P+N junctions obtained by the preamorphization technique, at two temperatures: ambient and nitrogen temperature. Electrical characterizations were performed on the different samples. The results show that the impact of the LF magnetic field is essentially observed in the generation-recombination region of the junction. Moreover, it appears that crystalline sample presents a good immunity to the LF magnetic field perturbation at high temperature. On the other hand, the preamorphization temperature influences the response of the sample. So, a good control of the technological parameters will permit to reduce or cancel the effect of the magnetic perturbations on the electronic components since conception.

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


Significance of MTD and other descriptors in lipophilicity models for chlorinated aromatic compounds The lipophilicity of chlorinated benzenes and 20 biphenyls has been modeled using the minimum topological difference method and MTD indices. The MTD descriptor has been optimized on its own or together with n(CI) (number of chlorine atoms per molecule), 2D- and 3D-descriptors such as van der Waals surface area and volume, solvent accessible surface area and solvent-accessible surface-bounded molecular volume, and the inter-planar angle of the substituted biphenyls. In lipophilicity models of chlorinated aromatic compounds the majority of descriptors, including MTD, contain essentially the information of n(CI). MTD is a good lipophilicity descriptor of chlorinated aromatic compounds either alone or in association with other descriptors. For chlorobenzenes it gives r=0.998, s=0.069, F=2281, and for the set of chlorinated biphenyls r=0.974, s=0.255, F=338, a better result than gives the n(CL) descriptor (r = 0.967). The significance of MTD descriptor in different models is discussed. Beside n(CI), the MTD index encodes ortho and para effects.

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

lipophilicity
chlorinated aromatic compounds
mtd


Design of filter to reject motion artifact of pulse oximetry The performance of the pulse oximeter, an instrument which non-invasively measures oxygen saturation in blood, is influenced by a patient's respiration or movement. Generally, the frequency band of the motion artifact signal generated from the patient's movement is overlapped with that of the patient's pulse wave which is measured by the received light sensor. Accordingly, it is difficult to filter the motion artifact of the pulse wave by using a filter which has a cut-off frequency that is fixed. In this study, the motion artifact is removed using the filter bank and the matched filter. Compared with traditional adaptive filter methods, the ratio variation is 50% lower than that of the moving average filter, allowing more stable measurement of oxygen saturation despite the patient's movement.

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 B I O O O O

biomedical signal processing
motion artifact filter


Dual Contouring for domains with topology ambiguity This paper describes an automatic and robust approach to generate quality triangular and tetrahedral meshes for complicated domains with topology ambiguity. In previous works, we developed an octree-based Dual Contouring (DC) method to construct surface and volumetric meshes for complicated domains. However, topology ambiguity exists and causes non-conformal meshes. In this study, we discuss all possible topology configurations and develop an extension of DC which guarantees the correct topology. We first generate one base mesh with the previous DC method. Then we analyze all the octree leaf cells and categorize them into 31 topology groups. In order to discriminate these cells, we compute the values of their face and body saddle points based on a tri-linear representation inside the cells. Knowing the correct categorization, we are able to modify the base mesh and introduce more minimizer points within the same cell. With these minimizer points we update the mesh connectivities to preserve the correct topology. This method is further extended to 3D tetrahedral mesh generation via an advancing front technique. Finally we use a Laplacian smoothing technique to improve the mesh quality; for tetrahedral mesh a combination of edge-contraction, smoothing and optimization is also applied. Our main contribution is the topology categorization and mesh modification. We have applied our algorithm to three complicated domains and obtained good results.

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

dual contouring
topology ambiguity
tetrahedral mesh
saddle points

triangular mesh
tri-linear representation


A solution algorithm for the fluid dynamic equations based on a stochastic model for molecular motion In this paper, a stochastic model is presented to simulate the flow of gases, which are not in thermodynamic equilibrium, like in rarefied or micro situations. For the interaction of a particle with others, statistical moments of the local ensemble have to be evaluated, but unlike in molecular dynamics simulations or DSMC, no collisions between computational particles are considered. In addition, a novel integration technique allows for time steps independent of the stochastic time scale. The stochastic model represents a FokkerPlanck equation in the kinetic description, which can be viewed as an approximation to the Boltzmann equation. This allows for a rigorous investigation of the relation between the new model and classical fluid and kinetic equations. The fluid dynamic equations of NavierStokes and Fourier are fully recovered for small relaxation times, while for larger values the new model extents into the kinetic regime. Numerical studies demonstrate that the stochastic model is consistent with NavierStokes in that limit, but also that the results become significantly different, if the conditions for equilibrium are invalid. The application to the Knudsen paradox demonstrates the correctness and relevance of this development, and comparisons with existing kinetic equations and standard solution algorithms reveal its advantages. Moreover, results of a test case with geometrically complex boundaries are presented.

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

kinetic gas theory
boltzman equation
pdf methods
monte-carlo method
stochastic differential equations


On the Condition of epsilon-Transmissible Joint Source-Channel Coding for General Sources and General Channels The joint source-channel coding problem is considered. The joint source-channel coding theorem reveals the existence of a code for the pair of the source and the channel under the condition that the error probability is smaller than or equal to epsilon asymptotically. The separation theorem guarantees that we can achieve the optimal coding performance by using the two-stage coding. In the case that epsilon = 0, Han showed the joint source-channel coding theorem and the separation theorem for general sources and channels. Furthermore the epsilon-coding theorem (0 <= epsilon < 1) in the similar setting was studied. However, the separation theorem was not revealed since it is difficult in general. So we consider the separation theorem in this setting.

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


The effect of packet dispersion on voice applications in IP networks Delivery of real time streaming applications, such as voice and video over IP, in packet switched networks is based on dividing the stream into packets and shipping each of the packets on an individual basis to the destination through the network. The basic implicit assumption on these applications is that shipping all the packets of an application is done, most of the time, over a single path along the network. In this work, we present a model in which packets of a certain session are dispersed over multiple paths, in contrast to the traditional approach. The dispersion may be performed by network nodes for various reasons such as load-balancing, or implemented as a mechanism to improve quality, as will be presented in this work. To study the effect of packet dispersion on the quality of voice over IP (VoIP) applications, we focus on the effect of the network loss on the applications, where we propose to use the Noticeable Loss Rate (NLR) as a measure (negatively) correlated with the voice quality. We analyze the NLR for various packet dispersion strategies over paths experiencing memoryless (Bernoulli) or bursty (Gilbert model) losses, and compare them to each other. Our analysis reveals that in many situations the use of packet dispersion reduces the NLR and thus improves session quality. The results suggest that the use of packet dispersion can be quite beneficial for these applications.

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 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 I 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 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

bursty losses
stochastic processes
voice over ip quality


Use of finite element structural models in analyzing machine tool chatter It is widely accepted and well-documented that regenerative machine tool chatter is due to system instability. It is also well-known that machining system stability depends on both structural parameters and cutting process parameters. This paper focuses on the use of structural finite element (FE) models in the stability analysis of turning operations. The method presented allows for inclusion of both cutting tool and workpiece flexibility in the analysis. A structural model representing the machine tool system is created using the commercial FE code, ANSYS. This structural model can include practically any degree of detail desired. The structural model is then imported into a stand-alone FORTRAN program, which incorporates a cutting process model, and calculates the lobed borderline of stability. Numerical examples are provided.

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


Progress in transcription of Broadcast News using Byblos ? In this paper, we describe our progress during the last four years (19951999) in automatic transcription of broadcast news from radio and television using the BBN Byblos speech recognition system. Overall, we achieved steady progress as reflected through the results of the last four DARPA Hub-4 evaluations, with word error rates of 42.7%, 31.8%, 20.4% and 14.7% in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. This progress can be attributed to improvements in acoustic modeling, channel and speaker adaptation, and search algorithms, as well as dealing with specific characteristics of the real-life variable speech found in broadcast news. Besides improving recognition accuracy, we also succeeded in developing several algorithms to achieve close-to-real-time recognition speed without a significant sacrifice in recognition accuracy.

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

speech recognition
acoustic modeling
adaptation
search algorithms

broadcast news transcription
hidden markov models
single-tree fast-match
fast gaussian computation
grammar spreading


The Use of Genetic SNPs as New Diagnostic Markers in Preventive Medicine Using an automated mass spectrometric genotyping platform, we have completed more than ten whole-genome SNP scans on phenotypically stratified population pools. The pools are usually constructed to represent one ethnicity, one gender, and one phenotype, classified as strictly as possible. From 28,000 to 91,000 different SNPs are used for each study, and the pools typically contain DNA from 300 different individuals. Significant correlations between SNP allele and phenotype are first reproduced in the pools, then replicated on individual DNA samples (deconvolution of the pools), and then where possible replicated in completely independent populations.

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

human disease genes
schizophrenia
breast cancer
cardiovascular disease
new genetic medicine


Automatic adaptive generation of a coupled finite element/element-free Galerkin discretization In this paper, we present the concept and the implementation issues for an adaptive coupling of the finite element- and the element-free Galerkin discretization. The present algorithm implemented within flexible data structure facilitates the automatic inclusion of meshfree zones and establishes the coupling between the zones with interface elements. The idea is to minimize the expense for a simulation based on a coupled discretization. Two examples at the end of this paper demonstrate the efficiency of the concept.

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

finite element method (fem)
element-free galerkin method (efgm)


Survivability in hierarchical telecommunications networks The survivable hierarchical telecommunications network design problem consists of locating concentrators, assigning user nodes to concentrators, and linking concentrators in a reliable backbone network. In this article, we study this problem when the backbone is 2-edge connected and when user nodes are linked to concentrators by a point-to-point access network. We formulate this problem as an integer linear program and present a facial study of the associated polytope. We describe valid inequalities and give sufficient conditions for these inequalities to be facet defining. We investigate the computational complexity of the corresponding separation problems. We propose some reduction operations to speed up the separation procedures. Finally, we devise a branch-and-cut algorithm based on these results and present the outcome of a computational study. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 59(1), 37-58 2012

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

hierarchical network
branch-and-cut
reduction operation


Conceptual modelling: an essential pillar for quality software development After many years of stressing the importance of the product and the process in software development, emphasis has now switched to the role played by the person. This paper, however, underlines the importance of understanding and modelling the problem, as this is a necessary, and often sufficient, condition for developing good quality software. Firstly, a formal definition is given of what the problem is and how it can be classified. In view of the confusion in the field of software development, where the word model is used very vaguely, an explanation is given of what modelling means, and a generally applicable form of modelling is briefly discussed. Finally, conceptualisation is defined, first declaratively and then procedurally, and a method of building conceptual models is presented which particularly stresses the information map as a visual overview of the entire process.

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


The relationship between ISO/IEC 15504 process capability levels, ISO 9001 certification and organization size: An empirical study The gradual spread in the use of ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 15504 (also known as software process improvement and capability determination (SPICE)) has raised questions such as At what ISO/IEC 15504 capability level would one expect an ISO 9001 certified organization's processes to be? and Is there any significant difference between the ISO/IEC 15504 capability levels achieved by the processes of ISO 9001 certified organizations and those of non ISO 9001 certified organizations?. This paper provides answers to those questions as well as to the following question Is there any significant difference in the capability levels achieved by the ISO/IEC 15504 processes of organizations with a large information technology (IT) staff and those with a small IT staff? In order to answer these questions, we analyzed a data set including 691 process instances (PIs) taken from 70 SPICE phase 2 trial assessments performed over the two years from September 1996 to June 1998. Results show that the ISO/IEC 15504 processes of the ISO 9001 certified organizations attained capability levels of around 12.3 in 15504 terms. Results also show differences between the capability levels achieved by ISO 9001 certified organizations and non ISO 9001 certified organizations, as well as between organizations with a large IT staff and those with a small IT staff.

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 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

bootstrap
confidence interval
permutation test
spice assessments


Reasoning about ER models in a deductive environment In this paper we present an approach to represent schema information, application data and integrity constraints as a logic program in form of Datalog. The schema information is supplied as an enhanced entity relationship (EER) model which is transformed by a one-to-one mapping into a set of ground facts. The application data corresponding to the schema is also represented by ground facts in a single table. In order to check whether the application data conforms to the given schema, generic functional and inclusion dependencies are introduced, which can be mapped into concrete dependencies using the schema information. The concrete dependencies are used for checking the consistency between application data and the schema. The formulation of the constraints based on functional and inclusion dependencies led to a small extension of the EER model by allowing identifying attributes in relationship types. This extension leads to both simpler constraints and simpler EER application models. Furthermore, we provide a meta EER model which can be used to check whether the application EER model is a structural valid EER model. Any application EER diagram is an instance of the meta EER diagram which can be specified using the proposed application data representation. The same integrity rules can be used to check the conformance between the application data and the application EER diagram, the meta EER diagram and the application EER diagram, and finally it can be used to check the meta EER model itself.

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

conceptual modeling
logic programming
expert systems
prototyping
syllog syllog


Handling expiration of multigranular temporal objects A well-known problem of temporal databases is that the amount of stored data tends to increase very fast. Moreover, detailed data are useful when they are acquired but they often become less relevant after some time. In most cases, after a period of time only summarized data need to be kept, whereas detailed data expire and can be removed from the database. Multigranular temporal databases enhance the expressive power of temporal databases by supporting temporal attributes at different levels of detail. However, in existing approaches the level of detail of an attribute, that is its granularity, depends only on the attribute semantics and does not depend on how recent the attribute values are. This paper proposes an approach supporting the aggregation of different portions of the value of a temporal attribute at different levels of detail, and the deletion or the transfer to tertiary storage of old values at a given level of detail, in order to minimize disk storage occupancy. In the proposed multigranular temporal object-oriented data model, the expiration of attribute values at a given granularity can be specified, together with the action to take when data expire: either aggregation to a coarser granularity, or deletion of values, or both.

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 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

multiple granularities
granularity evolution
deletion of temporal values
expiration of dynamic attributes


The dual code of some Reed-Muller type codes The dual code of some Reed-Muller type codes arising from the Veronese variety and Complete Intersections is determined. An example is given to illustrate the main result.

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

reed-muller type codes
dual codes
complete intersection


Fault diagnosis using rough sets theory The fault diagnosis on diesel engine is a difficult problem due to the complex structure of the engine and the presence of multi-excite sources. Usually, one method of fault diagnosis can only inspect one corresponding fault category. In this paper, a new method, Rough Sets Theory, is used to diagnose the valve fault for a multi-cylinder diesel engine. Through the analysis of the final reducts generated using Rough Sets Theory, it is shown that this new method is effective for valve fault diagnosis. Rough Sets analysis requires discretizing the fault condition attributes. However, in practice, some of the limits of these attributes are unknown. A new discretization method has been created and the method is found to be suitable for discretizing the attributes without a priori knowledge. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

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

fault diagnosis
rough sets theory
discretization


Learning rates of support vector machine classifier for density level detection ? In this paper, we consider the learning rates of support vector machines (SVMs) classifier for density level detection (DLD) problem. Using an established classification framework, we get error decomposition which consists of regularization error and sample error. Based on the decomposition, we obtain learning rates of SVMs classifier for DLD under some assumptions.

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

learning rates
support vector machines
density level detection


Solving the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem using the parallel Tabu Search designed for the CUDA platform The parallel Tabu Search for the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. To accelerate the algorithm the CUDA optimized version was implemented. A new resources evaluation algorithm was proposed. Promising results in terms of performance and quality of solutions.

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

resource constrained project scheduling problem


Managing complexity in massively parallel, adaptive, multiphysics applications A new generation of scientific and engineering applications are being developed to support multiple coupled physics, adaptive meshes, and scaling in massively parallel environments. The capabilities required to support multiphysics, adaptivity, and massively parallel execution are individually complex and are especially challenging to integrate within a single application. Sandia National Laboratories has managed this challenge by consolidating these complex physics-independent capabilities into the Sierra Framework which is shared among a diverse set of application codes. The success of the Sierra Framework has been predicated on managing the integration of complex capabilities through a conceptual model based upon formal mathematical abstractions. Set theory is used to express and analyze the data structures, operations, and interactions of these complex capabilities. This mathematically based, conceptual modeling approach to managing complexity is not specific to the Sierra Frameworkit is generally applicable to any scientific and engineering application framework.

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Tort-Deco: A "turtle geometry"-based package for drawing periodic designs We have developed a package called Tort-Deco. The aim of this project was to construct a package for drawing periodic tilings by computer and an AI aid for wallpaper group and minimal generator regions recognition. The three topics covered are cyclic and dihedral groups, friezes, and wallpaper groups. There are several packages allowing users to apply movements to a subset of the plane. Some of them are specifically designed to draw periodic designs (RepTyles, Tesselmania!, Kali...). However, we know of no exhaustive approach based upon the use of "Turtle Graphics". This approach evolved from [1] (where the motifs were fixed) and makes it possible to describe and store the periodic designs in an extremely short form. Moreover, the strong hierarchy of the consecutive steps in our approach makes the change of group clear. Finally, the classification expert system for wallpaper groups included is a novelty. It is well known that wallpaper group and minimal generator regions recognition is an algorithmic problem. Nevertheless, we have found that our students and nonmathematicians (like geologists) have serious difficulties in using these algorithms. Therefore, we decided to construct an Al aid to guide users in their search tin a similar way to expert systems designed to repair car and locomotive breakdowns). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

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cyclic and dihedric groups
frieze groups
simulation


Identifying representative crop rotation patterns and grassland loss in the US Western Corn Belt Developed algorithm to select representative crop rotations using multi-year CDLs. Algorithm produces acreage estimates comparable to CDL and agricultural census data. Pronounced shifts from grassland to monoculture row crops detected in US Midwest.

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cropland data layer
recruit algorithm
prairie pothole region