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TALN research group at LS2N lab 14

3sLrCaa

A hybrid GRASP heuristic to construct effective drawings of proportional symbol maps

Proportional symbol map is a cartographic tool that employs symbols to represent data associated with specific locations. Each symbol is drawn at the location of an event and its size is proportional to the numerical data collected at that point on the map. The symbols considered here are opaque disks. When two or more disks overlap, part of their boundaries may not be visible and it might be difficult to gauge their size. Therefore, the order in which the disks are drawn affects the visual quality of a map. In this work, we focus on stacking drawings, i.e., a drawing that corresponds to the disks being stacked up, in sequence, starting from the one at the bottom of the stack. We address the Max-Total problem, which consists in maximizing the total visible boundary of all disks. We propose a sophisticated heuristic based on GRASP that includes most of the advanced techniques described in the literature for this procedure. We tested both sequential and parallel implementations on benchmark instances and the comparison against optimal solutions confirms the high quality of our heuristic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a metaheuristic is applied to this problem.

3GjFT7A

Novel research on main-lobe jamming polarization suppression technology

A novel main-lobe blanketing interference suppression method which named as spatial virtual multiple channel concurrent polarization filter technology is proposed. It processes sample data using the slow varied polarization property of a scanning antenna. The orthogonal polarized signal and polarization states of the receiving signal can be obtained. The optimal polarization is then calculated for use in polarization filtering to achieve the objective of suppressing noise jamming. The effect of elevation measurement error on interference suppression performance is eliminated by concurrent processing. Theoretical and simulation results show that, this technology enabled self-polarization information processing for single polarized radar which improved its working performance.

4:dhor2

Study on effective condition number for collocation methods

In this paper, the stability study is further made for three kinds of collocation methods. (I) The general collocation Trefftz methods (GCTMs) using piecewise particular solutions, while in Li et al. [Stability analysis for the penalty plus hybrid and the direct Trefftz methods for singularity problems. Eng Anal Boundary Elem 2004;31:16375] the collocation Trefftz methods (CTMs) using the uniform particular solutions in the entire domain. (II) The method of fundamental solutions (MFSs), i.e., the CTM using the fundamental solution (FS). (III) The collocation method using the radial basis functions (CM-RBFs). In this paper, the new bounds of the traditional condition number Cond and the effective condition number Cond_eff are derived, and comparisons are made to confirm that the effective condition number is a better criterion for stability analysis. The main results are as follows. (1) For Motz's problem by GCTM, Cond_eff=O(N) Cond _ eff = O ( N ) and Cond = O ( a - N ) ( 0 < a < 1 ) are obtained by a suitable scaling, where N is the number of admissible functions used. (2) For MFS and CM-RBF, both Cond and Cond_eff are exponential with respect to N, but Cond_eff is much smaller than Cond. (3) For MFS and CM-RBF, the expansion coefficients of FS and radial basis functions may be oscillatingly large, to cause a severe subtraction cancellation in the final solutions. Different behaviours of Cond_eff compared to Cond are explored for different collocation methods in this paper, to provide a comprehensive and intrinsic nature of Cond_eff.

4y9ePa4

analysis of rfid anti-collision algorithms using smart antennas

Recently, the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has gained significant attention. One of the important performance issues in RFID systems is to resolve the collision among responses from RFID tags from the viewpoint of wireless media access control. We consider two kinds of smart antenna systems to enhance the RFID tag reading rate, namely the adaptive array antenna and the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna. We consider passive tags that are operating without battery. We evaluate how much performance can be improved by employing smart antennas in the cases of the binary tree splitting algorithm and the Slotted-Aloha algorithm.

Jv2kqFN

Innovative influence

Purpose - To describe experience of introducing contemporary West management methods in Russian University's management courses and in practice of West-Siberian rail road management. Design/methodology/approach - This paper analyzes an experience of innovative influence of a Human Resource Development Center within the Institute of Prospective Transport Technologies and Training of Human Resources, Siberian State University of Transport (Novosibirsk, Russia). Emphasizes the mechanism of innovative influence in time of transitions on the management of organizations through the education of managers. Findings - Provides information about process of transformation on the micro-level. Most of the work on transitions has been based on macro-approach. An organization enables closer contact among people. Example of the applicability the methods available in the West to the situation in Russia. Provides information about how do "mentalities" change. Research limitations/implications - It is not a general approach to make innovative influence. Practical implications - A useful example of using technology of participation for making changes in organization with complicated cultural environment. Originality/value - This paper helps to understand the problems (obstacles) people have in transitional countries and offers practical help on the process of changes.

4U:PbLy

A multidimensional performance model for consolidating Balanced Scorecards

A Balanced Scorecard (BSC) presents the quantitative goals selected from multiple perspectives for implementing the organizational strategy and vision. However, in most current BSC frameworks, including those developed for the Information and Communication Technology field, each perspective is handled separately. None of these perspectives is integrated automatically into a consolidated view, and so these frameworks do not tackle, either in relative or in absolute terms, the contribution of each goal to the whole BSC. Here, this issue is highlighted, candidate consolidation techniques are reviewed and the preferred technique, the QEST model, is selected; more specifically, three options are presented for incorporating the QEST model into a BSC framework.

ya&N3WQ

Exploring GABAergic and dopaminergic effects in a minimal model of a medium spiny projection neuron

Striatum is the input stage of the basal ganglia, a collection of nuclei in the midbrain. The basal ganglia are involved in cognitive and motor behaviour, including reward-dependent learning. The reward system in the brain is heavily linked to the dopaminergic system, and many striatal neurons react in a reward-dependent manner. This study explores a minimal model of a striatal medium spiny (MS) projection neuron displaying dopamine-induced bistability. MS neurons mostly fluctuate between two states, a hyperpolarised down-state and a depolarised up-state. MS neurons are only active in the up-state and therefore spiking requires the transition from the down-state. For high dopamine levels in the model, the appearance of a bifurcation results in more distinct state transitions. GABAergic input from local fast-spiking interneurons to MS neurons results in a small depolarisation, but far from causing a transition to the up-state by itself. We investigate if a GABAergic PSP could facilitate the transition to the up-state elicited by glutamatergic input. The model predicts that GABAergic input to MS neurons might facilitate and speed up the transition to the up-state. The prerequisite for this is that the GABAergic enhancement starts slightly before the glutamatergic increase which causes the up-state transition.

1iLTFGs

On minimally rainbow k k -connected graphs

An edge-coloured graph G G is rainbow connected if any two vertices are connected by a path whose edges have distinct colours. A graph G G is called rainbow k k -connected if there is an edge colouring of G G with k k colours such that G G is rainbow connected. In this paper we will study rainbow k k -connected graphs with a minimum number of edges. For an integer n?3 n ? 3 and 1?k?n?1 1 ? k ? n ? 1 let t(n,k) t ( n , k ) denote the minimum size of a rainbow k k -connected graph G G of order n n . We will compute exact values and upper bounds for t(n,k) t ( n , k ) .

1o9Ah-j

Implementing LyeeCalculus in Java

The Lyee methodology allows the development of a software by simply defining its requirements. More precisely, a developer has only to provide words, calculation formulae, calculation conditions and layout of screens and printouts, and then leaves in the hands of the computer, all subsequent troublesome programming process, i.e. control logic aspects. The formalization of Lyee methodology led to the definition of LyeeCalculus, a formal process algebra, that easily and naturally supports the basic concepts of the Lyee methodology. In fact, this calculus can be seen as an abstract machine, which is more suitable to support the Lyee methodology concepts than the Von Newman one. This machine considers a program as a set of molecules that interact together to produce the desired result. Basically, the LyeeCalculus allows a high level specification of sequential, parallel and alternative processes that synchronized through communicating channels. This paper provides an implementation of the constructs of the LyeeCalculus in Java language in order to concretely show the efficiency of this calculus and its suitability for the Lyee methodology. Moreover, this implementation aims to give to programmers an environment that allows them to automatically generate applications from formal descriptions in LyeeCalculus. In other words, this Java implementation of the LyeeCalculus provides a means of bridging the gap between Lyee requirement specifications and their implementations.

1u6r2-m

Strong fiber Bragg grating based asymmetric FabryPerot sensor system with multiple reflections for high sensitivity enhancement

Optimized parameters of the sensitivity enhancement system. The system is lighted by our ultra-narrow line width erbium-doped fiber ring laser. The system has finer noise floor. The sensitivity of the system can be improved about 19 dB(nine times) in the bandwidth of 808000Hz.

4LTqvvK

Enhancing the core scientific metadata model to incorporate derived data ?

Much of the value in scientific data is provided not only in the raw data but through the analysis of that data to derive published results. A study of the data analysis process for structural science has shown that various data sets derived from the raw data are of use to scientists and should be stored with the raw data. The Core Scientific MetaData model (CSMD) is used by a number of large scientific facilities to catalogue scientific data. The current version provides support to experimental scientists to access their raw data, facility managers for accounting for facility usage and other scientists who wish to re-use raw experimental data. In this paper, extensions to the CSMD are presented to describe the analysis process so that the provenance of the derived data can be captured. A pilot implementation incorporating derived data through this extended CSMD model has been trialled with experimental scientists. Remaining challenges to the adoption of CSMD and the tools it supports are considered.

-a:mvXk

Multilevel optimization of composite panels under complex load and boundary conditions

Due to their complexity and large numbers of design variables, aerospace structures, such as aircraft wings, are best optimized using a multi-level process. In addition to simplifying the optimization procedure, such an approach allows a combination of different methods to be used, increasing the efficiency of the analysis. This paper presents a technique based on the usage of exact finite strip software, VICONOPT, with the finite element analysis package, ABAQUS. The computer programme VICONOPT is computationally efficient but provides solutions for a restricted range of geometries and loading conditions. Finite element analysis allows accurate models of structures with complex geometries to be created but is computationally expensive. By combining the two, these limitations are minimised, whilst the strengths of each are exploited. The fundamental principles of this multi-level procedure are demonstrated by optimizing a series of curved composite panels under combined shear and in-plane bending subject to buckling constraints.

1ce8Kkb

A new local stabilized nonconforming finite element method for the Stokes equations

In this paper, we propose and study a new local stabilized nonconforming finite method based on two local Gauss integrations for the two-dimensional Stokes equations. The nonconforming method uses the lowest equal-order pair of mixed finite elements (i.e., NCP(1)-P(1)). After a stability condition is shown for this stabilized method, its optimal-order error estimates are obtained. In addition, numerical experiments to confirm the theoretical results are presented. Compared with some classical, closely related mixed finite element pairs, the results of the present NCP(1)-P(1) mixed finite element pair show its better performance than others.

2UA&Ph5

On the role of estimate-and-forward with time sharing in cooperative communication

In this paper, we focus on the general relay channel. We investigate the application of the estimate-and-forward (EAF) relaying scheme to different scenarios. Specifically, we study assignments of the auxiliary random variable that always satisfy the feasibility constraints. We then consider the Gaussian relay channel with coded modulation, where we show that a three-level quantization outperforms the Gaussian quantization commonly used to evaluate the achievable EAF rates in this scenario. Last, we consider the cooperative general broadcast scenario with a multistep conference between the receivers. We first apply EAF to obtain a general achievable rate region with a multistep conference. We then use an explicit assignment for the auxiliary random variables to obtain an explicit rate expression for the single common message case with a two-step conference.

-sM1BG4

composing dataflow analyses and transformations

Dataflow analyses can have mutually beneficial interactions. Previous efforts to exploit these interactions have either (1) iteratively performed each individual analysis until no further improvements are discovered or (2) developed "super-analyses" that manually combine conceptually separate analyses. We have devised a new approach that allows analyses to be defined independently while still enabling them to be combined automatically and profitably. Our approach avoids the loss of precision associated with iterating individual analyses and the implementation difficulties of manually writing a super-analysis. The key to our approach is a novel method of implicit communication between the individual components of a super-analysis based on graph transformations. In this paper, we precisely define our approach; we demonstrate that it is sound and it terminates; finally we give experimental results showing that in practice (1) our framework produces results at least as precise as iterating the individual analyses while compiling at least 5 times faster, and (2) our framework achieves the same precision as a manually written super-analysis while incurring a compile-time overhead of less than 20\%.

1xzPVBN

Study of TaSiN thin films for use as barrier layer in copper metallizations

This work focuses on the deposition process, microanalytical characterization and barrier behaviour of 10100-nm thick sputtered TaSi and TaSiN films. Pure TaSi films were found to be already nanocrystalline. The addition of N2 leads to a further grain fining resulting in amorphous films with excellent thermal stability. According to microanalytical investigations, TaSi barriers between Cu and Si with a thickness of only 10 nm are not stable at 600C. Copper silicides are formed due to intensive Cu diffusion throughout the barrier. In contrast, 10-nm thick nitrogen-rich TaSiN barriers remain thermally stable during annealing at 600C and protect the Si wafer from Cu indiffusion.

1Sb4-Qy

Separating risk and return in the CAPM: A general utility-based model1

The author proposes a new utility function which captures trade-offs between return and a large body of risk measures as defined by popular riskreturn models in the management science literature while exhibiting desirable properties for a financial investor. This function forms the basis for an extension to the Capital Asset Pricing Model which links general asymmetric risk measures and riskvalue models with equilibrium asset pricing.

3FYrvNq

Effect of quantum dot shape on dynamical dephasing suppression in exciton qubits under applied electric field

We investigate the efficiency of periodic dynamical decoupling of an exciton qubit confined in a self-assembled quantum dot in the presence of an applied electric field. The shape of the quantum dot is found to have a large effect on the excitonic dephasing. It is shown that dynamical suppression of dephasing, through a simple series of equally spaced bit flips, is most efficient for quantum dots that are close to spherical. In addition, compared to the no field case, the presence of an electric field increases the efficiency of the decoupling technique as the quantum dot becomes more oblate. Our calculations show that dephasing can be significantly suppressed in GaAs/AlAs quantum dots suitable for quantum information processing.

-4kwcAz

Performance analysis of the sliding-mode speed observer with magnetizing reactance estimation for the sensorless induction motor drive

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to obtain an accurate and robust estimation method of the rotor flux and speed for the sensorless induction motor (IM) drive with magnetizing reactance variations. Design/methodology/approach - The sensorless IM drive with sliding mode flux and speed observer (SMO) is presented. Proposed estimation algorithm is extended with the additional magnetizing reactance estimator based on the magnetizing characteristic of the IM. The dynamical and steady-state properties of the drive system in the low-speed and in the field-weakening regions are tested. The simulation results are verified by experimental tests, over the wide range of motor speed and drive parameter changes. Findings - It is shown that the sensorless induction motor drive can work stable in wide speed range using the Sliding-Mode Observer with additional magnetizing reactance estimator. Research limitations/implications - The investigation looked mainly at the speed estimation methodology with additional motor parameter estimator. Practical implications - The proposed SMO can be easily implemented on digital signal processors. The implementation was tested in an experimental setup with DS1103 card. The fixed-point realisation needs to be developed to obtain the practical application in the industrial drive systems. Originality/value - The SMO with an additional magnetizing reactance estimator based on magnetizing characteristic of the IM is tested. This method of the speed and flux reconstruction can be applied in different electrical drives working in wide speed range, including very low-speed region and field-weakening region, too. The proposed solution is not sensitive to magnetizing reactance variations and is simple in practical implementation in the real-time system.

34TKG5p

Analytic integrability of a class of nilpotent cubic systems

In this paper, we study a family of nilpotent cubic systems having an isolated singular point at the origin and we give a characterization of those that accept a certain type of analytic first integrals. For these systems, we also give a characterization of the singular point at the origin; in particular, we see that the origin is never a center. (C) 2002 IMACS. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

DGZRBWG

Exact order based feature descriptor for illumination robust image matching

To resolve ordering ambiguity for pixels, an exact order image created. Exact order based features are generated globally and locally. Descriptor is constructed by combining the global and local exact order features.

2b98ARa

A visual programming system for automated problem solving

Although new AI planning algorithms and techniques are being developed and improved rapidly, there is a lack of efficient and easy to use systems able to incorporate and utilize them. Furthermore, while visual representation facilitates design, maintenance and comprehension of planning domains and problems, very few systems incorporate it. This paper presents VLEPPO, an integrated system aiming at visually modeling planning domains and problems through a convenient graphical interface, while maintaining compatibility with the Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL), with import and export features. Solutions to planning problems can be obtained by invoking different planners employing the web services technology. The demonstration of the system is performed through a case study involving web service composition viewed as a planning problem.

LYxcPEk

loose source routing as a mechanism for traffic policies

Internet packet delivery policies have been of concern since the earliest times of the Internet, as witnessed by the presence of the Type of Service (ToS) field in the IPv4 header. Efforts continue today with Differentiated Services (DiffServ) and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). We claim that these approaches have not succeeded because they require, either explicitly or subtly, a network-layer virtual circuit mechanism.In this paper, we describe how adding a form of Loose Source and Record Route (LSRR) capability into the next-generation Internet provides adequate support for transmit and receive policies, including filtering, while avoiding the problems of virtual circuits and the original problems with LSRR in IPv4.

1YxhfoU

Cellular, Circuit, and Synaptic Mechanisms in Song Learning

Songbirds, much like humans, learn their vocal behavior, and must be able to hear both themselves and others to do so. Studies of the brain areas involved in singing and song learning could reveal the underlying neural mechanisms. Here we describe experiments that explore the properties of the songbird anterior forebrain pathway (AFP), a basal ganglia-forebrain circuit known to be critical for song learning and for adult modification of vocal output. First, neural recordings in anesthetized, juvenile birds show that auditory AFP neurons become selectively responsive to the song stimuli that are compared during sensorimotor learning. Individual AFP neurons develop tuning to the bird's own song (BOS), and in many cases to the tutor song as well, even when these stimuli are manipulated to be very different from each other. Such dual selectivity could be useful in the BOS-tutor song comparison critical to song learning. Second, simultaneous neural recordings from the AFP and its target nucleus in the song motor pathway in anesthetized adult birds reveal correlated activity that is preserved through multiple steps of the circuits for song, including the AFP. This suggests that the AFP contains highly functionally interconnected neurons, an architecture that can preserve information about the timing of firing of groups of neurons. Finally, in vitro studies show that recurrent synapses between neurons in the AFP outflow nucleus, which are expected to contribute importantly to AFP correlation, can undergo activity-dependent and timing-sensitive strengthening. This synaptic enhancement appears to be restricted to birds in the sensory critical and early sensorimotor phases of learning. Together, these studies show that the AFP contains cells that reflect learning of both BOS and tutor song, as well as developmentally regulated synaptic and circuit mechanisms well-suited to create temporally organized assemblies of such cells. Such experience-dependent sensorimotor assemblies are likely to be critical to the AFP's role in song learning. Moreover, studies of such mechanisms in this basal ganglia circuit specialized for song may shed light more generally on how basal ganglia circuits function in guiding motor learning using sensory feedback signals.

b8ceo5D

clarifications and extensions to tactical waypoint graph algorithms for video games

This paper explores pathfinding in a video game environment using a waypoint graph, a common way of representing locations in the environment. I take algorithms created by Lars Liden on finding strategic positions for agents within a waypoint graph and extend these algorithms. I demonstrate how the extended algorithms are able to effectively calculate tactical ambush positions and pinch points for any number of agents. The extended algorithms are also able to work in an environment where the agent does not have complete knowledge of the waypoint graph.

2P&RHF5

3D face detection using curvature analysis

Face detection is a crucial preliminary in many applications. Most of the approaches to face detection have focused on the use of two-dimensional images. We present an innovative method that combines a feature-based approach with a holistic one for three-dimensional (3D) face detection. Salient face features, such as the eyes and nose, are detected through an analysis of the curvature of the surface. Each triplet consisting of a candidate nose and two candidate eyes is processed by a PCA-based classifier trained to discriminate between faces and non-faces. The method has been tested, with good results, on some 150 3D faces acquired by a laser range scanner.

3SRk9nZ

On the energy efficiency of base station cooperation under limited backhaul capacity

Recently, energy-efficient (EE) communications have received increasing interest specially in cellular networks. Promising techniques, such as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and base station (BS) cooperation schemes, have been widely studied in the past to improve the spectral efficiency and the reliability. Nowadays, the purpose is to investigate how these techniques can reduce the energy consumption of the systems. In this paper, we address for a single-user scenario, the energy efficiency of two BSs cooperation under limited backhaul capacity. In order to evaluate the EE metric, we provide first an information-theoretical analysis based on the outage probability, for a quantization model over the backhaul. Then, we extend this EE analysis to a more practical approach with data transmission over the backhaul. For both approaches, we identify by numerical/simulation results the cooperation scenarios that can save energy depending on the backhaul capacity.

4Z3PYhD

Multigraded commutative algebra of graph decompositions

The toric fiber product is a general procedure for gluing two ideals, homogeneous with respect to the same multigrading, to produce a new homogeneous ideal. Toric fiber products generalize familiar constructions in commutative algebra like adding monomial ideals and the Segre product. We describe how to obtain generating sets of toric fiber products in non-zero codimension and discuss persistence of normality and primary decompositions under toric fiber products.

-EgjN2m

Evolutionary Game Theory in Multi-Objective Optimization Problem

Multi-objective optimization focuses on simultaneous optimization of multiple targets. Evolutionary game theory transforms the optimization problem into game strategic problem and using adaptable dynamic game evolution process intelligently obtains the optimized strategy. The problem of multiple frequency offsets estimation in distributed multiple inputs and multiple outputs system is real-world multi-objective search and optimization problems which are naturally posed as non-linear programming problems having multiple objectives. Simulation results evidence the proposed algorithm is superior to other algorithms with more robust convergence and environmental applicability.

2ahHLcM

Data assimilation: Mathematical and statistical perspectives

The bulk of this paper contains a concise mathematical overview of the subject of data assimilation, highlighting three primary ideas: (i) the standard optimization approaches of 3DVAR, 4DVAR and weak constraint 4DVAR are described and their interrelations explained; (ii) statistical analogues of these approaches are then introduced, leading to filtering (generalizing 3DVAR) and a form of smoothing (generalizing 4DVAR and weak constraint 4DVAR) and the optimization methods are shown to be maximum a posteriori estimators for the probability distributions implied by these statistical approaches; and (iii) by taking a general dynamical systems perspective on the subject it is shown that the incorporation of Lagrangian data can be handled by a straightforward extension of the preceding concepts. We argue that the smoothing approach to data assimilation, based on statistical analogues of 4DVAR and weak constraint 4DVAR, provides the optimal solution to the assimilation of space-time distributed data into a model. The optimal Solution obtained is a probability distribution on the relevant class of functions (initial conditions or fine-dependent solutions). The approach is a useful one in the first instance because it clarifies the notion of what is the optimal Solution, thereby providing a benchmark against which existing approaches can be evaluated. In the longer term it also provides the potential for new methods to create ensembles of solutions to the model, incorporating the available data in an optimal fashion. Two examples are given illustrating this approach to data assimilation, both in the context of Lagrangian data, one based on statistical 4DVAR and the other on weak constraint statistical 4DVAR. The former is compared with the ensemble Kalman filter, which is thereby shown to be inaccurate in a variety of scenarios. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

32NgbNr

Reconfiguration and Communication-Aware Task Scheduling for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing

High-performance reconfigurable computing involves acceleration of significant portions of an application using reconfigurable hardware. When the hardware tasks of an application cannot simultaneously fit in an FPGA, the task graph needs to be partitioned and scheduled into multiple FPGA configurations, in a way that minimizes the total execution time. This article proposes the Reduced Data Movement Scheduling (RDMS) algorithm that aims to improve the overall performance of hardware tasks by taking into account the reconfiguration time, data dependency between tasks, intertask communication as well as task resource utilization. The proposed algorithm uses the dynamic programming method. A mathematical analysis of the algorithm shows that the execution time would at most exceed the optimal solution by a factor of around 1.6, in the worst-case. Simulations on randomly generated task graphs indicate that RDMS algorithm can reduce interconfiguration communication time by 11% and 44% respectively, compared with two other approaches that consider data dependency and hardware resource utilization only. The practicality, as well as efficiency of the proposed algorithm over other approaches, is demonstrated by simulating a task graph from a real-life application - N-body simulation - along with constraints for bandwidth and FPGA parameters from existing high-performance reconfigurable computers. Experiments on SRC-6 are carried out to validate the approach.

-:qiX5D

Combinatorial optimization with one quadratic term: Spanning trees and forests ?

The standard linearization of a binary quadratic program yields an equivalent reformulation as an integer linear program, but the resulting LP-bounds are very weak in general. We concentrate on applications where the underlying linear problem is tractable and exploit the fact that, in this case, the optimization problem is still tractable in the presence of a single quadratic term in the objective function. We propose to strengthen the standard linearization by the use of cutting planes that are derived from jointly considering each single quadratic term with the underlying combinatorial structure. We apply this idea to the quadratic minimum spanning tree and spanning forest problems and present complete polyhedral descriptions of the corresponding problems with one quadratic term, as well as efficient separation algorithms for the resulting polytopes. Computationally, we observe that the new inequalities significantly improve dual bounds with respect to the standard linearization, particularly for sparse graphs.

vdpR-HE

The ShapleyShubik index for multi-criteria simple games ?

In this paper we address multi-criteria simple games which constitute an extension of the basic framework of voting systems and related social-choice situations. For these games, we propose the extended ShapleyShubik index as the natural generalization of the ShapleyShubik index in conventional simple games, and establish an axiomatic characterization of this power index.

VDa:neH

Conventional, hybrid and electric vehicles for Australian driving conditions. Part 2: Life cycle CO2-e emissions

This paper is the second of a two part study which quantifies the economic and greenhouse performance of conventional, hybrid and fully electric passenger vehicles operating in Australian driving conditions. This second study focuses on the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Two vehicle sizes are considered, Class-B and Class-E, which bracket the large majority of passenger vehicles on Australian roads. Using vehicle simulation models developed in the first study, the trade-offs between the ability of increasingly electric powertrains in curtailing the tailpipe emissions and the corresponding rise in the embedded vehicle emissions have been evaluated. The sensitivity of the life cycle emissions to fuel, electricity and the change in the energy mix are all considered. In conjunction with the total cost of ownership calculated in the companion paper, this allows the cost of mitigating life cycle greenhouse gas emissions through electrification of passenger transport to be estimated under different scenarios. For Class-B vehicles, fully electric vehicles were found to have a higher total cost of ownership and higher life cycle emissions than an equivalent vehicle with an internal combustion engine. For Class-E vehicles, hybrids are found to be the most cost effective whilst also having lowest life cycle emissions under current conditions. Further, hybrid vehicles also exhibit little sensitivity in terms of greenhouse emissions and cost with large changes in system inputs.

-U-TQtQ

quality metrics for mashups

Mashups combine disparate resources in order to create content in new ways from heterogeneous resources. Mashups are created in an ad-hoc manner due to, among other things, missing metrics that should give Mashup composers feedback about their application. The aim of this paper is to discuss application areas of metrics for Mashups. In particular, we will discuss Mashup metrics for design engineering and for corporate environments.

4Q8u1G7

Computational modeling of a rotary nanopump

The dynamics of a rotary nanopump, consisting of three coaxial carbon nanotubes and a number of graphene blades, has been simulated via application of the molecular dynamics (MD) method. In this nanopump the inner nanotube, the middle carbon nanotube with together the graphene blades and the outer nanotube are used as the shaft, rotor, and sleeve of the pump, respectively. The rotary motion of the rotor is due to the mechanical rotation of the two first carbon rings of the rotors carbon nanotube. We found that this pump flow the gas atoms between two sides of the nanopump and it can produce an atomic gradient. Also it is observed that a rotary frequency of the rotor affected on the pump performance for generating the density gradient and the maximum performance is occurred at a special frequency of the rotor. This special rotary frequency can be computed by an analytical formula, for given material and temperatures. Moreover, the results indicate that the number of the rotors graphene blades do not have a significant effect on the pumping capacity. Our finding provides a potentially useful mechanism for gas purification process.

1hsJEMH

A CMOS offset phase locked loop for a GSM transmitter

This paper describes a CMOS Offset Phase Locked Loop (OPLL) for a global system for mobile communications (GSM) transmitter. The OPLL is a PLL with a down-conversion mixer in the feedback path and is used in the transmit (Tx) path as a frequency converter. It has a tracking bandpass filter characteristic in such a way that the OPLL can suppress the noise in the GSM receiving band (Tx noise) without a duplexer. When the loop bandwidth of the OPLL was 1.0 MHz: the Tx noise level of -163.5 dBc/Hz, the phase error of 0.66 degrees rms, and the settling time of 40 mu s were achieved. The IC was implemented by using 0.35-mu m CMOS process. It takes 860 mu mx620 mu m of total chip area and consumes 17.6 mA with a 3.0 V power supply.

1ib4bBC

distinguishing copies from originals in software clones

Cloning is widespread in today's systems where automated assistance is required to locate cloned code. Although the evolution of clones has been studied for many years, no attempt has been made so far to automatically distinguish the original source code leading to cloned copies. This paper presents an approach to classify the clones of a clone pair based on the version information available in version control systems. This automatic classification attempts to distinguish the original from the copy. It allows for the fact that the clones may be modified and thus consist of lines coming from different versions. An evaluation, based on two case studies, shows that when comments are ignored and a small tolerance is accepted, for the majority of clone pairs the proposed approach can automatically distinguish between the original and the copy.

1mZTUrs

A comparison of various uniformities in fuzzy topology

It is known that the construct FTS of stratified fuzzy topological spaces contains non-trivial concretely both reflective and coreflective full subconstructs. Since each of these subconstructs is both initially and finally closed in ITS, it gives rise to a perfectly viable and autonomous theory of fuzzy topology. In this paper, this idea is applied to analyze the interrelations between the various notions of uniformity in fuzzy set theory. The results show that these notions can be put into a coherent and clear picture if we interpret them as notions of uniformity for certain subconstructs of FTS that are concretely both reflective and coreflective or some superconstructs of fuzzy topological spaces. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

4zU::ss

Biological memory of childhood maltreatment: current knowledge and recommendations for future research

Child maltreatment (CM) not only has detrimental and lifelong psychological consequences, but also can lead to lasting alterations in core physiological systemsa biological memory of CM. Furthermore, some of these alterations might even be transmitted to the next generation. This article describes current knowledge about the effects of CM on the stress system (i.e., the hypothalamuspituitaryadrenal axis), on cellular aging (i.e., telomere length and telomerase activity), and on the immune system. Furthermore, we want to initiate research on the question of transmission of the described physiological alterations subsequent to CM to the next generationpossibly through epigenetic imprinting. As diverse neurobiological factors and epigenetics are closely linked, these different research fields should join forces to gain a deeper understanding of the biological determinants and sequelae of CM and its transmission.

4FHEWxk

Generalized MitM attacks on full TWINE

Presented a generalized Meet-in-the-Middle attack. The key is partitioned into n?3 n ? 3 subsets, which are not necessarily independent. Showed how to combine the attack with a splice-and-cut approach. Applied the attack to TWINE-80 and TWINE-128.

1dVp5j-

audiovisual recognition of spontaneous interest within conversations

In this work we present an audiovisual approach to the recognition of spontaneous interest in human conversations. For a most robust estimate, information from four sources is combined by a synergistic and individual failure tolerant fusion. Firstly, speech is analyzed with respect to acoustic properties based on a high-dimensional prosodic, articulatory, and voice quality feature space plus the linguistic analysis of spoken content by LVCSR and bag-of-words vector space modeling including non-verbals. Secondly, visual analysis provides patterns of the facial expression by AAMs, and of the movement activity by eye tracking. Experiments base on a database of 10.5h of spontaneous human-to-human conversation containing 20 subjects in gender and age-class balance. Recordings are fulfilled with a room microphone, camera, and headsets for close-talk to consider diverse comfort and noise conditions. Three levels of interest were annotated within a rich transcription. We describe each information stream and a fusion on an early level in detail. Our experiments aim at a person-independent system for real-life usage and show the high potential of such a multimodal approach. Benchmark results based on transcription versus automatic processing are also provided.

53i8vaf

An automated method for tree-ring delineation based on active contours guided by DT-CWT complex coefficients in photographic images: Application to Abies alba wood slice images

Our method can be used to delineate successive concentric tree-rings in Abies alba images. We coupled the Q-Shift DT-CWT and the points-based active contour model. Notions such as attraction power and orientation simulate an external force field. Our method performed as well as experts delineations on 200 tree-rings.

4PxBUG3

A modular particlecontinuum numerical method for hypersonic non-equilibrium gas flows

A modular particlecontinuum (MPC) numerical method for steady-state flows is presented which solves the NavierStokes equations in regions of near-equilibrium and uses the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method to simulate regions of non-equilibrium gas flow. Existing, state-of-the-art, DSMC and NavierStokes solvers are coupled together using a novel modular implementation which requires only a limited number of additional hybrid functions. Hybrid functions are used to adaptively position particlecontinuum interfaces and update boundary conditions in each module at appropriate times. The MPC method is validated for 2D flow over a cylinder at various hypersonic Mach numbers where the global Knudsen number is 0.01. For the cases considered, the MPC method is verified to accurately reproduce DSMC flow field results as well as local particle velocity distributions up to 2.2 times faster than full DSMC simulations.

4F:4MyW

Coupling Logical Analysis of Data and Shadow Clustering for Partially Defined Positive Boolean Function Reconstruction

The problem of reconstructing the AND-OR expression of a partially defined positive Boolean function (pdpBf) is solved by adopting a novel algorithm, denoted by LSC, which combines the advantages of two efficient techniques, Logical Analysis of Data (LAD) and Shadow Clustering (SC). The kernel of the approach followed by LAD consists in a breadth-first enumeration of all the prime implicants whose degree is not greater than a fixed maximum d. In contrast, SC adopts an effective heuristic procedure for retrieving the most promising logical products to be included in the resulting AND-OR expression. Since the computational cost required by LAD prevents its application even for relatively small dimensions of the input domain, LSC employs a depth-first approach, with asymptotically linear memory occupation, to analyze the prime implicants having degree not greater than d. In addition, the theoretical analysis proves that LSC presents almost the same asymptotic time complexity as LAD. Extensive simulations on artificial benchmarks validate the good behavior of the computational cost exhibited by LSC, in agreement with the theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the pdpBf retrieved by LSC always shows a better performance, in terms of complexity and accuracy, with respect to those obtained by LAD.

4xTWNRs

Two-step simulation method for automatic material handling system of semiconductor fab

To design an effective automated material handling system (AMHS) in semiconductor fab, Samsung Electronics has used the commercial AMHS simulation software. Although this tool is very efficient at simulating material handling system, an additional simulation step is required to apply the production logic to the AMHS simulation model. Therefore, this paper introduces one more simulation step, namely the production simulation step. In the production simulation step, the production logic is implemented and the throughput of the semiconductor line can be predicted. The AMHS simulation step follows the production simulation step. In the AMHS simulation step, the capability of AMHS is predicted in advance, based on which the scope of investment can be estimated.

1cK&Pc6

Fuzzy modeling of combined effect of winter road maintenance and cyclic loading on concrete slab bridge

Approach to analysis of durability of reinforced concrete slab bridge. Fuzzy model of response of concrete to compressive cyclic loading. Fuzzy model of stiffness reduction of concrete due to freezethawing. Fuzzy model of stiffness reduction of concrete due to chloride contamination. Combined fuzzy model of concrete fatigue in hostile environment.

1W6kq7E

disruptive technologies and neurally-inspired architectures

Conventional shrinking methods to improve VLSI chip performance by continual scaling of device and interconnect geometries may allow CMOS juggernaut to reach about 22 nm nodes. During the post-shrinking era, a slew of mesoscopic and nanoscale technologies such as quantum tunneling devices, plasmon based transistors, ionic transport based crossbar structures, nanomagnetic logic, grapheme FET's, self-assembled array of quantum dots, and molecular devices are likely to emerge as commercially viable technologies in order to sustain the demands for exponential economic growth throughout the first quarter of the 21st Century. Quantum tunneling in nanometric devices augurs a revolutionary shift of paradigm for circuit and CAD tools design that must account for quantum effects as well as local interactions between self-assembled circuit elements. These circuit elements may consist of a 2-dimensional array of self-organized quantum dots that can be instrumented to perform cellular automata class of algorithms or a 3-dimensional array of self-organized nanowires to perform a random Boolean network (RBN) class of algorithms. The talk will also briefly introduce neuromorphic nanoarchitectures consisting of 2-D array of amorphous-Silicon based memristor devices and also THz digital systems deploying surface plasmon polariton (SPP).

4ST41Uj

Automatic shape model building based on principal geodesic analysis bootstrapping

We present a novel method for automatic shape model building from a collection of training shapes. The result is a shape model consisting of the mean model and the major modes of variation with a dense correspondence map between individual shapes. The framework consists of iterations where a medial shape representation is deformed into the training shapes followed by computation of the shape mean and modes of shape variation. In the first iteration, a generic shape model is used as starting point in the following iterations in the bootstrap method, the resulting mean and modes from the previous iteration are used. Thereby, we gradually capture the shape variation in the training collection better and better. Convergence of the method is explicitly enforced. The method is evaluated on collections of artificial training shapes where the expected shape mean and modes of variation are known by design. Furthermore, collections of real prostates and cartilage sheets are used in the evaluation. The evaluation shows that the method is able to capture the training shapes close to the attainable accuracy already in the first iteration. Furthermore, the correspondence properties measured by generality, specificity, and compactness are improved during the shape model building iterations.

1S&mxZT

how people talk when teaching a robot

We examine affective vocalizations provided by human teachers to robotic learners. In unscripted one-on-one interactions, participants provided vocal input to a robotic dinosaur as the robot selected toy buildings to knock down. We find that (1) people vary their vocal input depending on the learner's performance history, (2) people do not wait until a robotic learner completes an action before they provide input and (3) people naively and spontaneously use intensely affective prosody. Our findings suggest modifications may be needed to traditional machine learning models to better fit observed human tendencies. Our observations of human behavior contradict the popular assumptions made by machine learning algorithms (in particular, reinforcement learning) that the reward function is stationary and path-independent for social learning interactions. We also propose an interaction taxonomy that describes three phases of a human-teacher's vocalizations: direction, spoken before an action is taken; guidance, spoken as the learner communicates an intended action; and feedback, spoken in response to a completed action.

44MRex&

From engineering diagrams to engineering models: Visual recognition and applications

We present a computational recognition approach to convert network-like, image-based engineering diagrams into engineering models with which computations of interests, such as CAD modeling, simulation, information retrieval and semantic-aware editing, are enabled. The proposed approach is designed to work on diagrams produced using computer-aided drawing tools or hand sketches, and does not rely on temporal information for recognition. Our approach leverages a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) as a trainable engineering symbol recognizer. The CNN is capable of learning the visual features of the defined symbol categories from a few user-supplied prototypical diagrams and a set of synthetically generated training samples. When deployed, the trained CNN is applied either to the entire input diagram using a multi-scale sliding window or, where applicable, to each isolated pixel cluster obtained through Connected Component Analysis (CCA). Then the connectivity between the detected symbols are analyzed to obtain an attributed graph representing the engineering model conveyed by the diagram. We evaluate the performance of the approach with benchmark datasets and demonstrate its utility in different application scenarios, including the construction and simulation of control system or mechanical vibratory system models from hand-sketched or camera-captured images, content-based image retrieval for resonant circuits and sematic-aware image editing for floor plans.

39-773U

Stability margin-based PD attitude control tuning for unstable flight vehicle

Proportional-derivative (PD) attitude control is widely used for the flight vehicles, especially in boost phase. Some of the flight dynamics are open-loop unstable, which often limits the achievable closed-loop performance. Based on the intrinsic characteristics of the linear model obtained from the small perturbation theory, simple numerical analytical tuning formulae of PD attitude control are derived to meet the gain and phase margin specifications. According to Routh stability criterion, the decreasing gain margin is obtained by using the approximation of delay amid low frequency with the established tuning rule. Some numerical polynomial solving approaches are employed to seek the feasible stability margin region, which is explicitly plotted in the 2-D plane. Taking engineering practice into account, the maximum gain constraint is also imposed. Finally, several numerical examples are presented to validate the analysis result.

GLtZDAk

A numerical study for the performance of the Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin method based on different numerical fluxes

Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) method is a high order finite element method for solving hyperbolic conservation laws employing useful features from high resolution finite volume schemes, such as the exact or approximate Riemann solvers serving as numerical fluxes, TVD Runge-Kutta time discretizations, and limiters. In most of the RKDG papers in the literature, the Lax-Friedrichs numerical flux is used due to its simplicity, although there are many other numerical fluxes which could also be used. In this paper, we systematically investigate the performance of the RKDG method based on different numerical fluxes, including the first-order monotone fluxes such as the Godunov flux, the Engquist-Osher flux, etc., and second-order TVD fluxes, with the objective of obtaining better performance by choosing suitable numerical fluxes. The detailed numerical study is mainly performed for the one dimensional system case, addressing the issues of CPU cost, accuracy, nonoscillatory property, and resolution of discontinuities. Numerical tests are also performed for two dimensional systems. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

tiE-b9k

An efficient algorithm for finding all DC solutions of piecewise-linear circuits

An efficient algorithm is proposed for finding all dc solutions of piecewise-linear (PWL) circuits. This algorithm is based on a powerful test (termed the LP test) for nonexistence of a solution to a system of PWL equations in a given region using the dual simplex method. The proposed algorithm also uses a special technique that decreases the number of regions on which the LP test is performed. By numerical examples, it is shown that the proposed algorithm could find all solutions of large scale problems, including those where the number of variables is 500 and the number of linear regions is 10(500), in practical computation time.

1rVgDFp

translating concurrent action oriented specifications to synchronous guarded actions

Concurrent Action-Oriented Specifications (CAOS) model the be- havior of a synchronous hardware circuit as asynchronous guarded actions at an abstraction level higher than the Register Transfer Level (RTL). Previous approaches always considered the compilation of CAOS, which includes a transformation of the under-lying model of computation and the scheduling of guarded actions per clock cycle, as a tightly integrated step. In this paper, we present a new compilation procedure, which separates these two tasks and translates CAOS models to synchronous guarded actions with an explicit interface to a scheduler. This separation of con- cerns has many advantages, including better analyses and integration of custom schedulers. Our method also generates assertions that each scheduler must obey that can be fulfilled by algorithms for scheduler synthesis like those developed in supervisory control. We present our translation procedure in detail and illustrate it by various examples. We also show that our method simplifies for- mal verification of hardware synthesized from CAOS specifications over previously known formal verification approaches.

1Eqx3RK

Detecting an innovative outlier in a set of time series

Tests for an innovative outlier affecting every member of a set of autoregressive time series at the same time point are developed. In one model, the outliers are represented as independent random effects; likelihood ratio tests are derived for this case and simulated critical values are tabulated. In a second model, assuming that the size of the outlier is the same in each series, a standard regression framework can be used and correlations between the series are introduced. Simulation studies show that approximate critical values obtained from the ?12 distribution work well for heteroscedastic independent series and for the case of equal correlations between each pair of series.

33kaAN1

Toward shift invariant detection of event-related potentials in non-invasive brain-computer interface

Solution for the jitter problem of the stimulus onsets for ERP single-trial detection. Shift-invariant features based on the power spectrum or bispectrum. AUC stability across stimulus onsets shifts 200ms.

3xXnpKG

Back pain in school childrenWhere to from here?

Back pain is now recognised to occur early in childhood and is associated with high prevalence rates when estimated by survey. This review paper considers the risk factors associated with back pain in children aged 1114 years, and particularly those present in a school setting. The risk factors most significantly associated with back pain are primarily characteristics of the individual with less strong associations with factors present in the school environment. The majority of intervention studies undertaken in a school setting have focussed on the effect of school furniture on posture and comfort and were of short-term duration. There is a need for further research in order to achieve a better understanding of the risk factors present in a school environment and to address ways to reduce the currently recognised perceived problem of back pain among school children. A strategy for an evidence-based longitudinal intervention study is proposed, with the content outlined under the headings: policy, school equipment and furniture, individual and family.

52X7Leu

Parabolic equations with double variable nonlinearities

The paper is devoted to the study of the homogeneous Dirichlet problem for the doubly nonlinear parabolic equation with nonstandard growth conditions: u(1) = di upsilon (a(x, t, u)vertical bar u vertical bar(alpha(x,t)) vertical bar del u vertical bar(p(x,t)-2)del u) + f(x, t) with given variable exponents a(x, t) and p(x,t). We establish conditions on the data which guarantee the existence of bounded weak solutions in suitable Sobolev-Orlicz spaces. (C) 2011 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

-yXK9ZA

an adaptive algorithm for selecting profitable keywords for search-based advertising services

Increases in online search activities have spurred the growth of search-based advertising services offered by search engines. These services enable companies to promote their products to consumers based on their search queries. In most search-based advertising services, a company sets a daily budget, selects a set of keywords, determines a bid price for each keyword, and designates an ad associated with each selected keyword. When a consumer searches for one of the selected keywords, search engines then display the ads associated with the highest bids for that keyword on the search result page. A company whose ad is displayed pays the search engine only when the consumer clicks on the ad. If the company's spending has exceeded its daily budget, however, its ads will not be displayed. With millions of available keywords and a highly uncertain clickthru rate associated with the ad for each keyword, identifying the most profitable set of keywords given the daily budget constraint becomes challenging for companies wishing to promote their goods and services via search-based advertising. Motivated by these challenges, we formulate a model of keyword selection in search-based advertising services. We develop an algorithm that adaptively identifies the set of keywords to bid on based on historical performance. The algorithm prioritizes keywords based on a prefix ordering -- sorting of keywords in a descending order of profit-tocost ratio (or "bang-per-buck"). We show that the average expected profit generated by the algorithm converges to near-optimal profits. Furthermore, the convergence rate is independent of the number of keywords and scales gracefully with the problem's parameters. Extensive numerical simulations show that our algorithm outperforms existing methods, increasing profits by about 7\%.

-vm:469

Multi-operator Media Retargeting

Content aware resizing gained popularity lately and users can now choose from a battery of methods to retarget their media. However, no single retargeting operator performs well on all images and all target sizes. In a user study we conducted, we found that users prefer to combine seam carving with cropping and scaling to produce results they are satisfied with. This inspires us to propose an algorithm that combines different operators in an optimal manner. We define a resizing space as a conceptual multi-dimensional space combining several resizing operators, and show how a path in this space defines a sequence of operations to retarget media. We define a new image similarity measure, which we term Bi-Directional Warping (BDW), and use it with a dynamic programming algorithm to find an optimal path in the resizing space. In addition, we show a simple and intuitive user interface allowing users to explore the resizing space of various image sizes interactively. Using key-frames and interpolation we also extend our technique to retarget video, providing the flexibility to use the best combination of operators at different times in the sequence.

fqci3vD

Synchronization controller for a 3-R planar parallel pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) robot using modified ANFIS algorithm

Parallel manipulator is a closed-kinematic chain mechanism in which performance of its end effector moving platform is contributed by its independent actuators. In traditional designs, each elemental actuator has its own controller as well as reference input, and it works independently without gathering information from its neighbors. Consequently, as one of the actuators cannot keep up with the others, the platform performance is easily deteriorated due to the lack of coherence between these actuators. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to design a 3-R planar parallel robot and develop a proper synchronization controller for its tracking control task. Adaptive Network Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) algorithm was modified and applied as the main strategy of this synchronization controller. The controller is then able to compensate errors between the actuators and enforce them to cooperate harmonically with each other regardless external disturbances caused by the outside environment or geometrical constraints of the closed-loop structure. Simulations and practical experiments on a scaled parallel robot were carried out to evaluate the designed controller. The results showed that by applying the proposed control technique, the working errors of the component actuators converged quickly to zero almost at the same time. As a result, the tracking performance of the common platform was significantly improved in comparison with the performance when applying a non-synchronization controller. The proposed method is effective in controlling systems which require collaborations between the sub-agents. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

45PMite

Optimizing an APSP implementation for NVIDIA GPUs using kernel characterization criteria

During the last years, GPU manycore devices have demonstrated their usefulness to accelerate computationally intensive problems. Although arriving at a parallelization of a highly parallel algorithm is an affordable task, the optimization of GPU codes is a challenging activity. The main reason for this is the number of parameters, programming choices, and tuning techniques available, many of them related with complex and sometimes hidden architecture details. A useful strategy to systematically attack these optimization problems is to characterize the different kernels of the application, and use this knowledge to select appropriate configuration parameters. The All-Pair Shortest-Path (APSP) problem is a well-known problem in graph theory whose objective is to find the shortest paths between any pairs of nodes in a graph. This problem can be solved by highly parallel and computational intensive tasks, being a good candidate to be exploited by manycore devices. In this paper, we use kernel characterization criteria to optimize an APSP algorithm implementation for NVIDIA GPUs. Our experimental results show that the combined use of proper configuration policies, and the concurrent kernels capability of new CUDA architectures, leads to a performance improvement of up to 62% with respect to one of the possible configurations recommended by CUDA, considered as baseline.

3JNUvJT

Connectivity-Enforcing Hough Transform for the Robust Extraction of Line Segments

Global voting schemes based on the Hough transform (HT) have been widely used to robustly detect lines in images. However, since the votes do not take line connectivity into account, these methods do not deal well with cluttered images. On the other hand, the so-called local methods enforce connectivity but lack robustness to deal with challenging situations that occur in many realistic scenarios, e.g., when line segments cross or when long segments are corrupted. We address the critical limitations of the HT as a line segment extractor by incorporating connectivity in the voting process. This is done by only accounting for the contributions of edge points lying in increasingly larger neighborhoods and whose position and directional information agree with potential line segments. As a result, our method, which we call segment extraction by connectivity-enforcing HT (STRAIGHT), extracts the longest connected segments in each location of the image, thus also integrating into the HT voting process the usually separate step of individual segment extraction. The usage of the Hough space mapping and a corresponding hierarchical implementation make our approach computationally feasible. We present experiments that illustrate, with synthetic and real images, how STRAIGHT succeeds in extracting complete segments in situations where current methods fail.

-6S5B8G

A web-based manufacturing service system for rapid product development

This paper proposes a novel integrated system of rapid product development based on rapid prototyping, and develops a networked manufacturing service system which offers better support for the rapid product development in small and medium sized enterprises by taking full advantage of the quickly evolving computer network and information technologies. The architecture of the networked manufacturing service system is presented. Furthermore, some of the key issues, including modelling and planning a manufacturing chain, selecting feasible collaborative manufacturers, queuing a manufacturing task, using the synchronously collaborative work environment, and constructing a suitable running platform, are described in detail. Java-enabled solution, together with web techniques, is employed for building such a networked service system. Finally, an actual example is provided illustrating the application of this service system. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3iR9afx

Smart Depth of Field Optimization Applied to a Robotised View Camera

The great flexibility of a view camera allows the acquisition of high quality images that would not be possible any other way. Bringing a given object into focus is however a long and tedious task, although the underlying optical laws are known. A fundamental parameter is the aperture of the lens entrance pupil because it directly affects the depth of field. The smaller the aperture, the larger the depth of field. However a too small aperture destroys the sharpness of the image because of diffraction on the pupil edges. Hence, the desired optimal configuration of the camera is such that the object is in focus with the greatest possible lens aperture. In this paper, we show that when the object is a convex polyhedron, an elegant solution to this problem can be found. It takes the form of a constrained optimization problem, for which theoretical and numerical results are given. The optimization algorithm has been implemented on the prototype of a robotised view camera.

2Yb4S-q

Point sets in the unit square and large areas of convex hulls of subsets of points

In this paper generalizations of Heilbronn's triangle problem to convex hulls of j points in the unit square [0,1](2) are considered. By using results on the independence number of linear hypergraphs, for fixed integers k >= 3 and any integers n >= k a deterministic o(n(6k-4)) time algorithm is given, which finds distributions of n points in [0,1](2) such that, simultaneously for j = 3,...,k, the areas of the convex hulls determined by any j of these n points are Omega((log n)(1/(j-2))/n((j-1)/(j-2))).

4pbpsRC

a virtual environment to re-create the auditory and visual hallucinations of psychosis

Psychosis is a mental disorder which affects 1-2\% of the population at some point in their lives. This project aims to develop a virtual environment to simulate the experience of psychosis, focusing on re-creating the auditory and visual hallucinations. A virtual psychiatric ward environment has been constructed and the psychosis simulation software has been written to implement the hallucinations of two patients. A patient who viewed her re-created psychotic experiences was very impressed, and commented that the simulation re-created the same emotions that she had experienced on a day-to-day basis during her psychotic episodes. This is essential if the software is to be used as an educational tool about psychosis.

4zywubB

A note on the domination dot-critical graphs ?

A graph G G is dot-critical if contracting any edge decreases the domination number. Nader Jafari Rad (2009)[3] posed the problem: Is it true that a connected k k -dot-critical graph G G with G?=0? G ? = 0? is 2-connected? ? In this note, we give a family of 1-connected 2k 2 k -dot-critical graph with G?=0? G ? = 0? and show that this problem has a negative answer.

S1DeDep

An efficient MAP decoding algorithm which uses the BCJR and the recursive techniques

A new algorithm for the maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoding of linear block codes is presented. The proposed algorithm can be regarded as a conventional BCJR algorithm for a section trellis diagram, where branch metrics of the trellis are computed by the recursive MAP algorithm proposed by the authors. The decoding complexity of the proposed algorithm depends on the sectionalization of the trellis. A systematic way to find the optimum sectionalization which minimizes the complexity is also presented. Since the algorithm can be regarded as a generalization of both of the BCJR and the recursive MAP algorithms, the complexity of the proposed algorithm cannot be larger than those algorithms, as far as the sectionalization is chosen appropriately.

-79Pfvv

A case study-based investigation of students' experiences with social software tools

The term "social software'' covers a range of tools which allow users to interact and share data with other users, primarily via the web. Blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networking websites are some of the tools that are being used in educational, social and business contexts. We have examined the use of social software in the UK further and higher education to collect evidence of the effective use of social software in student learning and engagement. We applied case study methodology involving educators and students from 26 initiatives. In this paper, we focus on the student experience: educational goals of using social software; benefits to the students; and the challenges they experience. Our investigations have shown that social software supports a variety of ways of learning: sharing of resources; collaborative learning; problem-based and inquiry-based learning; and reflective learning. Students gain transferable skills of team working, negotiation, communication and managing digital identities. Although these tools enhance a student's sense of community, the need to share and collaborate brings in additional responsibility and workload, which some students find inflexible and "forced''. Our findings show that students have concerns about usability, privacy and the public nature of social software tools for academic activities.

4Z3wwMX

The arules R-Package Ecosystem: Analyzing Interesting Patterns from Large Transaction Data Sets

This paper describes the ecosystem of R add-on packages developed around the infrastructure provided by the package arules. The packages provide comprehensive functionality for analyzing interesting patterns including frequent itemsets, association rules, frequent sequences and for building applications like associative classification. After discussing the ecosystem's design we illustrate the ease of mining and visualizing rules with a short example.

-jkVoeN

Approximate spectral clustering with utilized similarity information using geodesic based hybrid distance measures

Geodesic based hybrid similarity measures are proposed for approximate spectral clustering. Neighborhood graph, required for geodesic approach, is effectively constructed by weighted Delaunay triangulation (CONN). The proposed geodesic based hybrid similarities outperform in terms of both accuracies and cluster validity indices. The proposed geodesic based hybrid similarities can be powerful for clustering of large remote sensing images. The proposed similarities are significant especially for quantization based approximate spectral clustering.

tPAJSCT

Comparison of MCMC algorithms for the estimation of Tobit model with non-normal error: The case of asymmetric Laplace distribution

The analysis of Tobit model with non-normal error distribution is extended to the case of asymmetric Laplace distribution (ALD). Since the ALD probability density function is known to be continuous but not differentiable, the usual mode-finding algorithms such as maximum likelihood can be difficult and result in the inconsistent parameter estimates. Various Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms including probability integral transformation, griddy Gibbs, random walk MetropolisHastings, and tailored randomized block MetropolisHastings (TaRB-MH) are applied and compared. Results from a simulation study suggest that TaRB-MH is the best performing algorithm. Using a survey dataset on the wage earnings of Thai male workers to compare the Tobit model with normal and ALD errors through the model marginal likelihood and deviance information criterion, the results reveal that the model with the ALD error is preferred.

-eC6x2u

iPTT: peer-to-peer push-to-talk for VoIP

This paper proposes iPTT, a peer-to-peer (P2P) Push-to-Talk (PTT) service for Voice over IP (VoIP). In iPTT, a distributed and mobile-operator independent network architecture is presented to accelerate the deployment of the PTT service. Based on the serverless architecture, we develop two mechanisms, that is, flooding-based floor control mechanism (FFC) and tree-based floor control mechanism (TFC), for real-time talk-burst determination. The determination algorithms and the corresponding message flows for these two mechanisms are designed to show the feasibility of FFC and TFC. The performance of FFC and TFC is investigated through our analytical and simulation models in terms of the determination latency and the number of floor-control message exchanges. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

-Yzr6&:

Generalized Gene Adjacencies, Graph Bandwidth, and Clusters in Yeast Evolution

We present a parameterized definition of gene clusters that allows us to control the emphasis placed on conserved order within a cluster. Though motivated by biological rather than mathematical considerations, this parameter turns out to be closely related to the bandwidth parameter of a graph. Our focus will be on how this parameter affects the characteristics of clusters: how numerous they are, how large they are, how rearranged they are, and to what extent they are preserved from ancestor to descendant in a phylogenetic tree. We infer the latter property by dynamic programming optimization of the presence of individual edges at the ancestral nodes of the phylogeny. We apply our analysis to a set of genomes drawn from the Yeast Gene Order Browser.

14HMKVo

a fair protocol for non-deterministic message passing

Since Hoare introduced Communicating Sequential Processes as a model of distributed computation, there has been much discussion about efficient and flexible implementations. Previous research has led to communication protocols with restrictions: a process may only choose amongst receive operations; only a single pair of processes can be connected to a channel; or the protocol may be subject to deadlock or lack of fairness. We describe a fair protocol that allows arbitrary, non-deterministic communication amongst a set of processes connected by channels.

-DsxvXd

A dynamically phase adjusting PLL for improvement of lock-up performance

Phase locked loop (PLL) is widely used for many purposes. The lock-up performance is one of the most important target items in designing PLLs. In a digital PLL, it is difficult to control the frequency and phase independently, which makes it difficult to improve lock-up performance. A variable delay circuit which adjusts only the phase of the PLL is introduced here. A full loop model simulation with measured controllable delay shows the effectiveness of applying the phase adjust method with the variable delay to the PLL.

3QgtfNV

Perceptual 3D model hashing using key-dependent shape feature

With the rapid growth of three-dimensional (3D) content, perceptual 3D model hashing will become a solution for the authentication, reliability, and copy detection of 3D content and will continue to be an important aspect of multimedia security in the future. However, perceptual 3D model hashing has not been used as widely as perceptual image or video hashing. In this study, a robust and secure perceptual 3D model hashing function is developed based on a key-dependent shape feature. The main objectives of our hashing function are to exhibit robustness against content-preserved attacks and to enable blind-detection without the use of preprocessing techniques for these types of attacks. In order to achieve these objectives, our hashing projects all of the vertices to the shape coordinates of the shape spectrum descriptor and the curvedness, and then, it segments the shape coordinates into irregular cells and computes the shape features of the cells using a permutation key and a random key. A perceptual hash is generated by binarizing the shape features. Experimental results confirm that the proposed hashing scheme shows robustness against geometrical and topological attacks and provides a unique and secure hash for each model and key.

4Auzdtu

Delay-dependent robust H? H ? control for uncertain systems with time-varying delay

This paper proposes a new approach for delay-dependent robust H? H ? stability analysis and control synthesis of uncertain systems with time-varying delay. The key features of the approach include the introduction of a new LyapunovKrasovskii functional, the construction of an augmented matrix with uncorrelated terms, and the employment of a tighter bounding technique. As a result, significant performance improvement is achieved in system analysis and synthesis without using either free weighting matrices or model transformation. Examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

3d6m:J5

Some trellis properties on lattices

Trellis diagrams of lattices and the Viterbi algorithm can be used for decoding. It has been known that the numbers of states and labels at every level of any finite trellis diagrams of a lattice L and its dual L* under the same coordinate system are the same. In the paper, we present concrete expressions of the numbers of distinct paths in the trellis diagrams of L and L* under the same coordinate system, which are more concrete than Theorem 2 of [1]. We also give a relation between the numbers of edges in the trellis diagrams of L and L*. Furthermore, we provide the upper bounds on the state numbers of a trellis diagram of the lattice L-1 circle times L-2 by the state numbers of trellis diagrams of lattices L-1 and L-2.

3ZHnezb

Knowledge-proof based versatile smart card verification protocol

We propose a zero-knowledge interactive proof based identification and signature scheme. The protocol is based on Euler's totient function and discrete logarithms over the ring Z/nZ, and can be applied to smart cards. A prover keeps a signed subgroup generator provided by a trusted center as its secret information. Our scheme has symmetricity in the sense that the same computational complexity and the same hardware both for Prover and for Verifier are required. Also, it requires minimal amount of computation and communications for secret information. The protocol is versatile enough to be applicable to digital signature scheme, multiple digital signature scheme and key exchange protocol. We outline those protocols to show the versatility of our protocol.

3VfiN5x

Opposite Regulation of Cocaine-Induced Intracellular Signaling and Gene Expression by Dopamine D1 and D3 Receptors

Repeated exposure to cocaine induces persistent neuroadaptations that involve alterations in cellular signaling and gene expression mediated by dopamine (DA) receptors in the brain. Both dopamine D1 and D3 receptors mediate cocaine-induced behaviors and they are also coexpressed in the same neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and caudoputamen (CPu). We have investigated whether these two receptors coordinately regulate intracellular signaling and gene expression after acute and repeated cocaine administration. We found that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and c-fos induction in the CPu following an acute cocaine administration is mediated by the D1 receptor and inhibited by the D3 receptor. ERK activation is necessary for acute cocaine-induced expression of fos family genes that include c-fos, fosB, and fra2. Furthermore, potential target genes of cAMP response element-binding (CREB) protein and/or AP-1 transcription complex, including dynorphin, neogenin, and synaptotagmin VII, are also oppositely regulated by D1 and D3 receptors after repeated cocaine injections. Lastly, such regulation requires proper ERK activation. These results suggest that D1 and D3 receptors oppositely regulate target gene expression by regulating ERK activation after cocaine administration

2x8FB6b

A New Sufficient Condition for Global Robust Stability of Delayed Neural Networks

In this paper, by using Lyapunov stability theorems, we present a new sufficient condition for the existence, uniqueness and global robust asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point for delayed neural networks. This condition basically establishes a relationship between the network parameters of the neural system. The obtained condition can be easily verified as it is in terms of the network parameters only. Some illustrative numerical examples are also given to compare our result with the previous robust stability results derived in the literature.

zUzJ&Bu

Power analysis of static VAr compensators

Analysis of three-phase loads usually assume them to be three impedances in a star or triangle connection. This is the reason why obtained results can only be considered valid for passive loads, strictly speaking. Analysis leading to the proposal of some static compensators is usually performed in this way, which induces to believe that this compensators are only valid for passive loads. An analysis procedure, which uses only powers to describe loads, is expounded in this paper. If applied to the analysis of static compensators, it reveals unequivocally their usefulness with active and passive three-phase loads. Therefore, this method is more general and, as it will be seen, easier.

1Ay8Fet

Detection of user-defined, semantically high-level, composite events, and retrieval of event queries

Detecting events of interest from video sequences, and searching and retrieving events from video databases are important and challenging problems. Event of interest is a very general term, since events of interest can vary significantly among different applications and users. A system that can only detect and/or retrieve a finite set of predefined events will find limited use. Thus, the event detection and retrieval problems introduce additional challenges including providing the user with flexibility to specify customized events with varying complexity, and communicating user-defined events to a system in a generic way. This paper presents a spatio-temporal event detection system that lets users specify semantically high-level and composite events, and then detects their occurrences automatically. Events can be defined on a single camera view or across multiple camera views. In addition to extracting information from videos, detecting customized events, and generating real-time alerts, the proposed system uses the extracted information in the search, retrieval, data management and investigation context. Generated event meta-data is mapped into tables in a relational database against which queries may be launched. It is therefore possible to retrieve events based on various attributes. Moreover, a variety of statistics can be computed on the event data. Thus, the presented system provides capabilities of a fully integrated smart system.

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EMCOS: Energy-efficient Mechanism for Multimedia Streaming over Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

One of the major challenges for multimedia transmission over multimedia WSN (MWSN) in urban environment is the scarcity of spectrum combined with high radio interference. Such environment makes it difficult to ensure high bandwidth, low delay and low packet losses required for real time multimedia streaming applications. We target a scenario of video surveillance in urban environment which not only requires efficiency of spectrum utilization, but also requires energy efficient mechanisms for the battery operated MWSN nodes. In this paper, we propose a new solution for multimedia transmission over WSNs which uses cognitive radio technology for spectrum efficiency and clustering mechanism for energy efficiency. A video streaming solution is proposed that is called EMCOS: Energy-efficient Mechanism for Multimedia Streaming over Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks. EMCOS ensures high quality real time multimedia transmission from one or more sources to a given sink, under different spectrum availability conditions, while efficiently using the energy of the MWSN nodes. First, EMCOS clusters the MWSN nodes into different clusters in order to ensure low energy consumption. Additionally for clustering, EMCOS not only takes into consideration the geographic positions, but it also takes into account the actual and the forecast of the channel availability in order to ensure stable clusters. Once the clusters are built, a cluster head is elected for each cluster in a way which preserves the cluster energy by considering the energy utilization of all cluster members. Further, to ensure the content delivery from the source to the sink, a routing/channel selection mechanism is proposed. The channel selection is based on PU activity forecasts to prevent frequent channel switching. Simulations show that our proposal EMCOS outperforms the two existing pioneering mechanisms called SEARCH and SCEEM. EMCOS outperforms them in terms of providing higher video quality, lower end-to-end transmission delay and lower frame loss ratio under varied spectrum conditions.

38WGjz6

a story-telling approach for a software engineering course design

Advanced programming and software engineering techniques are challenging to learn due to their inherent complexity. However, to the average student they are even more challenging because they have never experienced the context in which the techniques are appropriate. For instance, why learn design patterns to increase maintainability when student exercises are never maintained? In this paper, we outline the contextual problems that software engineering teaching has to deal with and present a story telling approach for course design as a remedy. We outline the stories that over the last five years have structured lecturing and mandatory exercises for our advanced programming/software engineering course, and present benefits, liabilities, and experiences with the approach comparing it to the normal, topic structured, course design.

2w-A4VK

Mobile Communications Using Source-Selected Multi-Antenna AF Relays Over Dual-Hop Nakagami-\({\varvec{m}}\) Channels

This paper presents a scheme for dual-hop amplify-and-forward multi-antenna, multi-relay selection over Nakagami-m fading channels. A source-selected best relay performs maximal ratio combining on received data, applies variable gain, and then uses beamforming to transmit to a destination device. Such a configuration is beneficial for end-to-end communication using single antenna mobile terminals with a multi-antenna relay infrastructure. Closed form expressions for performance metrics are derived that cater for arbitrary number of relays, arbitrary number of receive and transmit antennas and different fading parameters. Results are verified through simulation. Furthermore, the influence of multiple antennas, the effects of fading, power imbalance between hops, and the beneficial impact of additional relays are explored.

1knyW9N

QoS-TEOS: QoS Guaranteed Throughput-Efficiency Optimal Distributed Scheduling in WiMAX Mesh Networks

WiMAX distributed scheduling can be modeled as two procedures: three-way handshaking procedure and data subframe scheduling procedure. Due to manipulating data transmission directly, data subframe scheduling has a closer relationship with user Quality of Service (QoS)satisfaction, and has more severe impact on network performance, compared with handshaking procedure. A QoS guaranteed Throughput-Efficiency Optimal distributed data subframe Scheduling scheme, named as QoS-TEOS, is proposed. QoS-TEOS achieves QoS guarantee through modeling services into different ranks and assigning them with corresponding priorities. A service with higher priority is scheduled ahead of that with lower priority and offered with high QoS quality. Same kinds of services that request similar QoS quality are classified into one service set. Different service sets are scheduled with different strategies. QoS-TEOS promotes network performance through improving network throughput and efficiency. Theoretical analysis shows that the scheduled data transmission should balance data generation rate from upper layer and transmission rate of physical layer, to avoid network throughput and efficiency declining. Simulation results show that QoS-TEOS works excellently to achieve throughput-efficiency optimization and guarantee a high QoS.

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Electromagnetic device optimization by hybrid evolution strategy approaches

Purpose - This paper aims to show on a widely used benchmark problem that chaotic sequences can improve the search ability of evolution strategies (ES). Design/methodology/approach - The Lozi map is used to generate new individuals in the framework of ES algorithms. A quasi-Newton QN method is also used within the iterative loop to improve the solution's quality locally. Findings - It is shown that the combined use of chaotic sequences and QN methods can provide high-quality solutions with small standard deviation on the selected benchmark problem. Research limitations/implications - Although the benchmark is considered to be representative of typical electromagnetic problems, different test cases may give less satisfactory results. Practical implications - The proposed approach appears to be an efficient general purpose optimizer for electromagnetic design problems. Originality/value - This paper introduces the use of chaotic sequences in the area of electromagnetic design optimization.

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exploiting context to detect sensitive information in call center conversations

Protecting sensitive information while preserving the share-ability and usability of data is becoming increasingly important. In call-centers a lot of customer related sensitive information is stored in audio recordings. In this work, we address the problem of protecting sensitive information in audio recordings and speech transcripts. We present a semi-supervised method to model sensitive information as a directed graph. Effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by applying it to the problem of detecting and locating credit card transaction in real life conversations between agents and customers in a call center.

2iBQfDR

Using a wiki to facilitate an online professional learning community for induction and mentoring teachers

The purpose of this case study was to report on the use of a wiki as a tool for conducting online professional learning communities (OLCs) with 26 induction and mentor teachers. Data sources include teachers wiki postings and teacher interviews. Results indicate that: (a) Web 2.0 tools may be most effective in OLCs when the social features are utilized in addition to the features that enable task completion; (b) Using Web 2.0 tools restrictively, and without consideration of their affordances, may inhibit the success of OLCs; (c) Online learning communities for induction teachers may be most effective when supplemented with face-to-face discussion; and (d) A task-driven environment in OLCs can encourage professional dialogue and reflection, but may make induction teachers feel isolated and unsupported.

2HCnv&7

Covolume-upwind finite volume approximations for linear elliptic partial differential equations

In this paper, we study covolume-upwind finite volume methods on rectangular meshes for solving linear elliptic partial differential equations with mixed boundary conditions. To avoid non-physical numerical oscillations for convection-dominated problems, nonstandard control volumes (covolumes) are generated based on local Peclets numbers and the upwind principle for finite volume approximations. Two types of discretization schemes with mass lumping are developed with use of bilinear or biquadratic basis functions as the trial space respectively. Some stability analyses of the schemes are presented for the model problem with constant coefficients. Various examples are also carried out to numerically demonstrate stability and optimal convergence of the proposed methods.

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Channel-aware VoIP packet scheduling in cdma2000 1x EV-DO networks

As cellular networks are evolving into high data rate systems, cdma2000 1x EV-DO (HDR) has been highlighted and deployed for data-only wireless service. For wide applications, it is expected to serve some real-time traffic including VoIP. To meet the loss requirement and to ensure the delay bound of VoIP packets, we consider two scheduling algorithms that are channel-aware and flexible in the frame structure; maximal rate (MAX) algorithm and proportionally fair (PF) algorithm. The PF algorithm was known to be appropriate for elastic traffic, not real time traffic. However, through simulations, we find that the PF algorithm with a simple channel test can become a good approach for supporting VoIP users. When the required slot portion of VoIP is 75%, this algorithm obtains the loss rate of about 1% on the average and 3% in the worse case. On the other hand, the MAX algorithm shows twice of the loss rate when the same delay bound and load are given. These results provide an insight in designing a simple admission control scheme for VoIP users to control the average portion of slots occupied by VoIP packets. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1Lc1rdJ

A generalization of magic squares with applications to digital halftoning

A semimagic square of order n is an n x n matrix containing the integers 0, ..., n(2) - 1 arranged in such a way that each row and column add up to the same value. We generalize this notion to that of a zero k x k -discrepancy matrix by replacing the requirement that the sum of each row and each column be the same by that of requiring that the sum of the entries in each kxk square contiguous submatrix be the same. We show that such matrices exist if k and n are both even, and do not if k and n are relatively prime. Further, the existence is also guaranteed whenever n=k(m), for some integers k, m >= 2. We present a space-efficient algorithm for constructing such a matrix. Another class that we call constant-gap matrices arises in this construction. We give a characterization of such matrices. An application to digital halftoning is also mentioned.

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information content of cpu memory referencing behavior

The memory reference trace of a computation is modeled as a probabilistic process and the information content of that process is derived. Techniques are developed for analyzing the effectiveness of the addressing architecture and Memory/CPU traffic of existing machines with respect to the information theoretic bound for a given trace. Several techniques for analyzing particular aspects of addressing architecture are also developed. Possible areas of improvement for addressing architecture, compilers, and memory architecture are suggested for performance enhancement.

3HNbXFU

An integrated approach to topology, sizing, and shape optimization

Topology optimization has become very popular in industrial applications, and most FEM codes have implemented certain capabilities of topology optimization. However, most codes do not allow simultaneous treatment of sizing and shape optimization during the topology optimization phase. This poses a limitation on the design space and therefore prevents finding possible better designs since the interaction of sizing and shape variables with topology modification is excluded. In this paper, an integrated approach is developed to provide the user with the freedom of combining sizing, shape, and topology optimization in a single process.

1okTSSv

A sketch-based interface to modify and reproduce motion sequences

We present a sketch-based user interface, which was designed to help novices to create 3D character animations by multi-pass sketching, avoiding the ambiguities usually present in sketch input. Our system also contains sketch-based editing and reproducing tools, which allow paths and motions to be partially updated rather than wholly redrawn; and graphical block interface permits motion sequences to be organized and reconfigured easily. A user evaluation with participants of different skill levels suggest that novices using this sketch interface can produce animations almost as quickly as users who are experienced in 3D animation.

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On the evolution of management approaches, frameworks and protocols: A historical perspective

Network, system and service management has evolved into an important scientific discipline over the last 20 years. While management problem solving is expected to continue ad infinitum, one would have expected that, after 20 years of research and standardization, an agreement would have been reached regarding a common management framework and protocol. But despite relevant progress and various available solutions, there seems to exist a permanent quest for the all encompassing next generation management technology. This paper looks at the evolution of management approaches, frameworks and protocols over the last 20 years, proposes a relevant taxonomy, presents the salient features of the representative tecnologies and discusses relevant issues. The purpose of this paper is to document historically this evolution, highlight important design choices and explain the how's and why's behind the various frameworks and technologies. The paper is concluded with a summary and future outlook.