Abstract: This paper presents a new approach for intelligent agent communication based on ontology for agent community. DARPA agent markup language (DAML) is used to build the community ontology. This paper extends the agent management specification by the foundation for intelligent physical agents (FIPA) to develop an agent role called community facilitator (CF) that manages community directory and community ontology. CF helps build agent community. Precise description of agent service in this community can thus be achieved. This facilitates agent communication. Furthermore, through ontology update, agents with different ontology are capable of communicating with each other. An example of advanced traveler information system is included to illustrate practicality of this approach.
Abstract: This paper focuses on PSS/E modeling of wind farms
of Doubly-fed Induction Generator (DFIG) type and their impact on
issues of power system operation. Since Wind Turbine Generators
(WTG) don-t have the same characteristics as synchronous
generators, the appropriate modeling of wind farms is essential for
transmission system operators to analyze the best options of
transmission grid reinforcements as well as to evaluate the wind
power impact on reliability and security of supply. With the high
excepted penetration of wind power into the power system a
simultaneous loss of Wind Farm generation will put at risk power
system security and reliability. Therefore, the main wind grid code
requirements concern the fault ride through capability and frequency
operation range of wind turbines. In case of grid faults wind turbines
have to supply a definite reactive power depending on the
instantaneous voltage and to return quickly to normal operation.
Abstract: Background noise is particularly damaging to speech
intelligibility for people with hearing loss especially for sensorineural
loss patients. Several investigations on speech intelligibility have
demonstrated sensorineural loss patients need 5-15 dB higher SNR
than the normal hearing subjects. This paper describes Discrete
Cosine Transform Power Normalized Least Mean Square algorithm
to improve the SNR and to reduce the convergence rate of the LMS
for Sensory neural loss patients. Since it requires only real arithmetic,
it establishes the faster convergence rate as compare to time domain
LMS and also this transformation improves the eigenvalue
distribution of the input autocorrelation matrix of the LMS filter.
The DCT has good ortho-normal, separable, and energy compaction
property. Although the DCT does not separate frequencies, it is a
powerful signal decorrelator. It is a real valued function and thus
can be effectively used in real-time operation. The advantages of
DCT-LMS as compared to standard LMS algorithm are shown via
SNR and eigenvalue ratio computations. . Exploiting the symmetry
of the basis functions, the DCT transform matrix [AN] can be
factored into a series of ±1 butterflies and rotation angles. This
factorization results in one of the fastest DCT implementation. There
are different ways to obtain factorizations. This work uses the fast
factored DCT algorithm developed by Chen and company. The
computer simulations results show superior convergence
characteristics of the proposed algorithm by improving the SNR at
least 10 dB for input SNR less than and equal to 0 dB, faster
convergence speed and better time and frequency characteristics.
Abstract: An experiment was conducted on the comparative
study of drip and furrow irrigation methods at the farmer-s field in
Umar Kot. The total area under experiment about 4000m2 was
divided into two equal portions. One portion about 40m X 50m was
occupied by drip and the other portion about 40m X 50m by furrow
irrigation method. Soil at the experimental site was clay loam in
texture for 0-60cm depth; average dry bulk density and field capacity
was 1.16g/cm3 and 28.5% respectively. The results reveal that the
drip irrigation method saved 56.4% water and gave 22% more yield
as compared to that of furrow irrigation method. Higher water use
efficiency about 4.87 was obtained in drip irrigation method; whereas
lower water used efficiency about 1.66 was obtained in furrow
irrigation method. The present study suggests farming community to
adopt drip irrigation method instead of old traditional flooding
methods.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a futureoriented
human work environment and organizational activity in
deep mines that entails a vision of good and safe workplace. Futureoriented
technological challenges and mental images required for
modern work organization design were appraised. It is argued that an
intelligent-deep-mine covering the entire value chain, including
environmental issues and with work organization that supports good
working and social conditions towards increased human productivity
could be designed. With such intelligent system and work
organization in place, the mining industry could be seen as a place
where cooperation, skills development and gender equality are key
components. By this perspective, both the youth and women might
view mining activity as an attractive job and the work environment
as a safe, and this could go a long way in breaking the unequal
gender balance that exists in most mines today.
Abstract: This paper evaluates the association between
economic environment in the districts of Madrid (Spain) and physical
inactivity, using income per capita as indicator of economic
environment. The analysis included 6,601 individuals aged 16 to 74
years. The measure of association estimated was the prevalence odds
ratio for physical inactivity by income per capita. After adjusting for
sex, age, and individual socioeconomic characteristics, people living
in the districts with the lowest per capita income had an odds ratio for
physical inactivity 1.58 times higher (95% confidence interval 1.35 to
1.85) than those living in districts with the highest per capita income.
Additional adjustment for the availability of sports facilities in each
district did not decrease the magnitude of the association. These
findings show that the widely believed assumption that the
availability of sports and recreational facilities, as a possible
explanation for the relation between economic environment and
physical inactivity, cannot be considered a universal observation.
Abstract: The fact that traditional food safety system in the
absence of food safety culture is inadequate has recently become a
cause of concern for food safety professionals and other stakeholders.
Focusing on implementation of traditional food safety system i.e
HACCP prerequisite program and HACCP without the presence of
food safety culture in the food industry has led to the processing,
marketing and distribution of contaminated foods. The results of this
are regular out breaks of food borne illnesses and recalls of foods
from retail outlets with serious consequences to the consumers and
manufacturers alike. This article will consider the importance of food
safety culture, the cases of outbreaks and recalls that occurred when
companies did not make food safety culture a priority. Most
importantly, the food safety cultures of some food industries in South
Africa were assessed from responses to questionnaires from food
safety/food industry professionals in Durban South Africa. The
article was concluded by recommending that both food
industry employees and employers alike take food safety culture
seriously.
Abstract: A research project dealing with the phytoremediation
of a soil polluted by some heavy metals is currently running. The
case study is represented by a mining area in Hamedan province in
the central west part of Iran. The potential of phytoextraction and
phytostabilization of plants was evaluated considering the
concentration of heavy metals in the plant tissues and also the
bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the translocation factor (TF). Also
the several established criteria were applied to define
hyperaccumulator plants in the studied area. Results showed that
none of the collected plant species were suitable for phytoextraction
of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn, but among the plants, Euphorbia macroclada
was the most efficient in phytostabilization of Cu and Fe, while,
Ziziphora clinopodioides, Cousinia sp. and Chenopodium botrys
were the most suitable for phytostabilization of Zn and Chondrila
juncea and Stipa barbata had the potential for phytostabilization of
Mn. Using the most common criterion, Euphorbia macroclada and
Verbascum speciosum were Fe hyperaccumulator plants. Present
study showed that native plant species growing on contaminated sites
may have the potential for phytoremediation.
Abstract: The effect of a chiral bianisotropic substrate on the
complex resonant frequency of a rectangular microstrip resonator has
been studied on the basis of the integral equation formulation. The
analysis is based on numerical resolution of the integral equation
using Galerkin procedure for moment method in the spectral domain.
This work aim first to study the effect of the chirality of a
bianisotopic substrate upon the resonant frequency and the half
power bandwidth, second the effect of a magnetic anisotropy via an
asymptotic approach for very weak substrate upon the resonant
frequency and the half power bandwidth has been investigated. The
obtained results are compared with previously published work [11-9],
they were in good agreement.
Abstract: Instead of representing individual cognition only, population cognition is represented using artificial neural networks whilst maintaining individuality. This population network trains continuously, simulating adaptation. An implementation of two coexisting populations is compared to the Lotka-Volterra model of predator-prey interaction. Applications include multi-agent systems such as artificial life or computer games.
Abstract: Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a key role in soil
fertility, hydrology, contaminants control and acts as a sink or source
of terrestrial carbon content that can affect the concentration of
atmospheric CO2. SOC supports the sustainability and quality of
ecosystems, especially in semi-arid region. This study was
conducted to determine relative importance of 13 different
exploratory climatic, soil and geometric factors on the SOC contents
in one of the semiarid watershed zones in Iran. Two methods
canonical discriminate analysis (CDA) and feed-forward back
propagation neural networks were used to predict SOC. Stepwise
regression and sensitivity analysis were performed to identify
relative importance of exploratory variables. Results from sensitivity
analysis showed that 7-2-1 neural networks and 5 inputs in CDA
models output have highest predictive ability that explains %70 and
%65 of SOC variability. Since neural network models outperformed
CDA model, it should be preferred for estimating SOC.
Abstract: In the visual servoing systems, the data obtained by
Visionary is used for controlling robots. In this project, at first the
simulator which was proposed for simulating the performance of a
6R robot before, was examined in terms of software and test, and in
the proposed simulator, existing defects were obviated. In the first
version of simulation, the robot was directed toward the target object only in a Position-based method using two cameras in the
environment. In the new version of the software, three cameras were used simultaneously. The camera which is installed as eye-inhand on the end-effector of the robot is used for visual servoing in a
Feature-based method. The target object is recognized according to
its characteristics and the robot is directed toward the object in compliance with an algorithm similar to the function of human-s
eyes. Then, the function and accuracy of the operation of the robot are examined through Position-based visual servoing method using
two cameras installed as eye-to-hand in the environment. Finally, the obtained results are tested under ANSI-RIA R15.05-2 standard.
Abstract: Sensory nerves in the foot play an important part in the diagnosis of various neuropathydisorders, especially in diabetes mellitus.However, a detailed description of the anatomical distribution of the nerves is currently lacking. A computationalmodel of the afferent nerves inthe foot may bea useful tool for the study of diabetic neuropathy. In this study, we present the development of an anatomically-based model of various major sensory nerves of the sole and dorsal sidesof the foot. In addition, we presentan algorithm for generating synthetic somatosensory nerve networks in the big-toe region of a right foot model. The algorithm was based on a modified version of the Monte Carlo algorithm, with the capability of being able to vary the intra-epidermal nerve fiber density in differentregionsof the foot model. Preliminary results from the combinedmodel show the realistic anatomical structure of the major nerves as well as the smaller somatosensory nerves of the foot. The model may now be developed to investigate the functional outcomes of structural neuropathyindiabetic patients.
Abstract: Diatoms are an important group of aquatic ecosystems and diatom-based indices are increasingly becoming important tools for the assessment of ecological conditions in lotic systems. Although the studies are very limited about Turkish rivers, diatom indices were used for monitoring rivers in different basins. In the present study, we used OMNIDIA program for estimation of stream quality. Some indices have less sensitive (IDP, WAT, LOBO, GENRE, TID, CEE, PT), intermediate sensitivities (IDSE, DESCY, IPS, DI-CH, SLA, IDAP), the others higher sensitivities (SID, IBD, SHE, EPI-D). Among the investigated diatom communities, only a few taxa indicated alfa-mesosaprobity and polysaprobity. Most of the sites were characterized by a great relative contribution of eutraphent and tolerant ones as well as oligosaprobic and betamesosaprobic diatoms. In general, SID and IBD indices gave the best results. This study suggests that the structure of benthic diatom communities and diatom indices, especially SID, can be applied for monitoring rivers in Southern Turkey.
Abstract: An improved topology of a voltage-fed quasi-resonant
soft switching LCrCdc series-parallel half bridge inverter with a constant-frequency for electronic ballast applications is proposed in this paper. This new topology introduces a low-cost solution to
reduce switching losses and circuit rating to achieve high-efficiency
ballast. Switching losses effect on ballast efficiency is discussed
through experimental point of view. In this discussion, an improved
topology in which accomplishes soft switching operation over a wide
power regulation range is proposed. The proposed structure uses reverse recovery diode to provide better operation for the ballast system. A symmetrical pulse wide modulation (PWM) control scheme is implemented to regulate a wide range of out-put power.
Simulation results are kindly verified with the experimental
measurements obtained by ballast-lamp laboratory prototype. Different load conditions are provided in order to clarify the
performance of the proposed converter.
Abstract: This study is to investigate the electroencephalogram (EEG) differences generated from a normal and Alzheimer-s disease (AD) sources. We also investigate the effects of brain tissue distortions due to AD on EEG. We develop a realistic head model from T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using finite element method (FEM) for normal source (somatosensory cortex (SC) in parietal lobe) and AD sources (right amygdala (RA) and left amygdala (LA) in medial temporal lobe). Then, we compare the AD sourced EEGs to the SC sourced EEG for studying the nature of potential changes due to sources and 5% to 20% brain tissue distortions. We find an average of 0.15 magnification errors produced by AD sourced EEGs. Different brain tissue distortion models also generate the maximum 0.07 magnification. EEGs obtained from AD sources and different brain tissue distortion levels vary scalp potentials from normal source, and the electrodes residing in parietal and temporal lobes are more sensitive than other electrodes for AD sourced EEG.
Abstract: Emerging Bio-engineering fields such as Brain
Computer Interfaces, neuroprothesis devices and modeling and
simulation of neural networks have led to increased research activity
in algorithms for the detection, isolation and classification of Action
Potentials (AP) from noisy data trains. Current techniques in the field
of 'unsupervised no-prior knowledge' biosignal processing include
energy operators, wavelet detection and adaptive thresholding. These
tend to bias towards larger AP waveforms, AP may be missed due to
deviations in spike shape and frequency and correlated noise
spectrums can cause false detection. Also, such algorithms tend to
suffer from large computational expense.
A new signal detection technique based upon the ideas of phasespace
diagrams and trajectories is proposed based upon the use of a
delayed copy of the AP to highlight discontinuities relative to
background noise. This idea has been used to create algorithms that
are computationally inexpensive and address the above problems.
Distinct AP have been picked out and manually classified from
real physiological data recorded from a cockroach. To facilitate
testing of the new technique, an Auto Regressive Moving Average
(ARMA) noise model has been constructed bases upon background
noise of the recordings. Along with the AP classification means this
model enables generation of realistic neuronal data sets at arbitrary
signal to noise ratio (SNR).
Abstract: This paper characterizes the effects of artificial short
term aging in the laboratory on the rheological properties of virgin
80/100 penetration grade asphalt binder. After several years in
service, asphalt mixture started to deteriorate due to aging. Aging is a
complex physico-chemical phenomenon that influences asphalt
binder rheological properties causing a deterioration in asphalt
mixture performance. To ascertain asphalt binder aging effects, the
virgin, artificially aged and extracted asphalt binder were tested via
the Rolling Thin film Oven (RTFO), Dynamic Shear Rheometer
(DSR) and Rotational Viscometer (RV). A comparative study
between laboratory and field aging conditions were also carried out.
The results showed that the specimens conditioned for 85 minutes
inside the RTFO was insufficient to simulate the actual short term
aging caused that took place in the field under Malaysian field
conditions
Abstract: This paper presents the applications of computational intelligence techniques to economic load dispatch problems. The fuel cost equation of a thermal plant is generally expressed as continuous quadratic equation. In real situations the fuel cost equations can be discontinuous. In view of the above, both continuous and discontinuous fuel cost equations are considered in the present paper. First, genetic algorithm optimization technique is applied to a 6- generator 26-bus test system having continuous fuel cost equations. Results are compared to conventional quadratic programming method to show the superiority of the proposed computational intelligence technique. Further, a 10-generator system each with three fuel options distributed in three areas is considered and particle swarm optimization algorithm is employed to minimize the cost of generation. To show the superiority of the proposed approach, the results are compared with other published methods.
Abstract: In this paper parametric analytical studies have been carried out to examine the intrinsic flow physics pertaining to the liftoff time of solid propellant rockets. Idealized inert simulators of solid rockets are selected for numerical studies to examining the preignition chamber dynamics. Detailed diagnostic investigations have been carried out using an unsteady two-dimensional k-omega turbulence model. We conjectured from the numerical results that the altered variations of the igniter jet impingement angle, turbulence level, time and location of the first ignition, flame spread characteristics, the overall chamber dynamics including the boundary layer growth history are having bearing on the time for nozzle flow chocking for establishing the required thrust for the rocket liftoff. We concluded that the altered flow choking time of strap-on motors with the pre-determined identical ignition time at the lift off phase will lead to the malfunctioning of the rocket. We also concluded that, in the light of the space debris, an error in predicting the liftoff time can lead to an unfavorable launch window amounts the satellite injection errors and/or the mission failures.