Abstract: Negation is useful in the majority of the real world applications. However, its introduction leads to semantic and canonical problems. SEPN nets are well adapted extension of predicate nets for the definition and manipulation of stratified programs. This formalism is characterized by two main contributions. The first concerns the management of the whole class of stratified programs. The second contribution is related to usual operations optimization (maximal stratification, incremental updates ...). We propose, in this paper, useful algorithms for manipulating stratified programs using SEPN. These algorithms were implemented and validated with STRPRO tool.
Abstract: This article concerns the presentation of an integrated
method for detection of steganographic content embedded by new
unknown programs. The method is based on data mining and
aggregated hypothesis testing. The article contains the theoretical
basics used to deploy the proposed detection system and the
description of improvement proposed for the basic system idea.
Further main results of experiments and implementation details are
collected and described. Finally example results of the tests are
presented.
Abstract: Free and open source software is gaining popularity at
an unprecedented rate of growth. Organizations despite some
concerns about the quality have been using them for various
purposes. One of the biggest concerns about free and open source
software is post release software defects and their fixing. Many
believe that there is no appropriate support available to fix the bugs.
On the contrary some believe that due to the active involvement of
internet user in online forums, they become a major source of
communicating the identification and fixing of defects in open source
software. The research model of this empirical investigation
establishes and studies the relationship between open source software
defects and online public forums. The results of this empirical study
provide evidence about the realities of software defects myths of
open source software. We used a dataset consist of 616 open source
software projects covering a broad range of categories to study the
research model of this investigation. The results of this investigation
show that online forums play a significant role identifying and fixing
the defects in open source software.
Abstract: Wavelet transforms is a very powerful tools for image compression. One of its advantage is the provision of both spatial and frequency localization of image energy. However, wavelet transform coefficients are defined by both a magnitude and sign. While algorithms exist for efficiently coding the magnitude of the transform coefficients, they are not efficient for the coding of their sign. It is generally assumed that there is no compression gain to be obtained from the coding of the sign. Only recently have some authors begun to investigate the sign of wavelet coefficients in image coding. Some authors have assumed that the sign information bit of wavelet coefficients may be encoded with the estimated probability of 0.5; the same assumption concerns the refinement information bit. In this paper, we propose a new method for Separate Sign Coding (SSC) of wavelet image coefficients. The sign and the magnitude of wavelet image coefficients are examined to obtain their online probabilities. We use the scalar quantization in which the information of the wavelet coefficient to belong to the lower or to the upper sub-interval in the uncertainly interval is also examined. We show that the sign information and the refinement information may be encoded by the probability of approximately 0.5 only after about five bit planes. Two maps are separately entropy encoded: the sign map and the magnitude map. The refinement information of the wavelet coefficient to belong to the lower or to the upper sub-interval in the uncertainly interval is also entropy encoded. An algorithm is developed and simulations are performed on three standard images in grey scale: Lena, Barbara and Cameraman. Five scales are performed using the biorthogonal wavelet transform 9/7 filter bank. The obtained results are compared to JPEG2000 standard in terms of peak signal to noise ration (PSNR) for the three images and in terms of subjective quality (visual quality). It is shown that the proposed method outperforms the JPEG2000. The proposed method is also compared to other codec in the literature. It is shown that the proposed method is very successful and shows its performance in term of PSNR.
Abstract: General as well as the MSW management in Thailand is reviewed in this paper. Topics include the MSW generation, sources, composition, and trends. The review, then, moves to sustainable solutions for MSW management, sustainable alternative approaches with an emphasis on an integrated MSW management. Information of waste in Thailand is also given at the beginning of this paper for better understanding of later contents. It is clear that no one single method of MSW disposal can deal with all materials in an environmentally sustainable way. As such, a suitable approach in MSW management should be an integrated approach that could deliver both environmental and economic sustainability. With increasing environmental concerns, the integrated MSW management system has a potential to maximize the useable waste materials as well as produce energy as a by-product. In Thailand, the compositions of waste (86%) are mainly organic waste, paper, plastic, glass, and metal. As a result, the waste in Thailand is suitable for an integrated MSW management. Currently, the Thai national waste management policy starts to encourage the local administrations to gather into clusters to establish central MSW disposal facilities with suitable technologies and reducing the disposal cost based on the amount of MSW generated.
Abstract: This paper studies the dependability of componentbased
applications, especially embedded ones, from the diagnosis
point of view. The principle of the diagnosis technique is to
implement inter-component tests in order to detect and locate the
faulty components without redundancy. The proposed approach for
diagnosing faulty components consists of two main aspects. The first
one concerns the execution of the inter-component tests which
requires integrating test functionality within a component. This is the
subject of this paper. The second one is the diagnosis process itself
which consists of the analysis of inter-component test results to
determine the fault-state of the whole system. Advantage of this
diagnosis method when compared to classical redundancy faulttolerant
techniques are application autonomy, cost-effectiveness and
better usage of system resources. Such advantage is very important
for many systems and especially for embedded ones.
Abstract: The promises of component-based technology can only be fully realized when the system contains in its design a necessary level of separation of concerns. The authors propose to focus on the concerns that emerge throughout the life cycle of the system and use them as an architectural foundation for the design of a component-based framework. The proposed model comprises a set of superimposed views of the system describing its functional and non-functional concerns. This approach is illustrated by the design of a specific framework for data analysis and data acquisition and supplemented with experiences from using the systems developed with this framework at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Abstract: Productivity has been one of the major concerns with the increasingly high cost of software development. Choosing the right development language with high productivity is one approach to reduce development costs. Working on the large database with 4106 projects ever developed, we found the factors significant to productivity. After the removal of the effects of other factors on productivity, we compare the productivity differences of the ten general development programs. The study supports the fact that fourth-generation languages are more productive than thirdgeneration languages.
Abstract: The rapid adoption of Internet has turned the Millennial Teens- life like a lightning speed. Empirical evidence has illustrated that Pathological Internet Use (PIU) among them ensure long-term success to the market players in the children industry. However, it creates concerns among their care takers as it generates mental disorder among some of them. The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of PIU and identify its outcomes among urban Millennial Teens. It aims to develop a theoretical framework based on a modified Media System Dependency (MSD) Theory that integrates important systems and components that determine and resulted from PIU.
Abstract: This paper concerns the study of sustainable construction materials applied on the "Health Post", a prototype for the primary health care situated in alienated areas of the world. It's suitable for social and climatic Sub-Saharan context; however, it could be moved in other countries of the world with similar urgent needs. The idea is to create a Health Post with local construction materials that have a low environmental impact and promote the local workforce allowing reuse of traditional building techniques lowering production costs and transport. The aim of Primary Health Care Centre is to be a flexible and expandable structure identifying a modular form that can be repeated several times to expand its existing functions. In this way it could be not only a health care centre but also a socio-cultural facility.
Abstract: Cavitation, usually known as a destructive
phenomenon, involves turbulent unsteady two-phase flow. Having
such features, cavitating flows have been turned to a challenging
topic in numerical studies and many researches are being done for
better understanding of bubbly flows and proposing solutions to
reduce its consequent destructive effects. Aeration may be regarded
as an effective protection against cavitation erosion in many
hydraulic structures, like gated tunnels. The paper concerns
numerical simulation of flow in discharge gated tunnel of a dam
using ing RNG k -ε model coupled with the volume of fluid (VOF)
method and the zone which is susceptible of cavitation inception in
the tunnel is predicted. In the second step, a vent is considered in the
mentioned zone for aeration and the numerical simulation is done
again to study the effects of aeration. The results show that aeration
is an impressively useful method to exclude cavitation in mentioned
tunnels.
Abstract: As a matter of the fact that online social networks like
Twitter, Facebook and MySpace have experienced an extensive
growth in recent years. Social media offers individuals with a tool for
communicating and interacting with one another. These social
networks enable people to stay in touch with other people and
express themselves. This process makes the users of online social
networks active creators of content rather than being only consumers
of traditional media. That’s why millions of people show strong
desire to learn the methods and tools of digital content production
and necessary communication skills. However, the booming interest
in communication and interaction through online social networks and
high level of eagerness to invent and implement the ways to
participate in content production raise some privacy and security
concerns.
This presentation aims to open the assumed revolutionary,
democratic and liberating nature of the online social media up for
discussion by reviewing some recent political developments in
Turkey. Firstly, the role of Internet and online social networks in
mobilizing collective movements through social interactions and
communications will be questioned. Secondly, some cases from Gezi
and Okmeydanı Protests and also December 17-25 period will be
presented in order to illustrate misinformation and manipulation in
social media and violation of individual privacy through online social
networks in order to damage social unity and stability contradictory
to democratic nature of online social networking.
Abstract: Product Data Management (PDM) systems for Computer
Aided Design (CAD) file management are widely established
in design processes. This management system is indispensable for
design collaboration or when design task distribution is present. It is
thus surprising that engineering design curricula has not paid much
attention in the education of PDM systems. This is also the case
for eduction of ecodesign and environmental evaluation of products.
With the rise of sustainability as a strategic aspect in companies,
environmental concerns are becoming a key issue in design. This
paper discusses the establishment of a PDM platform to be used
among technical and vocational schools in Austria. The PDM system
facilitates design collaboration among these schools. Further, it will
be discussed how the PDM system has been prepared in order to
facilitate environmental evaluation of parts, components and subassemblies
of a product. By integrating a Business Intelligence
solution, environmental Life Cycle Assessment and communication
of results is enabled.
Abstract: Voltage collapse is instability of heavily loaded electric
power systems that cause to declining voltages and blackout. Power
systems are predicated to become more heavily loaded in the future
decade as the demand for electric power rises while economic and
environmental concerns limit the construction of new transmission
and generation capacity. Heavily loaded power systems are closer to
their stability limits and voltage collapse blackouts will occur if
suitable monitoring and control measures are not taken. To control
transmission lines, it can be used from FACTS devices.
In this paper Harmony search algorithm (HSA) and Genetic
Algorithm (GA) have applied to determine optimal location of
FACTS devices in a power system to improve power system stability.
Three types of FACTS devices (TCPAT, UPFS, and SVC) have been
introduced. Bus under voltage has been solved by controlling reactive
power of shunt compensator. Also a combined series-shunt
compensators has been also used to control transmission power flow
and bus voltage simultaneously.
Different scenarios have been considered. First TCPAT, UPFS, and
SVC are placed solely in transmission lines and indices have been
calculated. Then two types of above controller try to improve
parameters randomly. The last scenario tries to make better voltage
stability index and losses by implementation of three types controller
simultaneously. These scenarios are executed on typical 34-bus test
system and yields efficiency in improvement of voltage profile and
reduction of power losses; it also may permit an increase in power
transfer capacity, maximum loading, and voltage stability margin.
Abstract: One of the most ancient humankind concerns is knowledge formalization i.e. what a concept is. Concept Analysis, a branch of analytical philosophy, relies on the purpose of decompose the elements, relations and meanings of a concept. This paper aims at presenting a method to make a concept analysis obtaining a knowledge representation suitable to be processed by a computer system using either object-oriented or ontology technologies. Security notion is, usually, known as a set of different concepts related to “some kind of protection". Our method concludes that a more general framework for the concept, despite it is dynamic, is possible and any particular definition (instantiation) depends on the elements used by its construction instead of the concept itself.
Abstract: Degradation of polymeric insulation systems of
electrical equipments increases the space charge density and the
concentration of electrical dipoles. By consequence, the maximum
values and the slopes of absorption/resorption (A/R) currents can
change with insulation systems ageing. In this paper, an analysis of
the nature of the A/R currents and the importance of their
components, especially the polarization current and the current given
by the space charge, is presented. The experimental study concerns
the A/R currents measurements of plane samples (made from
CALMICAGLAS tapes), virgin and thermally accelerated aged. The
obtained results show that the ageing process produces an increase of
the values and a decrease of shapes of the A/R currents. Finally, the
possibility of estimating insulations ageing state and lifetime from
A/R currents measurements is discussed.
Abstract: Increasing concerns over climate change have limited
the liberal usage of available energy technology options. India faces
a formidable challenge to meet its energy needs and provide adequate
energy of desired quality in various forms to users in sustainable
manner at reasonable costs. In this paper, work carried out with an
objective to study the role of various energy technology options
under different scenarios namely base line scenario, high nuclear
scenario, high renewable scenario, low growth and high growth rate
scenario. The study has been carried out using Model for Energy
Supply Strategy Alternatives and their General Environmental
Impacts (MESSAGE) model which evaluates the alternative energy
supply strategies with user defined constraints on fuel availability,
environmental regulations etc. The projected electricity demand, at
the end of study period i.e. 2035 is 500490 MWYr. The model
predicted the share of the demand by Thermal: 428170 MWYr,
Hydro: 40320 MWYr, Nuclear: 14000 MWYr, Wind: 18000 MWYr
in the base line scenario. Coal remains the dominant fuel for
production of electricity during the study period. However, the
import dependency of coal increased during the study period. In
baseline scenario the cumulative carbon dioxide emissions upto 2035
are about 11,000 million tones of CO2. In the scenario of high nuclear
capacity the carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 10 % when nuclear
energy share increased to 9 % compared to 3 % in baseline scenario.
Similarly aggressive use of renewables reduces 4 % of carbon
dioxide emissions.
Abstract: Aspect Oriented Programming promises many
advantages at programming level by incorporating the cross cutting
concerns into separate units, called aspects. Join Points are
distinguishing features of Aspect Oriented Programming as they
define the points where core requirements and crosscutting concerns
are (inter)connected. Currently, there is a problem of multiple
aspects- composition at the same join point, which introduces the
issues like ordering and controlling of these superimposed aspects.
Dynamic strategies are required to handle these issues as early as
possible. State chart is an effective modeling tool to capture dynamic
behavior at high level design. This paper provides methodology to
formulate the strategies for multiple aspect composition at high level,
which helps to better implement these strategies at coding level. It
also highlights the need of designing shared join point at high level,
by providing the solutions of these issues using state chart diagrams
in UML 2.0. High level design representation of shared join points
also helps to implement the designed strategy in systematic way.
Abstract: The author present PID controller design for
following control of hard disk drive by characteristic ratio assignment
method. The study in this paper concerns design of a PID controller
which sufficiently robust to the disturbances and plant perturbations
on following control of hard disk drive. Characteristic Ratio
Assignment (CRA) is shown to be an efficient control technique to
serve this requirement. The controller design by CRA is based on the
choice of the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of the
closed loop system according to the convenient performance criteria
such as equivalent time constant and ration of characteristic
coefficient. Hence, in this study, CRA method is applied in PID
controller design for following control of hard disk drive. Matlab
simulation results shown that CRA design is fairly stable and robust
whilst giving the convenience in controller-s parameters adjustment.
Abstract: Residues are produced in all stages of human activities
in terms of composition and volume which vary according to
consumption practices and to production methods. Forms of
significant harm to the environment are associated to volume of
generated material as well as to improper disposal of solid wastes,
whose negative effects are noticed more frequently in the long term.
The solution to this problem constitutes a challenge to the
government, industry and society, because they involve economic,
social, environmental and, especially, awareness of the population in
general. The main concerns are focused on the impact it can have on
human health and on the environment (soil, water, air and sights).
The hazardous waste produced mainly by industry, are particularly
worrisome because, when improperly managed, they become a
serious threat to the environment. In view of this issue, this study
aimed to evaluate the management system of solid waste of a coprocessing
industrial waste company, to propose improvements to the
rejects generation management in a specific step of the Blending
production process.