Abstract: A computer model of Quantum Theory (QT) has been
developed by the author. Major goal of the computer model was
support and demonstration of an as large as possible scope of QT.
This includes simulations for the major QT (Gedanken-) experiments
such as, for example, the famous double-slit experiment.
Besides the anticipated difficulties with (1) transforming exacting
mathematics into a computer program, two further types of problems
showed up, namely (2) areas where QT provides a complete mathematical
formalism, but when it comes to concrete applications the
equations are not solvable at all, or only with extremely high effort;
(3) QT rules which are formulated in natural language and which do
not seem to be translatable to precise mathematical expressions, nor
to a computer program.
The paper lists problems in all three categories and describes also
the possible solutions or circumventions developed for the computer
model.
Abstract: We constructed a method of phase unwrapping for a typical wave-front by utilizing the maximizer of the posterior marginal (MPM) estimate corresponding to equilibrium statistical mechanics of the three-state Ising model on a square lattice on the basis of an analogy between statistical mechanics and Bayesian inference. We investigated the static properties of an MPM estimate from a phase diagram using Monte Carlo simulation for a typical wave-front with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. The simulations clarified that the surface-consistency conditions were useful for extending the phase where the MPM estimate was successful in phase unwrapping with a high degree of accuracy and that introducing prior information into the MPM estimate also made it possible to extend the phase under the constraint of the surface-consistency conditions with a high degree of accuracy. We also found that the MPM estimate could be used to reconstruct the original wave-fronts more smoothly, if we appropriately tuned hyper-parameters corresponding to temperature to utilize fluctuations around the MAP solution. Also, from the viewpoint of statistical mechanics of the Q-Ising model, we found that the MPM estimate was regarded as a method for searching the ground state by utilizing thermal fluctuations under the constraint of the surface-consistency condition.
Abstract: Does open ended creative technology give positive impact in learning design? Although there are many researchers had examined on the impact of technology on design education but there are very few conclusive researches done on the impact of open ended used of software to learning design. This paper sought to investigate a group of student-s experience on relatively wider range of software application within the context of design project. A typography design project was used to create a learning environment with the aim of inculcate design skills into the learners and increase their creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The methods used in this study were questionnaire survey and personal observation which will be focus on the individual and group response during the completion of the task.
Abstract: The unanticipated brittle fracture of connection of the
steel moment resisting frame (SMRF) occurred in 1994 the Northridge
earthquake. Since then, the researches for the vulnerability of
connection of the existing SMRF and for rehabilitation of those
buildings were conducted. This paper suggests performance-based
optimal seismic retrofit technique using connection upgrade. For
optimal design, a multi-objective genetic algorithm(NSGA-II) is used.
One of the two objective functions is to minimize initial cost and
another objective function is to minimize lifetime seismic damages
cost. The optimal algorithm proposed in this paper is performed
satisfying specified performance objective based on FEMA 356. The
nonlinear static analysis is performed for structural seismic
performance evaluation. A numerical example of SAC benchmark
SMRF is provided using the performance-based optimal seismic
retrofit technique proposed in this paper
Abstract: PARIS (Personal Archiving and Retrieving Image
System) is an experiment personal photograph library, which includes
more than 80,000 of consumer photographs accumulated within a
duration of approximately five years, metadata based on our proposed
MPEG-7 annotation architecture, Dozen Dimensional Digital Content
(DDDC), and a relational database structure. The DDDC architecture
is specially designed for facilitating the managing, browsing and
retrieving of personal digital photograph collections. In annotating
process, we also utilize a proposed Spatial and Temporal Ontology
(STO) designed based on the general characteristic of personal
photograph collections. This paper explains PRAIS system.
Abstract: For higher order multiplications, a huge number of
adders or compressors are to be used to perform the partial product
addition. We have reduced the number of adders by introducing
special kind of adders that are capable to add five/six/seven bits per
decade. These adders are called compressors. Binary counter
property has been merged with the compressor property to develop
high order compressors. Uses of these compressors permit the
reduction of the vertical critical paths. A 16×16 bit multiplier has
been developed using these compressors. These compressors make
the multipliers faster as compared to the conventional design that
have been used 4-2 compressors and 3-2 compressors.
Abstract: In this paper we describe a hybrid technique of Minimax search and aggregate Mahalanobis distance function synthesis to evolve Awale game player. The hybrid technique helps to suggest a move in a short amount of time without looking into endgame database. However, the effectiveness of the technique is heavily dependent on the training dataset of the Awale strategies utilized. The evolved player was tested against Awale shareware program and the result is appealing.
Abstract: In this paper, the effects of thermodynamic,
hydrodynamic and geometric of an air cooled condenser on COP of
vapor compression cycle are investigated for a fixed condenser facing
surface area. The system is utilized with a scroll compressor,
modeled based on thermodynamic and heat transfer equations
employing Matlab software. The working refrigerant is R134a whose
thermodynamic properties are called from Engineering Equation
Software. This simulation shows that vapor compression cycle can
be designed by different configurations and COPs, economical and
optimum working condition can be obtained via considering these
parameters.
Abstract: In this paper we investigated a number of the Internet
congestion control algorithms that has been developed in the last few
years. It was obviously found that many of these algorithms were
designed to deal with the Internet traffic merely as a train of
consequent packets. Other few algorithms were specifically tailored
to handle the Internet congestion caused by running media traffic that
represents audiovisual content. This later set of algorithms is
considered to be aware of the nature of this media content. In this
context we briefly explained a number of congestion control
algorithms and hence categorized them into the two following
categories: i) Media congestion control algorithms. ii) Common
congestion control algorithms. We hereby recommend the usage of
the media congestion control algorithms for the reason of being
media content-aware rather than the other common type of
algorithms that blindly manipulates such traffic. We showed that the
spread of such media content-aware algorithms over Internet will
lead to better congestion control status in the coming years. This is
due to the observed emergence of the era of digital convergence
where the media traffic type will form the majority of the Internet
traffic.
Abstract: IMCS is Integrated Monitoring and Control System for
thermal power plant. This system consists of mainly two parts; controllers and OIS (Operator Interface System). These two parts are
connected by Ethernet-based communication. The controller side of communication is managed by CNet module and OIS side is managed
by data server of OIS. CNet module sends the data of controller to data
server and receives commend data from data server. To minimizes or
balance the load of data server, this module buffers data created by controller at every cycle and send buffered data to data server on request of data server. For multiple data server, this module manages
the connection line with each data server and response for each request
from multiple data server. CNet module is included in each controller
of redundant system. When controller fail-over happens on redundant system, this module can provide data of controller to data sever
without loss. This paper presents three main features – separation of get task, usage of ring buffer and monitoring communication status –of CNet module to carry out these functions.
Abstract: Experiments were conducted to characterize fire
properties of wood exposed to the certain external heat flux and
under variety of wood moisture content. Six kinds of Indonesian
wood: keruing, sono, cemara, kamper, pinus, and mahoni were
exposed to radiant heat from a conical heater, result in appearance of
a stable flame on the wood surface caused by spontaneous ignition. A
thermocouple K-type was used to measure the wood surface
temperature. Temperature histories were recorded throughout each
experiment at 1 s intervals using a TC-08. Data of first ignition time
and temperature, end ignition time and temperature, and charring rate
have been successfully collected. It was found that the ignition
temperature and charring rate depend on moisture content of wood.
Abstract: Snoring is prevalent and is the most significant feature
of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Ignore the therapies of SDB will
lead to serious problems in health. Based on the research of
mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments of snoring, oral appliances are
ensured in therapeutic effect and compliance, especially the
mandibular advancement devices (MADs). Market survey includes
commercial product reviews and patent analyses. Due to pay more
attention to the sleep medicine, the oral appliances are considered as a
standard treatment of snoring that promoted by American Academy of
Sleep Medicine (AASM). There are more and more adjustable MADs
developed since 1995. According to the patent analyses, there are
many drawbacks existed in the present design, such as uncomfortable,
high cost, bulky volume, and complex adjustment. In this study,
several new designs of the MAD are proposed.
Abstract: The present work presents a method of calculating the
ductility of rectangular sections of beams considering nonlinear
behavior of concrete and steel. This calculation procedure allows us
to trace the curvature of the section according to the bending
moment, and consequently deduce ductility. It also allowed us to
study the various parameters that affect the value of the ductility. A
comparison of the effect of maximum rates of tension steel, adopted
by the codes, ACI [1], EC8 [2] and RPA [3] on the value of the
ductility was made. It was concluded that the maximum rate of steels
permitted by the ACI [1] codes and RPA [3] are almost similar in
their effect on the ductility and too high. Therefore, the ductility
mobilized in case of an earthquake is low, the inverse of code EC8
[2]. Recommendations have been made in this direction.
Abstract: This paper presents the design and implements the prototype of an intelligent data processing framework in ubiquitous sensor networks. Much focus is put on how to handle the sensor data stream as well as the interoperability between the low-level sensor data and application clients. Our framework first addresses systematic middleware which mitigates the interaction between the application layer and low-level sensors, for the sake of analyzing a great volume of sensor data by filtering and integrating to create value-added context information. Then, an agent-based architecture is proposed for real-time data distribution to efficiently forward a specific event to the appropriate application registered in the directory service via the open interface. The prototype implementation demonstrates that our framework can host a sophisticated application on the ubiquitous sensor network and it can autonomously evolve to new middleware, taking advantages of promising technologies such as software agents, XML, cloud computing, and the like.
Abstract: Biomimicry has many potential benefits as many
technologies found in nature are superior to their man-made
counterparts. As technological device components approach the micro
and nanoscale, surface properties such as surface adhesion and friction
may need to be taken into account. Lowering surface adhesion by
manipulating chemistry alone might no longer be sufficient for such
components and thus physical manipulation may be required.
Adhesion reduction is only one of the many surface functions
displayed by micro/nano-structured cuticles of insects. Here, we
present a mini review of our understanding of insect cuticle structures
and the relationship between the structure dimensions and the
corresponding functional mechanisms. It may be possible to introduce
additional properties to material surfaces (indeed multi-functional
properties) based on the design of natural surfaces.
Abstract: Cognitive models allow predicting some aspects of utility
and usability of human machine interfaces (HMI), and simulating
the interaction with these interfaces. The action of predicting is based
on a task analysis, which investigates what a user is required to do
in terms of actions and cognitive processes to achieve a task. Task
analysis facilitates the understanding of the system-s functionalities.
Cognitive models are part of the analytical approaches, that do not
associate the users during the development process of the interface.
This article presents a study about the evaluation of a human
machine interaction with a contextual assistant-s interface using ACTR
and GOMS cognitive models. The present work shows how these
techniques may be applied in the evaluation of HMI, design and
research by emphasizing firstly the task analysis and secondly the
time execution of the task. In order to validate and support our
results, an experimental study of user performance is conducted at
the DOMUS laboratory, during the interaction with the contextual
assistant-s interface. The results of our models show that the GOMS
and ACT-R models give good and excellent predictions respectively
of users performance at the task level, as well as the object level.
Therefore, the simulated results are very close to the results obtained
in the experimental study.
Abstract: This paper presents the findings of an
experimental investigation to study the effect of alkali content
in geopolymer mortar specimens exposed to sulphuric acid.
Geopolymer mortar specimens were manufactured from Class F fly
ash by activation with a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium
silicate solution containing 5% to 8% Na2O. Durability of specimens
were assessed by immersing them in 10% sulphuric acid solution and
periodically monitoring surface deterioration and depth of
dealkalization, changes in weight and residual compressive strength
over a period of 24 weeks. Microstructural changes in the specimens
were studied with Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDAX.
Alkali content in the activator solution significantly affects the
durability of fly ash based geopolymer mortars in sulphuric acid.
Specimens manufactured with higher alkali content performed better
than those manufactured with lower alkali content. After 24 weeks in
sulphuric acid, specimen with 8% alkali still recorded a residual
strength as high as 55%.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the islands
tourist travel information sources, as well as for the satisfaction of the
tourist destination services. This study used questionnaires to the
island of Taiwan to the Penghu Islands to engage in tourism activities
tourist adopt the designated convenience sampling method, a total of
889 valid questionnaires were collected. After statistical analysis, this
study found that: 1. tourists to the Penghu Islands travel information
source for “friends and family came to Penghu". 2. Tourists feel the
service of the outlying islands of Penghu, the highest feelings of
“friendly local residents". 3. There are different demographic variables
affect the tourist travel information source and service satisfaction.
Based on the findings of this study not only for Penghu's tourism
industry with the unit in charge of the proposed operating and
suggestions for future research to other researchers.
Abstract: In today-s new technology era, cluster has become a
necessity for the modern computing and data applications since many
applications take more time (even days or months) for computation.
Although after parallelization, computation speeds up, still time
required for much application can be more. Thus, reliability of the
cluster becomes very important issue and implementation of fault
tolerant mechanism becomes essential. The difficulty in designing a
fault tolerant cluster system increases with the difficulties of various
failures. The most imperative obsession is that the algorithm, which
avoids a simple failure in a system, must tolerate the more severe
failures. In this paper, we implemented the theory of watchdog timer
in a parallel environment, to take care of failures. Implementation of
simple algorithm in our project helps us to take care of different
types of failures; consequently, we found that the reliability of this
cluster improves.
Abstract: Fast depth estimation from binocular vision is often
desired for autonomous vehicles, but, most algorithms could not easily
be put into practice because of the much time cost. We present an
image-processing technique that can fast estimate depth image from
binocular vision images. By finding out the lines which present the
best matched area in the disparity space image, the depth can be
estimated. When detecting these lines, an edge-emphasizing filter is
used. The final depth estimation will be presented after the smooth
filter. Our method is a compromise between local methods and global
optimization.