Unsupervised image segmentation based on MRFs and graph cuts

Markov random fields （MRFs） can be used for a wide variety of vision problems. In this paper we will propose a Markov random field （MRF） image segmentation model. The theoretical framework is based on Bayesian estimation via the energy optimization. Graph cuts have emerged as a powerful optimization technique for minimizing energy functions that arise in low-level vision problem. The theorem of Ford and Fulkerson states that min-cut and max-flow problems are equivalent. So, the minimum s/t cut problem can be solved by finding a maximum flow from the source s to the sink t. we adopt a new min-cut/max-flow algorithm which belongs to the group of algorithms based on augmenting paths. We propose a parameter estimation method using expectation maximization （EM） algorithm. We also choose Gaussian mixture model as our image model and model the density associated with one of image segments （or classes） as a multivariate Gaussian distribution. Characteristic features related to the information in color, texture and position are extracted for each pixel. Experimental results will be provided to illustrate the performance of our method.     

Knowledge assessment-practical example in testing

Knowledge assessment is inseparable part of current e-learning technologies. It can be used for self-assessment of students to give them feedback about their progress in a study or for an intermediate or final grading for tutors. However, knowledge tests are not developed with the adequate care. Author＇s experience in the area of knowledge assessment led to a confidence the ＂unstructured＂ testing is usually used in this process. It means that many of knowledge tests are not designed to reveal the reached level of knowledge. Moreover, testing suites are reviewed very seldom regarding their validity and items correlation. This paper presents experiences gained during the design and implementation of specific software focused on teaching several principles of the Unix-like operating systems. The structure of the specific assignment follows the Bloom＇s taxonomy of educational objectives.     

Improving extraction of watermarks in color attacked watermarked images

A new approach for modeling color attacks of RGB-color watermarked images is presented in this paper. We have used a based interpolation watermarking algorithm and supposed that the attacks are simulated by a scaling of the colors followed by a translation. Then give bounds for the extracted watermark depending on the original image, the watermark and the attack. Different attacks like LSB, embedding another watermark, Stirmark have been simulated and the quality of the extracted watermark is discussed in each case.     

Application of data warehouse in power transformer diagnosis system

Electric power companies have accumulated huge amounts of historical fault data of power transformer after many years operation, but the decision-makers have not been greatly supported because of the limitation of knowledge and can not make decision for transformer condition assessment. A real power corporation is selected as the research background. Based on analyzing and reorganizing the various existing data sources, the power transformer fault information data warehouse is constructed and snowflake mode cubes for multi-dimension data are established. By using Processing） and data mining analyzing and inquiring data OLAP（On-Line Analysis technology, forecasting load, warehouse are realized from different point view and multi-layers, including rolling up, drilling down, slicing, dicing and rotating etc.. Moreover, this paper proposes a novel transformer fault data mining system based on data warehouse. Finally, bayes network of fault patterns are obtained, which can greatly help the decision-making for the system operating and management. The results show that transformer fault diagnosing system based on data warehouse technology can provide efficient decision supporting.     

A new knowledge reduction algorithm for information system

The discernible Boolean matrix of information system is defined. The model of attribute reduction in the form of linear logical equations is established. The necessary and sufficient condition for determining whether the attribute is absolutely necessary, relatively necessary and absolutely superfluous is given. Finally, an elementary knowledge reduction algorithm is proposed.     

Rescheduling to minimize total completion time under a limit on the makespan of the original jobs

We consider the rescheduling problems arising when two agents, each with a set of nonpreemptive jobs, compete to perform their respective jobs on a common processing resource. Each agent wants to minimize a certain objective function, which depends on the completion time of its jobs only. In this paper, we consider the two agents rescheduling problems for jobs on a single machine to minimize total completion time under a limit on the makespan of the original jobs. We show that the considered problems can be solved in polynomial time or pseudopolynomial time.     

Audio recording of rock/metal music using personal computers

Personal computers and their relevant technologies have been widely used by artists and musicians to create and record their own music and electroacoustic compositions. ＂Laptoppers＂ are famous for using their laptops for their dance/electronic beats and music. A genre that has not relied on the use of PCs for the production of its music is rock/heavy metal, since bands of these genres usually book recording studio time where professionals take on the task of the production using expensive equipment. This study shows that in today＇s day and age, and with the software and hardware currently available, it is possible for rock/metal artists to use their PC to record and produce their own CD successfully and at an extremely competitive cost. The effort＇s of a rock band that does just this is followed from the beginning and the results of their CD production and song successes is presented. The article also serves as a ＂HowTo＂ guide that bands on a low budget can follow to make good quality demo CDs and enter the music business industry.     

The existence and synchronization properties of symmetric fix-free codes

Fix-free codes are a type of variable length codes with both prefix-free and suffix-free properties, and there are two types of fix-free codes： symmetric fix-free codes and asymmetric fix-free codes. In this paper, we mainly discuss symmetric fix-free codes. First, the existence of symmetric fix-free codes is studied in detail, and some necessary and sufficient conditions are proposed. We also discuss the problem of achieving synchronization of symmetric fix-free codes, which is important in application. We then establish a scheme with synchronizing codewords to resolve this problem.     

Power efficient scheme for self localization in wireless sensor networks

With the tremendous applications of the wireless sensor network, self-localization has become one of the challenging subject matter that has gained attention of many researchers in the field of wireless sensor network. Localization is the process of assigning or computing the location of the sensor nodes in a sensor network. As the sensor nodes are deployed randomly, we do not have any knowledge about their location in advance. As a result, this becomes very important that they localize themselves as manual deployment of sensor node is not feasible. Also, in WSN the main problem is the power as the sensor nodes have very limited power source. This paper provides a novel solution for localizing the sensor nodes using controlled power of the beacon nodes such that we will have longer life of the beacon nodes which plays a vital role in the process of localization as it is the only special nodes that has the information about its location when they are deployed such that the remaining ordinary nodes can localize themselves in accordance with these beacon node. We develop a novel model that first finds the distance of the sensor nodes then it finds the location of the unknown sensor nodes in power efficient manner. Our simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in terms of controlled and reduced power.     

Finger Braille teaching system-teaching of prosody of finger Braille

Finger Braille is one of tactual communication media of deaf-blind people. Deaf-blind people who are skilled in Finger Braille can catch up with speech conversation, because of prosody of Finger Braille. Features of prosody are： （1） characters at the end of clauses are dotted long; （2） characters of voiced sounds and double consonants are dotted shortly. In this paper, we designed three teaching patterns which taught prosody of Finger Braille （dot conditions about duration of dotting）. Teaching pattern 1 indicated a dot pattern with colored solid background. Teaching pattern 2 indicated a dot pattern with colored empty background. Teaching pattern 3 indicated a dot pattern with colored arrow （long or short）. Every teaching pattern includes 6 colors （red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple）. In the questionnaire, the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3 was selected as the most visible pattern. In the evaluation experiment, the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3, the red and purple patterns of teaching pattern 1 （the least visible pattern） and the existing patterns without teaching of dot conditions are compared. As a result, every subject could dot long at the end of clauses and could dot shortly at the voiced sounds and double consonants. The answers of questionnaire indicated that the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3 was also the most visible and easiest teaching pattern.     

C2G2FSnake： automatic tongue image segmentation utilizing prior knowledge

Extraction of the tongue body from digital images is essential for automated tongue diagnoses in traditional Chinese medicine. This paper presents a fully automated active contour initial method that utilizes prior knowledge of the tongue shape and its location in tongue images. Then colorspace information is introduced to control curve evolution. Combining the geometrical Snake model with the parameterized GVFSnake model, a novel approach for automatic tongue segmentation： C2G2FSnake （color control-geometric gradient flow Snake） is proposed. This method increases the curve velocity but decreases the complexity. C2G2FSnake greatly extends practical usage to tongue segmentation, at the same time increasing the precision. Compared with other state-of-the-art works using different images of tongue color, C2G2FSnake realizes automatic tongue segmentation with greatly improved accuracy.     

Robust first two rounds access driven cache timing attack on AES

The memory cache data access time uncertainty and resource multi-process sharing mechanism provide a new covert channel to leak process secret information. The AES software implementation uses many table lookup operations to access cache, and these lookup indices have close relationship with the secret key. According to 128-bit AES, we propose a new robust first two rounds access driven cache timing attack. We use a spy process to gather cache access patterns of AES process, thus get the table lookup indices during one AES encryption, combine certain analysis methods, finally recover 128-bit full AES key. With counter to current belief, our experiments show that, only through the first round attack, 350 samples are enough to recover full AES key. After we extend the attack to the second round, 80 samples are enough to recover full AES key.     

Analysis on Width Spread of Cold Rolled Strip

Width spread is usually considered in hot rolling, nevertheless, it can be ignore in cold rolling. In order to control the crown and flatness better simultaneously and realize the decoupling of crown and flatness, the transverse displacement function of strip is defined and deduced. The factors that affects the width spread are analyzing with the function. According to the unchanged principle of volume before and after rolling, the flatness model which considers the width spread is deduced. Through the model, the transverse metal flowing of different stands and different thickness is analyzing, it is found that the width spread is biggest in cold rolling at the No. 1 stand because of the maximum thickness and reduction and the minimum deformation resistance. It gives a good foundation for the decoupling of crown and flatness.     

Construction of Endpoint Constrained Cubic Rational Curve with Chord-Length Parameterization

This paper discusses the problem that constructing a curve to satisfy the given endpoint constraints and chord-length parameters. Based on the research of Lu, the curve construction method for the entire tangent angles region （α0, α1）∈（-r, r）×（-r, r） is given. Firstly, to ensure the weights are always positive, the three characteristics of cubic rational Bezier curve is proved, then the segment construction idea for the other tangent angles are presented in view of the three characteristics. The curve constructed with the new method satisfies the endpoint constraint and chord-length parameters, it＇s G1 continuous in every segment curve, and the shapes of the curve are well.     

Cluster synchronization of a class of multi-agent systems with a bipartite graph topology

This paper investigates cluster synchronization of a class of multi-agent systems with a directed bipartite graph topology,and presents a number of new results by using the neighbor’s rules for the following two cases:I)there is competition among the agents of diferent clusters,and II)there are both competition and cooperation among the agents.Firstly,for case I),a linear control protocol is designed for cluster synchronization of multi-agent systems,and a method is presented to determine the final state with the initial conditions based on state-space decomposition.Secondly,we study case II),and design a control protocol based on the information of neighbors and that of two-hop neighbors(that is,neighbors’neighbors).Finally,two examples are studied by using our presented results.The study of illustrative examples with simulations shows that our results as well as designed control protocols work very well in studying the cluster synchronization of this class of multi-agent systems.