A GIS plug-in for Bayesian belief networks: Towards a transparent software framework to assess and visualise uncertainties in ecosystem service mapping

The complexity and spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem processes driving ecosystem service delivery require spatially explicit models that take into account the different parameters affecting those processes. Current attempts to model ecosystem service delivery on a broad, regional scale often depend on indicator-based approaches that are generally not able to fully capture the complexity of ecosystem processes. Moreover, they do not allow quantification of uncertainty on their predictions. In this paper, we discuss a QGIS plug-in which promotes the use of Bayesian belief networks for regional modelling and mapping of ecosystem service delivery and associated uncertainties. Different types of specific Bayesian belief network output maps, delivered by the plug-in, are discussed and their decision support capacities are evaluated. This plug-in, used in combination with firmly developed Bayesian belief networks, has the potential to add value to current spatial ecosystem service accounting methods. The plug-in can also be used in other research domains dealing with spatial data and uncertainty.     

Managing readiness-relevant activities for the organizational dimension of ERP implementation

An organization requires performing readiness-relevant activities to ensure successful implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This paper develops a novel approach to managing these interrelated activities to get ready for implementing an ERP system. The approach enables an organization to evaluate its ERP implementation readiness by assessing the degree to which it can achieve the interrelated readiness relevant activities using fuzzy cognitive maps. Based on the interrelationship degrees among the activities, the approach clusters the activities into manageable groups and prioritizes them. To help work out a readiness improvement plan, scenario analysis is conducted.     

Automated classification of simulated wind field patterns from multiphysics ensemble forecasts

In this study, we have proposed an automated classification approach to identify meaningful patterns in wind field data. Utilizing an extensive simulated wind database, we have demonstrated that the proposed approach can identify low‐level jets, near‐uniform profiles, and other patterns in a reliable manner. We have studied the dependence of these wind profile patterns on locations (eg, offshore vs onshore), seasons, and diurnal cycles. Furthermore, we have found that the probability distributions of some of the patterns depend on the underlying planetary boundary layer schemes in a significant way. The future potential of the proposed approach in wind resource assessment and, more generally, in mesoscale model parameterization improvement is touched upon in this paper.     

Cluster analysis in industrial market segmentation through artificial neural network

Market segmentation has commonly applied cluster analysis. This study intends to make the comparison of conventional two-stage method with proposed two-stage method through the simulated data. The proposed two-stage method is the combination of self-organizing feature maps and K-means method. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme is better than the conventional two-stage method based on the rate of misclassification.     

The use of the scanning electron microscope in the determination of the mineral composition of Ballachulish slate

Slate is a fine-grained, low-grade metamorphic rock derived from argillaceous sediments or occasionally volcanic ash. Although most slates contain mainly quartz, chlorite and white mica, they vary considerably in their durability, some lasting centuries while others fail after a few years of service. A detailed characterisation of their mineralogy is required for the assessment of performance, and to establish the provenance of a used slate. A combination of methods was used to examine Ballachulish slates; XRD analysis to determine the principal minerals present, XRF analysis to determine the total chemical composition, and scanning electron microscopy to determine the chemical composition of individual minerals. It was found that the white mica in Ballachulish slate is phengite and the chlorite is ripidolite. Feldspar is present as albite and carbonate as ferroan dolomite. Several accessory minerals were also identified, including chloritoid, monzonite and zircon. There was considerable variation in the ratio of the principal minerals, making it impossible to identify used slates by this criterion. Instead, chemical composition of the individual minerals, and possibly key accessory minerals, should be used to determine the provenance of slates.     

Perceptual primitives from an extended 4D Hough transform

Directional features extracted from Gabor wavelets responses were used to train a structure of self-organising maps, thus classifying each pixel in the image within a neuron-map. Resulting directional primitives were grouped into perceptual primitives introducing an extended 4D Hough transform to group pixels with similar directional features. These can then be used as perceptual primitives to detect salient structures. The proposed method has independently fixed parameters that do not need to be tuned for different kind or quality of images. We present results in application to noisy FLIR images and show that line primitives for complex structures, such as bridges, or simple structures, such as runways, can be found by this approach. We compare and demonstrate the quality of our results with those obtained through a parameter-dependent traditional Canny edge detector and Hough line finding process.     

Simulation of the Forming Behaviour of a Boron Modified P91 Ferritic Steel

The forming behaviour at high temperature of a modified 9%Cr‐1%Mo (P91) ferritic steel containing B and Ti for elevated temperature service was investigated. The microstructure of the as‐received material is mainly martensite at room temperature, but special etching revealed prior austenite grains of about 25 μm in size. Torsion tests were conducted at temperatures in the range 850 to 1250 °C to simulate the hot rolling process under comparable conditions of temperature, strain rate and strain. The deformation data obtained from these tests were correlated with the Garofalo equation with a stress exponent of 4.6 and an activation energy of 315 kJ/mol. This equation was used to predict the formability behaviour for the rolling process and also to determine the maximum forming efficiency and stability of the steel. A temperature of 1200 °C is recommended to conduct the forming process.     

Perceptually Grounded Language Learning: Part 2—DETE: A Neural/Procedural Model

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we introduced Katamic memory—a neural network architecture capable of robust sequence learning and recognition. In Part 2, we introduce the Blobs World taskjdomain for language learning and describe the DETE language learning system, which is composed of over 50 Katamic memory modules. DETE currently learns small subsets of English and Spanish via association with perceptual! motor inputs. In addition to Kaiamic memory, DETE employs several other novel features: (1) use of feature planes, to encode visual shapes, spatial relationships and the motions of objects, (2) phase-locking of neural firing, in order to represent focus of atention and to bind objects across multiple feature planes, and (3) a method for encoding temporal relationships, so that DETE can learn utterances involving the immediate past and future. We compare DETE to related models and discuss the implications of this approach for language-learning research.     

ID-based threshold decryption secure against adaptive chosen-ciphertext attack

This paper proposes an identity-based threshold decryption scheme IB-ThDec and reduces its security to the Bilinear Diffie-Hellman problem. Compared with previous work, this conceals two pairing computations in the ciphertext validity verification procedure. The formal proof of security of this scheme is provided in the random oracle model. Additionally, we show that IB-ThDec can be applied to the threshold key escrow and the mediated cryptosystems.