Migrating legacy scientific applications towards CORBA‐based client–server architectures

A distributed object is a reusable, self‐contained piece of software that cooperates with other objects on the same machine or across a network in a plug‐and‐play fashion via a well‐defined interface. The Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) attempts to provide a collaborative aircraft engine design and simulation environment based on this concept. Many scientific applications in aerodynamics and solid mechanics are written in Fortran. Refitting this legacy Fortran code with distributed objects can increase code reusability. In this paper, we focus on the novel use of a remote variable scheme to help programmers migrate the Fortran code towards a client–server architecture. This scheme gives the client the capability of accessing variables at the server site and makes it easier for programmers to couple component engine code. Through the operator overloading features in C++, remote variables can be used in much the same way as traditional variables. The remote variable scheme adopts the lazy update approach and the prefetch method. Preliminary performance evaluation shows that communication overhead can be greatly reduced. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A thermodynamic description of the Al–Ca–Zn ternary system

A comprehensive thermodynamic database of the Al–Ca–Zn ternary system is presented for the first time. Critical assessment of the experimental data and re-optimization of the binary Al–Zn and Al–Ca systems have been performed. The optimized model parameters of the third binary system, Ca–Zn, are taken from the previous assessment of the Mg–Ca–Zn system by the same authors. All available as well as reliable experimental data both for the thermodynamic properties and phase boundaries are reproduced within experimental error limits. In the present assessment, the modified quasichemical model in the pair approximation is used for the liquid phase and Al_FCC phase of the Al–Zn system to account for the presence of the short-range ordering properly. Two ternary compounds reported by most of the research works are considered in the present calculation. The liquidus projections and vertical sections of the ternary systems are also calculated, and the invariant reaction points are predicted using the constructed database.     

Design process knowledge for crisis-driven information systems solutions: Insights on building digital resilience from an action design research study

As global disruptions escalate, digital resilience (DR)—the capacity to anticipate, absorb, and adapt to external shocks by leveraging Information Systems (IS)—has become crucial for individuals and organisations confronting and managing unprecedented crises. This research advances understanding on how to develop DR, drawing on insights from an Action Design Research (ADR) study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research explores a particular facet of DR: the capacity to manage exogenous shocks through the design  of new IS solutions. We introduce the ADAPT framework, comprising five key enablers—Agility, Designation, Alignment, Participation, and Trust—recommended to support design teams developing IS solutions during and for crises. Our ADR project, which resulted in the creation of a telemonitoring system used by over 115 frontline healthcare workers to monitor the symptoms of more than 1000 COVID-19 patients, demonstrates the instrumental role these five enablers play in supporting a crisis-propelled IS design process that is urgent, resource-limited, and multi-partite. By presenting new design process knowledge and practical recommendations that guide crisis-driven IS design, we aim to equip design teams with the understanding they need to effectively navigate similar challenges in the future. We also hope to inspire and support IS researchers to apply their expertise in the design, deployment, and use of IS solutions to contribute to crisis-driven design endeavours that tackle the pressing and urgent challenges of our time.     

Atomic mobilities and diffusional growth in solid phases of the V–Nb and V–Zr systems

In conjunction with the thermodynamic parameters in the literature, the atomic mobilities of the V–Nb and V–Zr bcc alloys were assessed from experimental diffusion coefficients. The assessed atomic mobilities are given as functions of temperatures and composition in the CALPHAD format. Comparisons between the calculated and experimental quantities show that the obtained mobility parameters enable most of the experimental diffusion data to be well reproduced. Based on the velocity constructions for lattice planes in V/Nb diffusion couples, the displacements of Kirkendall makers were investigated under various annealing conditions, and the results are in general agreement with experimental values. In addition, computational studies of V/Zr diffusion couples were carried out for the kinetic behaviors of V ₂Zr at various annealing temperatures, from which the temperature dependence of the interdiffusion coefficients for V ₂Zr was evaluated.     

基于HART协议的通信圆卡设计

针对不具有远程通信功能的传统仪表,提出一种基于HART协议的通信圆卡设计方案,详细介绍了通信圆卡的电路设计;采用该通信圆卡搭建了HART通信仪表系统,并在NCS4000组态软件平台上进行了性能测试。测试结果表明,该通信圆卡可结合端口卡将传统仪表改造成智能仪表,使其具有远程通信和控制功能。     

An integrated VR–GIS navigation platform for city/region simulation

This paper introduces a virtual city oriented VR–GIS platform which synthesizes several latest information technologies including virtual reality, 3D geographical information system, remote sensing, and multi‐dimensional visualization. The platform is a seamless integration of VR functions and GIS analysis methods, which can be used to organize and present massive spatial data. It also supplies 3D spatial analysis functions, 3D visualization for spatial process and natural simulation, and serves as an engine platform for digital city. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermodynamic modeling of the C–Pu–U system

The ternary C–Pu–U system is thermodynamically assessed to pursue the development of a thermodynamic database for future nuclear fuels. The substitution model was used for the liquid phase, and a two-sublattice model for the PuC–UC monocarbide, PuC₂–UC₂ dicarbide and Pu₂C₃–U₂C₃ sesquicarbide phases. Ternary interaction parameters were adjusted on the experimental information for the phase relationships. Isoplethal and isothermal ternary sections, as well as some liquidus temperatures are calculated and compared with the experimental data. The overall agreement is discussed, and shows that experimental uncertainties still remain.     

Instability of light illumination stress on amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin‐film transistors

Amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O thin‐film transistors (TFTs) have attracted increasing attention due to their electrical performance and their potential for use in transparent and flexible devices. Because TFTs are exposed to illumination through red, green, and blue color filters, wavelength‐varied light illumination tests are required to ensure stable TFT characteristics. In this paper, the effects of different light wavelengths under both positive and negative V_GS stresses on amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O TFTs are investigated. The TFT instability that is dependent on optical and electrical stresses can be explained by the charge trapping mechanism and interface modification.     

Methodological issues in systems Human Factors and Ergonomics: Perspectives on the research–practice gap,reliability and validity,and prediction

The changing nature of work and society, and a proliferation of complex global challenges, is increasing the need for systems Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE). The discipline is well equipped to respond, but there remain a number of longstanding issues preventing systems HFE from realizing its full impact. There is a research–practice gap, a lack of reliability and validity evidence associated with systems HFE methods, and a shortage of methods that can predict behavior. In this article we revisit each issue, with each co-author providing their own perspective on the extent and causes of each issue, and their resolution. The perspectives reveal a consensus that the issues exist and are problematic but are challenging, multi-factorial, and require various solutions. The findings are subsequently synthesized to form an agenda for the wider discipline.     

An enhanced multiphase Chan–Vese model for the remote sensing image segmentation

The level set method has been widely used in image segmentation; however, the complexity of the computation has restricted its application field. Also, it is a big challenge to segment remote sensing image mainly because of the complex terrain. In this paper, an enhanced multiphase phase level set method based on the Chan–Vese (C‐V) model is proposed for segmenting remote sensing images. Compared with the C‐V model, two main contributions of the proposed model mainly include the following: First, we introduce a new strategy of initialization in which the contours of the first k biggest connected regions are extracted as the initial curves (k is the number of level set functions); Second, to increase the accuracy, a morphological gradient component is added to the original intensity image. To investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed model, we have applied it to analyze different kinds of images, including synthetic, real, and remote sensing images. The experimental results have shown that our method is able to achieve better segmentation with less computational consumption compared with the traditional multiphase C‐V model and local and global intensity fitting model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decomposition schemes and acceleration techniques in application to production–assembly–distribution system design

The purpose of this paper is to study several schemes for applying Dantzig–Wolfe decomposition (DWD) to the production–assembly–distribution system design problem (PADS). Each scheme exploits selected embedded structures. The research objective is to enhance the rate of DWD convergence in application to PADS through formulating a rationale for decomposition by analyzing potential schemes, adopting acceleration techniques, and assessing the impacts of schemes and techniques computationally. Test results provide insights that may be relevant to other applications of DWD.     

Real-time automated detection of older adults' hand gestures in home and clinical settings

Neural Computing and Applications - There is an urgent need, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, for methods that allow clinicians and neuroscientists to remotely evaluate hand movements. This...     

新型冠状病毒肺炎的深度学习诊断方法综述

新型冠状病毒肺炎的高感染率导致其在全球范围内迅速传播,常用的逆转录-聚合酶反应（RT-PCR）检测方法存在耗时、假阴性率偏高和医学用具不足的缺陷,因此开发高效、准确、低成本的影像检测技术对新型冠状病毒肺炎的诊断和治疗至关重要。随着人工智能在医学领域的成功应用,深度学习技术成为辅助检验和识别新型冠状病毒肺炎的有效方法。对近年来涌现的新型冠状病毒肺炎的深度学习诊断方法进行了研究和总结：介绍了深度学习方法使用的两种新型冠状病毒肺炎数据集;介绍了基于VGGNet、Inception、ResNet、DenseNet、EfficientNet和CapsNet模型的六种深度学习诊断方法;介绍了三种深度学习与其他机器学习方法结合的诊断方法;对基于深度学习的新型冠状病毒肺炎诊断方法的研究趋势进行了展望。     

Shear–rotation–warp volume rendering

Shear–warp volume rendering has the advantages of a moderate image quality and a fast rendering speed. However, in the case of dynamic changes in the opacity transfer function, the efficiency of memory access drops, as the method cannot exploit pre‐classified volumes. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm that exploits the spatial locality of memory references for interactive classifications. The algorithm inserts a rotation matrix when factorizing the viewing transformation, so that it may perform a scanline‐based traversal in both object space and image space. In addition, we present solutions to some problems of the proposed method, namely inaccurate front‐to‐back composition, the occurrence of holes, and increased computation. Our method is noticeably faster than traditional shear‐warp rendering methods because of an improved utilization of cache memory. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Human–battery interaction on mobile phones

Mobile phone users have to deal with limited battery lifetime through a reciprocal process we call human–battery interaction. We conducted three user studies in order to understand human–battery interaction and discover the problems in existing designs that prevent users from effectively dealing with the limited battery lifetime. The studies include a large-scale international survey, two long-term field trials including quantitative battery logging and qualitative inquiries, and structured interviews with twenty additional mobile phone users. We evaluated various aspects of human–battery interaction, including charging behavior, battery indicators, user interfaces for power-saving settings, user knowledge, and user reaction. We find that mobile phone users can be categorized into two types regarding human–battery interaction and often have inadequate knowledge regarding phone power characteristics. We provide qualitative and quantitative evidence that problems in state-of-the-art user interfaces have led to under-utilized power-saving settings, under-utilized battery energy, and dissatisfied users. Our findings provide insights into improving mobile phone design for users to effectively deal with the limited battery lifetime. Our work is the first to systematically address human–battery interaction on mobile phones and is complementary to the extensive research on energy-efficient design for a longer battery lifetime.     

Application of remote sensing to parks and protected area monitoring: Introduction to the special issue

This special issue is the result of sustained and highly collaborative efforts to improve the use of remotely sensed data to inform management of protected areas. The 15 papers in the issue address a diverse range of topics. These papers provide a conceptual basis and a framework for establishing monitoring programs, techniques and methods to make operational the use of remotely sensed data, case studies, and synthesis papers liking remotely sensed data to models used to inform ecological assessments. Studies in this issue necessarily confront the universal challenges of scale, both spatial and temporal, and the sometimes tenuous link between observed patterns and significant ecological process. A clear message is that the information needs of resource managers require information across scales, and these information demands will continue to motivate advances in the collection and analysis of remotely sensed data. This compilation of papers is unusual in (1) articulating a basic, if somewhat technical, foundation of remote sensing that is required for resource managers to effectively collaborate with remote sensing specialists, and (2) providing a framework for addressing monitoring resource issues that is likely to be of interest to many remote sensing specialists. We hope these papers inspire broader use of remotely sensed data to manage the increasingly rare and valuable resources in protected areas around the world.     

An extended hesitant fuzzy set using SWARA-MULTIMOORA approach to adapt online education for the control of the pandemic spread of COVID-19 in higher education institutions

The world has been challenged since late 2019 by COVID-19. Higher education institutions have faced various challenges in adapting online education to control the pandemic spread of COVID-19. The present study aims to conduct a survey study through the interview and scrutinizing the literature to find the key challenges. Subsequently, an integrated MCDM framework, including Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Multiple Objective Optimization based on Ratio Analysis plus Full Multiplicative Form (MULTIMOORA), is developed. The SWARA procedure is applied to the analysis and assesses the challenges to adapt the online education during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the MULTIMOORA approach is utilized to rank the higher education institutions on hesitant fuzzy sets. Further, an illustrative case study is considered to express the proposed idea's feasibility and efficacy in real-world decision-making. Finally, the obtained result is compared with other existing approaches, confirming the proposed framework's strength and steadiness. The identified challenges were systemic, pedagogical, and psychological challenges, while the analysis results found that the pedagogical challenges, including the lack of experience and student engagement, were the main essential challenges to adapting online education in higher education institutions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

     

Multi-criteria decision-making for coronavirus disease 2019 applications: a theoretical analysis review

The influence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that is being felt in all spheres of our lives and has a remarkable effect on global health care delivery occurs amongst the ongoing global health crisis of patients and the required services. From the time of the first detection of infection amongst the public, researchers investigated various applications in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak and outlined the crucial roles of different research areas in this unprecedented battle. In the context of existing studies in the literature surrounding COVID-19, related to medical treatment decisions, the dimensions of context addressed in previous multidisciplinary studies reveal the lack of appropriate decision mechanisms during the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) has been applied widely in our daily lives in various ways with numerous successful stories to help analyse complex decisions and provide an accurate decision process. The rise of MCDM in combating COVID-19 from a theoretical perspective view needs further investigation to meet the important characteristic points that match integrating MCDM and COVID-19. To this end, a comprehensive review and an analysis of these multidisciplinary fields, carried out by different MCDM theories concerning COVID19 in complex case studies, are provided. Research directions on exploring the potentials of MCDM and enhancing its capabilities and power through two directions (i.e. development and evaluation) in COVID-19 are thoroughly discussed. In addition, Bibliometrics has been analysed, visualization and interpretation based on the evaluation and development category using R-tool involves; annual scientific production, country scientific production, Wordcloud, factor analysis in bibliographic, and country collaboration map. Furthermore, 8 characteristic points that go through the analysis based on new tables of information are highlighted and discussed to cover several important facts and percentages associated with standardising the evaluation criteria, MCDM theory in ranking alternatives and weighting criteria, operators used with the MCDM methods, normalisation types for the data used, MCDM theory contexts, selected experts ways, validation scheme for effective MCDM theory and the challenges of MCDM theory used in COVID-19 studies. Accordingly, a recommended MCDM theory solution is presented through three distinct phases as a future direction in COVID19 studies. Key phases of this methodology include the Fuzzy Delphi method for unifying criteria and establishing importance level, Fuzzy weighted Zero Inconsistency for weighting to mitigate the shortcomings of the previous weighting techniques and the MCDM approach by the name Fuzzy Decision by Opinion Score method for prioritising alternatives and providing a unique ranking solution. This study will provide MCDM researchers and the wider community an overview of the current status of MCDM evaluation and development methods and motivate researchers in harnessing MCDM potentials in tackling an accurate decision for different fields against COVID-19.

     

Material for publication

Abstract

Experimental applications of data from multispectral and other advanced sensors have demonstrated that remote sensing can make a valuable contribution to the monitoring and management of Canada's land resources. More frequent coverage and additional spectral bands on satellites planned for the mid-1980s and beyond will increase the opportunities for regular use of remotely sensed data. To effectively utilize these data in resource management, the remote sensing input must be matched with the resource management systems existing at that time. Thus, it is essential to anticipate the needs of resource management systems of the late 1980s and 1990s, to determine the appropriate role for remotely sensed data and to develop and implement a plan which will yield the remote sensing systems and methodologies necessary to meet the operational resource management requirements

Previous studies of resource information requirements indicate that there will be a need for geocoded remotely sensed data, improved image analysis techniques and better information integration concepts for future resource management systems. To develop a plan for meeting the anticipated requirements, the flow from the recording of the remotely sensed data to the end use of the derived information is considered first. The timeliness and accuracy requirements of different users, the diverse data types and forms for individual applications, the analysis methods/decision models needed and the implications of these factors for the configuration(s) of remote sensing input into the future resource management systems are examined. From this analysis, areas requiring further work (research, development, demonstration, transfer) are identified, and a plan of action is suggested.