Coating mass control system design for a continuous galvanizing line

The structure of a typical computer-based coating mass control system is derived which incorporates feedback and feedforward controllers based on recently developed adaptive mathematical models for the jet stripping process. Using conventional design techniques, three alternative types of feedback control algorithm are invstigated. The ‘pulse-and-wait’ algorithm is recommended for computer control applications due to its ease of implementation. Typical simulation results are presented for a range of strip speeds with and without errors in the model parameters. Emphasis is placed on the need to adjust some of the controller settings as a function of process conditions. A computer control system based on the previously outlined concepts has been commissioned on a modern continuous galvanizing line operating at speeds up to 170 m/min. Typical results are given illustrating the improvements achieved from manual and automatic control after the installation of a coating mass gauge.     

A multi-user operating system for transaction processing,written in Concurrent Pascal

This paper presents a medium-sized operating system written in Concurrent Pascal, thereby describing further experience with this language and giving further indications of its scope. The operating system was developed to support an application in the area that is usually termed ‘commercial’ or ‘administrative’. Both the functional capabilities and the structure of the operating system are described, with emphasis on its facilities for data file management, and its size and performance are given. A secondary theme of the paper is the relationship of the operating system's qualities to the properties and facilities of the programming language Concurrent Pascal used for its development.     

On-line structure selection for multivariable state-space models

An algorithm is described for the selection of model structure for identifying state-space models of ‘black box’ character. The algorithm receives as ‘input’ a given system in a given parametrization. It is then tested whether this parametrization is suitable (well conditioned) for identification purposes. If not, a better one is selected and the transformation of the system to the new representation is performed. This algorithm can be used as a block both in an iterative, off-line identification procedure, and for recursive, on-line identification. It can be called whenever there is some indication that the model structure is ill-conditioned. It is discussed how the model structure selection algorithm can be interfaced with an off-line identification procedure. A complete procedure is described and tested on real and simulated data.     

Global data and control in multicomputers: Operating system primitives and experimentation with a parallel branch-and-bound algorithm

The static distribution of work among tasks is not possible in many parallel applications. Therefore, it is essential to implement convenient and efficient abstractions for ‘work sharing’ on multicomputers. This paper compares the utility of two operating system facilities for the implementation of such ‘work sharing’: (1) a system for the migration of processes from heavily to less loaded processors and (2) a more general OS construct for the implementation of arbitrary distributed objects. Both were implemented as extensions to the Intel iPSC/1 operating system on a 32-node hypercube. Their experimental evaluation is based on a parallel implementation of a branch-and-bound algorithm. Two sets of results are attained. First, the necessity of the constructs for dynamic work sharing is demonstrated for applications with dynamic data domains, such as parallel branch-and-bound algorithms. This is followed by measurements that demonstrate the acceptable cost of process migration for a specific parallel branch-and-bound algorithm. These measurements are then compared with results attained with the construct for the implementation of distributed objects. Second, when using branch-and-bound to solve the Travelling Salesperson Problem (TSP), evaluation of the resulting parallel TSP program shows that some analytical and simulation results attained in past, published work may not hold.     

The computer in the consulting room: a psychological framework

Abstract

The use of an interactive computer system to aid the doctor with history taking and diagnosis is described. The system is developed for dyspepsia cases and is designed to be flexible enough to give the doctor considerable choice in the way it is used in the consulting room. We have observed and analysed its use by doctors in two very different settings; registrars and SHOs in an outpatient clinic, and GP trainers in a simulation exercise. All the doctors found individual ways of using the computer in the consultation, some chose to use it ‘conversationally’, alternating their attention between patient and computer, whilst others attempted to minimize its use while the patient was present. Patients’ reactions to the use of computers in general, and to their experience of this system specifically are described. The ways in which the computer imposes structure on the consultation and seems to influence the doctors’ decision processes are discussed. The complex dynamics of the interaction between patient, doctor and computer are outlined and are related to the cognitive load imposed. We raise ‘human factors’ issues, specific to the medical consultation environment, which need consideration in the design of future systems.     

The development of a specification language for a computer security system

The primary goal of this paper is to define an initial step towards the definition of ‘systems grammar’ based on the notion of formal languages which can be used as a ‘tool’ in the formal representation of computer security systems. Currently all modelling done on computer security systems is written up as mathematical models. These mathematical models are usually based on the mathematics of relations amongst objects, as opposed to the model described in this paper which is based on the theory of formal languages. This paper is aimed at people who are doing research on the logical aspects of computer security. It is the first of a series of two papers. This paper will give interim results and make more specific the definition of a ‘formal language’ which suits the computer security environment. The second paper will illustrate the actual use of the defined ‘formal language’ and show how to represent the characteristics of a computer security environment by using this ‘formal language’.     

Recognition of human actions using CNN-GWO: a novel modeling of CNN for enhancement of classification performance

Recognizing human actions from unconstrained videos turns to be a major challenging task in computer visualization approaches due to decreased accuracy in the feature classification performance. Therefore to improve the classification performance it is essential to minimize the ‘classification’ errors. Here, in this work, we propose a hybrid CNN-GWO approach for the recognition of human actions from the unconstrained videos. The weight initializations for the proposed deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifiers highly depend on the generated solutions of GWO (Grey Wolf Optimization) algorithm, which in turn minimizes the ‘classification’ errors. The action bank and local spatio-temporal features are generated for a video and fed into the ‘CNN’ classifiers. The ‘CNN’ classifiers are trained by a gradient descent algorithm to detect a ‘local minimum’ during the fitness computation of GWO ‘search agents’. The GWO algorithms ‘global search’ capability as well as the gradient descent algorithms ‘local search’ capabilities are subjected for the identification of a solution which is nearer to the global optimum. Finally, the classification performance can be further enhanced by fusing the classifiers evidences produced by the GWO algorithm. The proposed classification frameworks efficiency for the recognition of human actions is evaluated with the help of four achievable action recognition datasets namely HMDB51, UCF50, Olympic Sports and Virat Release 2.0. The experimental validation of our proposed approach shows better achievable results on the recognition of human actions with 99.9% recognition accuracy.     

Prager's layout theory: a nonnumeric computer method for generating optimal structural configurations and weight-influence surfaces

After illustrating the versatility of the proposed computer method on an introductory example, the basic principles of Prager's layout theory and its applications to least-weight grillages and space frames are briefly reviewed. Then a computer algorithm for generating analytically the optimal layout for both grillages and space frames is described in detail. The algorithm can handle a broad class of boundary conditions of unusual complexity and also furnishes a weight-influence surface for evaluating directly the minimum weight of the considered structure.In the case of grillages, the present computer program can derive optimal layouts for any polygonal domain with simply supported and/or clamped edges and internal point supports and the solution is valid for any nonnegative (downward) loading. Layouts for optimal space frames are restricted to ‘Prager-structures’ (i.e. frames with all members in pure tension or all members in pure compression) with polygonal support and a single point-load in any arbitrary location.     

Dedicated,distributed and portable operating systems: A structuring concept

Primarily economic reasons have created a growing need for the development of operating systems providing support for existing and newly developed structurally different hardware systems–-operating systems which (a) implement functionally different problem-oriented solutions without imposing the need of developing problem-invariant functions repeatedly (‘operating system family’) (b) work not only in a local environment, but also co-operate with one another in an interconnected hardware system, thus appearing to the user as only one big operating system (c) are portable among structurally different hardware systems independent of one another (‘autonomous systems’), as well as among structurally different interconnected hardware systems (‘networks’) We present some principles of a structuring concept which seems to be a suitable means of developing operating systems with the specified characteristics in an economic and controlled manner.     

A contingency model of computer and Internet self-efficacy

Information system researchers have recently devoted considerable attention to the concept of computer self-efficacy in order to understand computer user behavior and system use. This article reports on the development and examination of a contingency model of computer and Internet self-efficacy. User attitude and computer anxiety were assumed to influence the development of computer and Internet self-efficacy. Measures of user attitude, computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, and Internet self-efficacy were used in a university environment to collect 347 responses at both the beginning and end of an introductory computer course. Results suggested that training significantly improved computer and Internet self-efficacy. Respondents with ‘favorable’ attitudes toward computers improved their self-efficacy significantly more than respondents with ‘unfavorable’ attitudes. Respondents with ‘low’ computer anxiety improved their self-efficacy significantly more than respondents with ‘high’ computer anxiety. The interaction effect between attitude and anxiety was significant for computer self-efficacy scores but not for Internet self-efficacy scores. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

基于UEFI固件的恶意代码防范技术研究

统一可扩展固件接口(UEFI)缺乏相应的安全保障机制,易受恶意代码的攻击,而传统的计算机安全系统无法为固件启动过程和操作系统引导过程提供安全保护。针对上述问题,设计基于UEFI的恶意代码防范系统。该系统利用多模式匹配算法实现特征码检测引擎,用于在计算机启动过程中检测与清除恶意代码,并提供恶意启动项处理及系统内核文件备份等功能。实验结果证明,该系统能为固件及上层操作系统提供完善的安全保护,且代码尺寸小、检测速度快,恶意代码识别率高。     

An algorithm for programming electrostatic plotter type devices

Electrostatic plotter type devices, CRT or hardcopy, are basically printers which allow the ‘paper’ movement only in one direction. As a result, the entire display file has to be created before the process of generating the display can begin. This arrangement differs significantly from the X-Y plotters where the ‘plotting pencil’ and/or paper may be moved in any direction. An algorithm for generating a display on the electrostatic plotter type devices is described in this paper. This algorithm is based upon creating and maintaining a vector file consisting of end points of visible vectors, sorting these vectors, and then generating the plot—a strip at a time. Only the points that lie within the strip are calculated. The details of implementation and the data structure used are discussed. There is no restriction on the size of the display that can be generated; in fact, plots of size 100 in by 20 in have been produced using this algorithm. No a-priori knowledge of the extent of the plot is required. The algorithm has been designed to operate in a device independent computer plotting system and has worked very satisfactorily without imposing any restrictions on the users.     

Interactive computer graphics for assisting human programmers

A theory exists that a graphic ‘transfer function’ of humans may be characterizable. A computer graphic terminal trained with an understanding of this function may be capable of identifying with a human and appreciably raising the potential quality of human/computer graphic dialog. An Interactive Computer Graphic Assisted Programming (ICGAP) system is described which uses computer graphics to aid in the construction of computer graphic programs, conveniencing interactive computer graphic experiments.The rich, relatively untapped fields of art and psychology deserve computer graphic science's attention. An example of one area is the psychologist's model of the process of representationalism.     

A model-theoretic interpretation of environment-induced superselection

The question of what constitutes a ‘system’ is foundational to quantum measurement theory. Environment-induced superselection or ‘einselection’ has been proposed as an observer-independent mechanism by which apparently classical systems ‘emerge’ from physical interactions between degrees of freedom described completely quantum mechanically. It is shown here that einselection can only generate classical systems if the ‘environment’ is assumed a priori to be classical; einselection therefore does not provide an observer-independent mechanism by which classicality can emerge from quantum dynamics. Einselection is then reformulated in terms of positive operator-valued measures acting on a global quantum state. It is shown that this reformulation enables a natural interpretation of apparently classical systems as virtual machines that requires no assumptions beyond those of classical computer science.     

Effect of fuzzification on the plosive cognition system

Fuzzy algorithms provide a simpler and more powerful approach than statistical decision methods for describing non-ideal (fuzzy) environments in which there exists no precise boundary between the categories due to inherent vagueness rather than randomness. This paper attempts to demonstrate the effectiveness of such an algorithm when applied to the computer recognition of patterns of biological origin such as Telugu unaspirated plosives in initial position of large number of utterances in CVC context. A multieategorizer is described in which the fuzzy processor embodies a fuzzy property extractor and a similarity matrix generator. A provision fur controlling fuzziness in property sets had been made by keeping two parameters. ‘exponential’ and ‘denominational’ fuzzifiers, in the components of property matrices ; their effect on recognition score is also studied.

Machines’ performances are explained by plotting curves and through confusion matrices when transition, duration and slope of transition from the point of transient release of stop closure to the steady state of only first two formants were used as input features. Voiced stops are differentiated more easily than unvoiced stops, with the maximum overall recognition score ranging from 60% for dentals to 85% for bilabials. The fuzzy hedge ‘ slightly ’ when applied to property sets reduces the confusion from that of the hedge ‘ very ’ and consecutive utilizations of the operations ‘CONT’, ‘ OIL’ and ‘INT’ resulted in a wide variation of about 20 to 25% in the recognition score. Such a variation is found to be insignificant beyond an optimum value of the exponential fuzzifier’.     

At the edge of my-self

The issue of subjective experience is one which concerns most artists. In my own work this is used to work out the relationship between ‘the self’ and its physical manifestation, ‘the body’. Three works are discussed here: After Image, a series of digitally manipulated photographs which visualise phantoms described by people who have had limbs amputated. This was my first formal collaboration with scientists. ‘I’, a subsequent series of digitally manipulated photographs, made in collaboration with people with congenital disabilities, is concerned with dissolution of the perceived distinction between the ‘normal’, and the ‘other’ (disabled or deformed), body. Lastly, Face Value is an interactive computer installation, made in collaboration with scientist Dr. Alf Linney, and designed to invite its audience to consider the automatic and unconscious judgements each of us makes about character based on (facial) appearance. Despite its dependence on digital technologies, my work remains adamantly physical.     

Output frequency response characteristics of nonlinear systems. Part I: general multi-tone inputs

A systematic algorithm for determining the output frequencies generated by a nonlinear system subject to a general multi-tone input, including a bias input, is presented. The algorithm is very efficient, and circumvents many of the difficulties of ‘duplicate frequencies’ that are often generated using previous methods. The inclusion of the dc bias component in the analysis is also important because of the significant effect that non-zero mean inputs can have on nonlinear system response. The algorithm is straightforward to implement on a computer, and the results are illustrated by means of an example.     

A general purpose task queueing mechanism for small machines

A general purpose mechanism for the queueing of tasks is an important component in an ‘intelligent satellite’ system interfacing a community of users to a range of computing facilities. The queueing mechanism should provide spooling, warm and cold restarts, the ability to pool common resources (e.g. a number of line printers), a means of servicing the queues on a priority basis, and a flexible control mechanism for the system operators. The implementation of such a system for a small (i.e. 16-bit) computer system is described.