An argumentation-oriented multi-agent system for automating the freight planning process

This paper advocates the use of multi-agent systems in the freight forwarding industry. We propose an intelligent mobile agent system to cope with a dynamic freight forwarding environment where up-to-date information is crucial but time-consuming to obtain. A key component of our system is an agent argumentation mechanism that allows decision support agents to discuss, argue, and come to a compromise in order to derive well-explained freight planning solutions. A number of artificial intelligence mechanisms are implemented, namely: (1) a mobile-agent-based automated information gathering mechanism, where designated mobile agents access various websites automatically to gather information (e.g., weather conditions on a candidate route) critical for cargo consolidation and route planning, (2) a fuzzy logics engine for risk evaluation, and (3) a simulated annealing engine for optimizing cargo consolidation. A system prototype is developed and the feasibility of our approach is demonstrated in a case study. A series of experiments are also conducted to evaluate the system’s performance.     

A data framework for measuring the energy consumption of the non-domestic building stock

The transition to a low-carbon economy urgently demands better information on the drivers of energy consumption. UK government policy has prioritized energy efficiency in the built stock as a means of carbon reduction, but the sector is historically information poor, particularly the non-domestic building stock. This paper presents the results of a pilot study that investigated whether and how property and energy consumption data might be combined for non-domestic energy analysis. These data were combined in a ‘Non-Domestic Energy Efficiency Database’ to describe the location and physical attributes of each property and its energy consumption. The aim was to support the generation of a range of energy-efficiency statistics for the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors of the non-domestic building stock, and to provide robust evidence for national energy-efficiency and carbon-reduction policy development and monitoring. The work has brought together non-domestic energy data, property data and mapping in a ‘data framework’ for the first time. The results show what is possible when these data are integrated and the associated difficulties. A data framework offers the potential to inform energy-efficiency policy formation and to support its monitoring at a level of detail not previously possible.

Le passage à une économie bas carbone exige de toute urgence de meilleures informations sur les facteurs de consommation énergétique. La politique du gouvernement britannique a donné la priorité à l'efficacité énergétique du parc bâti en tant que moyen de réduction du carbone, mais ce secteur est historiquement pauvre en informations, s'agissant en particulier du parc bâti non résidentiel. Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude pilote qui a étudié si et comment les données relatives à l'immobilier et à la consommation énergétique pouvaient être combinées afin d'analyser la consommation d'énergie non résidentielle. Ces données ont été combinées en une « Base de Données de l'Efficacité Energétique Non Résidentielle », de façon à décrire l'emplacement et les attributs physiques de chaque bien immobilier et sa consommation d'énergie. Le but était d'appuyer la création d'un éventail de statistiques sur l'efficacité énergétique concernant les secteurs industriels, commerciaux et institutionnels du parc bâti non résidentiel, et de fournir des éléments probants solides pour le développement et le suivi d'une politique nationale d'efficacité énergétique et de réduction du carbone. Ces travaux ont rassemblé pour la première fois sous forme d'un « cadre de référence » des données sur l'énergie non résidentielle, des données sur l'immobilier et un mappage de ces données. Les résultats montrent ce qu'il est possible de faire lorsque ces données sont intégrées, ainsi que les difficultés qui s'y rapportent. Un cadre de référence offre la possibilité d'influer sur l'élaboration des politiques d'efficacité énergétique et d'en appuyer le suivi à un niveau de précision qui n'était pas possible auparavant.

Mots clés: parc bâti, consommation, données, base de données, statistiques énergétiques, énergie, politique fondée sur des données probantes, cadre de référence     

Constructing <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-gram rules for natural language models through exploring the limitation of the Zipf–Mandelbrot law

The Zipf–Mandelbrot law is widely used to model a power-law distribution on ranked data. One of the best known applications of the Zipf–Mandelbrot law is in the area of linguistic analysis of the distribution of words ranked by their frequency in a text corpus. By exploring known limitations of the Zipf–Mandelbrot law in modeling the actual linguistic data from different domains in both printed media and online content, a new algorithm is developed to effectively construct n-gram rules for building natural language (NL) models required for a human-to-computer interface. The construction of statistically-oriented n-gram rules is based on a new computing algorithm that identifies the area of divergence between Zipf–Mandelbrot curve and the actual frequency distribution of the ranked n-gram text tokens extracted from a large text corpus derived from the online electronic programming guide (EPG) for television shows and movies. Two empirical experiments were carried out to evaluate the EPG-specific language models created using the new algorithm in the context of NL-based information retrieval systems. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the algorithm for developing low-complexity concept models with high coverage for the user’s language models associated with both typed and spoken queries when interacting with a NL-based EPG search interface.     

Enhanced ionic conductivity and phase meta-stability of nano-sized thin film yttria-doped zirconia (YDZ)

Yttria-doped zirconia (YDZ) thin films with nanometric sized grains were prepared by reactive RF sputtering and their oxygen ion conductivities were systematically measured as a function of yttria doping with levels in the range 0.5–9.1 mol.% Y₂O₃. Enhanced oxygen ion conductivities, as derived from impedance spectra, were observed when compared with values reported for bulk YSZ. Furthermore, the peak conductivity for the YDZ films was observed to occur at considerably reduced yttria levels, i.e., at 6.5 mol.% Y₂O₃ (for T > ～400 °C) and at 3.2 mol.% Y₂O₃ (for T < ～300 °C) vs. 9 mol.% Y₂O₃ in bulk YSZ. Based on an analysis of the Raman spectra, these results are believed to result from the extended meta-stability of the cubic phase to reduced yttria levels at nanometric grain sizes.     

建造自己的住宅 荷兰私人建造住宅实践综述

在谈论荷兰设计的时候，我们往往关注其先锋、前卫的一面，而很少注意其理性主义的一面，其实，荷兰在住宅方面的法律法规之严超过任何国家。不过．近年来，要求自由的呼声越来越强烈。二次世界大战后，大规模建设的需要使强调标准化的理性主义在住宅建设领域大行其道。住宅建设完全掌握在开发商、协会等手中，难免出现计划比较僵化和标准化至上等问题。这导致荷兰的许多城市特别是其郊区地段出现了许多功能单一、令人倍感乏味的街区。为了解决这困境，荷兰新城ALmere市当局决定在城市规划方面限制自己的权力。     

Flexural properties of sawdust reinforced phenolic composites: Pilot study

The advantageous properties of sawdust and phenolic resins were combined by making sawdust reinforced phenolic composites with different percentages by weight of sawdust. The sawdust was divided into three grades in accordance with its particulate size. Garamite and propylene glycol were added individually and together to enhance the flexural properties of the composites obtained. Without any garamite and propylene glycol, it was discovered that the best flexural properties of the composites were obtained when the percentage by weight of sawdust (<300 μm) is up to 15%. Beyond this, the flexural properties dropped significantly; in addition, the fluidity of the composite was very low and the mixture was not suitable for casting. In general, the flexural modulus of the composites decreases with an increase in sawdust content, i.e., they are more elastic but their maximum flexural strain does not improve. Garamite was therefore added to improve the maximum flexural strains of the composites and this was successful. The addition of propylene glycol makes the composite more plastic. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

In Situ Characterization of Internal Damage in TRIP‐Steel/Mg‐PSZ Composites under Compressive Stress Using X‐Ray Computed Tomography

An experimental setup for in situ investigations under compressive stress using laboratory X‐ray computed tomography (XCT) was developed and successfully tested. Complete deformation curves can be taken. It could be shown that XCT scans are possible during brakes of the stopped in situ experiments. In this way the deformation behavior of defined sample regions can be investigated. This kind of experiments is well suited to investigate the deformation behavior of foams and other samples which are transferable for the X‐rays used. The compression of metal matrix composite foams lead to the cooperative collapse of connected cells. We observed deformation bands arising in regions of smaller cell wall thicknesses. The deformation was dependent on size, shape, and orientation of the cells under consideration. Obviously deformation bands start at bigger cells with a small cell wall thickness and some extension perpendicular to the deformation direction. The rising of this kind of deformation bands can be explained by the dramatic change of the stress distribution in the neighbor cells after the first brake of a cell wall.     

Evolution and psychology.

Comments on the article by D. M. Buss et al (see record 1998-01669-001). The present author states his preference for the term previously used to cover the topic, "preadaptation," but concedes that the term "exaptation" and the exegesis on its utility presented by Buss et al are clearly sensible and understandable. The commenter states his purpose in writing as mainly being on the importance of evolutionary theory for psychology, on the evidence for various aspects of the theory as presented in publications for psychologists, and on how these affect the way the publications have to be documented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)