View management in multimedia databases

Abstract. Though there has been extensive work on multimedia databases in the last few years, there is no prevailing notion of a multimedia view, nor there are techniques to create, manage, and maintain such views. Visualizing the results of a dynamic multimedia query or materializing a dynamic multimedia view corresponds to assembling and delivering an interactive multimedia presentation in accordance with the visualization specifications. In this paper, we suggest that a non-interactive multimedia presentation is a set of virtual objects with associated spatial and temporal presentation constraints. A virtual object is either an object, or the result of a query. As queries may have different answers at different points in time, scheduling the presentation of such objects is nontrivial. We then develop a probabilistic model of interactive multimedia presentations, extending the non-interactive model described earlier. We also develop a probabilistic model of interactive visualization where the probabilities reflect the user profiles, or the likelihood of certain user interactions. Based on this probabilistic model, we develop three utility-theoretic based types of prefetching algorithms that anticipate how users will interact with the presentation. These prefetching algorithms allow efficient visualization of the query results in accordance with the underlying specification. We have built a prototype system that incorporates these algorithms. We report on the results of experiments conducted on top of this implementation. Received June 10, 1998 / Accepted November 10, 1999     

Neuro-fuzzy based constitutive modeling of undrained response of Leighton Buzzard Sand mixtures

This study aims to develop neuro-fuzzy (NF) based constitutive model for Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction B and Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction E mixtures using experimental data. The experimental database used for NF modeling is based on a laboratory study of saturated mixtures with various mix ratios under a 100 kPa effective stress. Emphasis was placed on assessing the role of fines content in mixture and strain level on the deviatoric stress and pore water pressure generation in a 100 mm diameter triaxial testing apparatus. The input variables in the developed rule based NF models are the Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction E content, and strain, and the outputs are deviatoric stress, pore water pressure generation and undrained Young’s modulus. Experimental results show that Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction B and Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction E mixtures exhibits clay-like behavior due to particle–particle effects with the increase in Leighton Buzzard Sand fraction E content. It is also shown that the performance of capacities of proposed NF models are quite satisfactory.     

Manifestation of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy model on landslide susceptibility mapping: Klang valley,Malaysia

The purpose of the present paper is to manifest the results of the neuro-fuzzy model using remote sensing data and GIS for landslide susceptibility analysis in a part of the Klang Valley areas i Malaysia. Landslide locations in the study area were identified by interpreting aerial photographs and satellite images, supported by extensive field surveys. SPOT 5 satellite imagery was used to map vegetation index. Maps of topography, lineaments, NDVI and land cover were constructed from the spatial datasets. Seven landslide conditioning factors such as altitude, slope angle, plan curvature, distance from drainage, soil type, distance from faults and NDVI were extracted from the spatial database. These factors were analyzed using a neuro-fuzzy model (adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system, ANFIS) to construct the landslide susceptibility maps. During the model development works, total 5 landslide susceptibility models were obtained by using ANFIS results. For verification, the results of the analyses were then compared with the field-verified landslide locations. Additionally, the ROC curves for all landslide susceptibility models were drawn and the area under curve values was calculated. Landslide locations were used to validate results of the landslide susceptibility map and the verification results showed 98% accuracy for the model 5 employing all parameters produced in the present study as the landslide conditioning factors. The validation results showed sufficient agreement between the obtained susceptibility map and the existing data on landslide areas. Qualitatively, the model yields reasonable results which can be used for preliminary landuse planning purposes. As a conclusion, the ANFIS is a very useful tool for regional landslide susceptibility assessments.     

System support for exploration and expert feedback in resolving conflicts during integration of metadata

A critical reality in integration is that knowledge obtained from different sources may often be conflicting. Conflict-resolution, whether performed during the design phase or during run-time, can be costly and, if done without a proper understanding of the usage context, can be ineffective. In this paper, we propose a novel exploration and feedback-based approach [FICSR (Pronounced as “fixer”)] to conflict-resolution when integrating metadata from different sources. Rather than relying on purely automated conflict-resolution mechanisms, FICSR brings the domain expert in the conflict-resolution process and informs the integration based on the expert’s feedback. In particular, instead of relying on traditional model based definition of consistency (which, whenever there are conflicts, picks a possible world among many), we introduce a ranked interpretation of the metadata and statements about the metadata. This not only enables FICSR to avoid committing to an interpretation too early, but also helps in achieving a more direct correspondence between the experts’ (subjective) interpretation of the data and the system’s (objective) treatment of the available alternatives. Consequently, the ranked interpretation leads to new opportunities for exploratory feedback for conflict-resolution: within the context of a given statement of interest, (a) a preliminary ranking of candidate matches, representing different resolutions of the conflicts, informs the user about the alternative interpretations of the metadata, while (b) user feedback regarding the preferences among alternatives is exploited to inform the system about the expert’s relevant domain knowledge. The expert’s feedback, then, is used for resolving not only the conflicts among different sources, but also possible mis-alignments due to the initial matching phase. To enable this feedback process, we develop data structures and algorithms for efficient off-line conflict/agreement analysis of the integrated metadata. We also develop algorithms for efficient on-line query processing, candidate result enumeration, validity analysis, and system feedback. The results are brought together and evaluated in the Feedback-based InConSistency Resolution (FICSR) system. This research has been funded with NSF Grant, AOC: Archaeological Data Integration for the Study of Long-Term Human and Social Dynamics, 2007–2009. This work was done while the M. L. Sapino was at ASU for sabbatical.     

Supporting efficient multimedia database exploration

Due to the fuzziness of query specification and media matching, multimedia retrieval is conducted by way of exploration. It is essential to provide feedback so that users can visualize query reformulation alternatives and database content distribution. Since media matching is an expensive task, another issue is how to efficiently support exploration so that the system is not overloaded by perpetual query reformulation. In this paper, we present a uniform framework to represent statistical information of both semantics and visual metadata for images in the databases. We propose the concept of query verification, which evaluates queries using statistics, and provides users with feedback, including the strictness and reformulation alternatives of each query condition as well as estimated numbers of matches. With query verification, the system increases the efficiency of the multimedia database exploration for both users and the system. Such statistical information is also utilized to support progressive query processing and query relaxation. Received: 9 June 1998/ Accepted: 21 July 2000 Published online: 4 May 2001     

Biofilms from micro/nanocellulose of $$\hbox {NaBH}_{4}$$-modified kraft pulp

Industrial applications of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) have been in use for some time; however, there is a need to improve the production steps and at the same time to obtain better quality products. NFC and MFC were generated from \(\hbox {NaBH}_{4}\)-modified kraft pulp, produced from a red gum tree plant (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). The generated NFC and MFC were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and \(^{13}\hbox {C}\)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Morphological and viscoelastic properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and rheometry, respectively. The storage moduli of biofilms produced from NFC and MFC were investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Both exhibited mostly identical FTIR spectra. When the spectra were compared with those of \(\hbox {NaBH}_{4}\)-modified kraft pulp, minor shifts were observed due to crystallinity. In NMR spectra, disordered cellulose structures were observed for both NFC and MFC, and these findings were also confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. Rheology studies revealed that the lowest viscosity was observed with MFC. TGA results showed that NFC degraded earlier compared with \(\hbox {NaBH}_{4}\)-modified kraft pulp. DMTA exhibited that NFC films had about six times higher storage modulus compared with MFC.     

Annealing effects on the mechanical properties of near-frictionless carbon thin films

In this work, the near-frictionless carbon (NFC) thin films developed at Argonne National Laboratory were annealed at 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, and 600 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The changes of the NFC mechanical properties were measured with both static and dynamic nanoindentation methods. It was found that the Young's modulus and hardness decreased with increasing annealing temperatures. Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the film's structural change before nanoindentation testing. Raman characterization indicated that the G peak shifted upwards as the annealing temperature was increased above 150 °C, which indicated decreasing sp³ content. The intensity of the D peak was shown to increase with annealing temperature indicating that the NFC film became more graphite-like. AFM analysis showed an increase of sp² clustering with annealing temperature, which resulted in an increase in surface roughness. SEM characterization indicated that as the films were annealed large cracks and numerous pinholes were generated. The characterization results were in good agreement with the measured mechanical properties.     

Effects of synthesis‐solvent composition and initiator concentration on the swelling behaviour of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) P(NIPAAM), poly(NIPAAM‐co‐dimethyl itaconate), and poly(NIPAAM‐co itaconic acid) gels

The effects of synthesis‐solvent composition, initiator concentration, comonomer type and monomer purity on the volume swelling ratios, and polymer‐solvent interaction parameter χ have been investigated as a function of temperature. Non‐ionic N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAM) homopolymer gels, poly[NIPAAM‐co‐(dimethyl itaconate)] (P(NIPAAM‐co‐DMI)) and poly[NIPAAM‐co‐(itaconic acid)] (P(NIPAAM‐co‐IA)) gels containing hydrophobic (DMI) and hydrophilic (IA) comonomers were prepared by free radical polymerization using potassium persulfate (KPS) –N, N, N′, N′‐tetramethyl ethylene diamine (TEMED) (redox initiator) in the presence of an N, N′‐methylene bis(acrylamide) (MBAAM) cross‐linking agent. The synthesis‐solvent composition (40/60 mixture of water/methanol and water) and initiator concentration employed significantly affected the properties of the NIPAAM gels. The transition temperatures of P(NIPAAM‐co‐IA) gels synthesized in water/methanol mixture were higher than that of the gel obtained in water. Furthermore, χ values of the NIPAAM homopolymer gel prepared with higher KPS content was an increasing function of temperature, while χ values of the sample obtained with lower initiator concentration changed around a critical solubility value 0.50. The results obtained also show that the interactions between monomer and solvent molecules in the reaction media (ie composition of the pregel solution) have an important effect on the formation and properties of the network structure (ie pore sizes of the gels). © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Morphological and histological structure of the male reproductive system of the water strider Gerris lacustris (Linnaeus 1758) (Gerridae,Heteroptera)

This work presents the male reproductive system morphology and histology of the water strider Gerris lacustris (Linnaeus 1758) (Gerridae, Heteroptera) using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The male reproductive system of G. lacustris comprise of a pair of testes, two vasa deferentia, two seminal vesicles, an ejaculatory duct. There is no bulbus ejaculatorius and the long vas deferantia uniting to form a simple ductus ejaculatorius which is connected to the aedeagus. The testes are white colored and this cylindiric‐shaped structure lies along genital abdominal segment. The testicular follicles have three different development zones (growth zone, maturation zone, differentiation zone). Each testis has two follicles, which are not lined by a common peritoneal sheath and involving many cysts arranged in a progressive order of maturation from the distal to the proximal region; spermiogenesis occurs in mature males, finishing with the organization of sperm bundles. The testes are connected to the seminal vesicles, specialized sperm storage places, by the vas deferentia.     

Wear behaviour of Al/(Al2O3p+SiCp) hybrid composites

In this study, dry sliding metal–metal and metal–abrasive wear behaviours of the aluminium matrix hybrid composites produced by pressure infiltration technique were investigated. These composites were reinforced with 37 vol% Al₂O₃ and 25 vol% SiC particles and contained up to 8 wt% Mg in their matrixes. While matrix hardness and compression strength increased, amount of porosity and impact toughness decreased with increasing Mg content of the matrix. Metal–metal and metal–abrasive wear tests revealed that wear resistance of the composites increased with increasing Mg addition. On the other hand, abrasive resistance decreased with increasing test temperature, especially above 200 °C.