An experimental study on the applicability of evolutionary algorithms to craniofacial superimposition in forensic identification

Photographic supra-projection is a forensic process that aims to identify a missing person from a photograph and a skull found. One of the crucial tasks throughout all this process is the craniofacial superimposition which tries to find a good fit between a 3D model of the skull and the 2D photo of the face. This photographic supra-projection stage is usually carried out manually by forensic anthropologists. It is thus very time consuming and presents several difficulties. In this paper, we aim to demonstrate that real-coded evolutionary algorithms are suitable approaches to tackle craniofacial superimposition. To do so, we first formulate this complex task in forensic identification as a numerical optimization problem. Then, we adapt three different evolutionary algorithms to solve it: two variants of a real-coded genetic algorithm and the state of the art evolution strategy CMA-ES. We also consider an existing binary-coded genetic algorithm as a baseline. Results on several superimposition problems of real-world identification cases solved by the Physical Anthropology lab at the University of Granada (Spain) are considered to test our proposals.     

WI – Call for PapersHeft 3/2010High-Impact Requirements Engineering

Ohne Zusammenfassung This article is also available in English via http://www.springerlink.com and http://www.bise-journal.org: BISE – Call for Papers, Issue 3/2010, High-Impact Requirements Engineering. Bus Inf Syst Eng. doi: .     

Integrationsdefizite des IT-Controllings

Zusammenfassung  Der Beitrag basiert auf der Annahme, dass das IT-Controlling in zweifacher Hinsicht unter einem Integrationsdefizit leidet. Dies gilt zum einen für die unbefriedigende Synchronisation der Forschung mit Entwicklungen in der Praxis, zum anderen für die unzureichende Verzahnung mit den Methoden der Wirtschaftsinformatik. Ausgehend von dieser Annahme untersucht der Beitrag die historische Entwicklung des IT-Controllings, um daraus Thesen zum Integrationsstand abzuleiten. Die Untersuchung kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass Hinweise auf – nach wie vor – ungenutzte Integrationspotenziale vorliegen und identifiziert Potenziale einer weiter gehenden Integration. Aus der Analyse identifizierter Integrationspotenziale werden Anforderungen an eine methodenbezogene Integration abgeleitet und die Realisierung von Integrationspotenzialen an zwei Beispielen illustriert. This article is also available in English via and : Strecker S, Kargl H (2009) Integration Deficits of IT Controlling – Historical Background, Analysis of Integration Potentials and Method Integration. Bus Inf Syst Eng. doi: 10.1007/s12599-009-0053-4.     

B2C-E-Commerce als Treiber simultaner Veränderungen in IT-Struktur und Markenarchitektur

We analyze the influence of B2C e-commerce on IT structure and brand architecture based on conceptual considerations, a case study and an empirical survey. We first discuss the changes in transaction costs that are induced by B2C e-commerce. The effects of B2C e-commerce on IT structure and brand architecture, which are anticipated from a transaction cost perspective, are illustrated using a case study from the tourism industry. We conducted a quantitative study among 101 chief information officers (CIOs) and chief marketing officers (CMOs) from the most important consumer brand companies in Austria. The results of a correspondence analysis show that a high importance of e-commerce triggers a typical bundle of changes in IT structure and brand architecture, which point toward a stronger integration within and between these two structural elements. We therefore conclude that B2C e-commerce calls for a better coordination of those measures that impact IT structure and brand architecture.     

Nonsingular BEM formulations for thin-walled structures and elastostatic crack problems

Summary This paper presents a unique approach, named mathematical regularization, to remove the nearly-singular and singular integrals occurring in the boundary integral formulations for the solution of the boundary value problems with a pathologica integration boundary due to the very near or coinciding parts of the total boundary. Nonsingular boundary integral equations are derived for thin-walled structure problems. In the case of crack-like problems, we present two kinds of the nonsingular integral representations of the secondary fields and the derivative boundary integral equations.     

Lagegeregelte servoantriebe ohne mechanische sensoren

Mechanische Sensoren zur Drehzahl- und Lageerfassung bei elektrischen Antrieben verursachen Kosten, vergrößern das Bauvolumen des Antriebs, bedingen die Datenübertragung zwischen Regler und Sensor und schränken das Einsatzgebiet des Antriebs ein. Daher wurden verschiedene Konzepte zum Ersatz dieser mechanischen Sensoren entwickelt. Sie unterscheiden sich durch den Aufwand, die benötigte Genauigkeit (Pumpenantrieb Servoantrieb) und dem gewünschten Betriebsbereich.In diesem Beitrag wird die Realisierung des sensorlosen Betriebs einer permanenterregten Synchronmaschine durch ein Kalman-Filter beschrieben. Durch Simulation und durch praktische Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, daß die Schätzung von Lage und Drehzahl die Genauigkeitsanforderungen für eine indirekte Lageregelung erfüllt. Eine solche Lageregelung besitzt keinen mechanischen Sensor mehr.     

Initiation of air core in a swirl nozzle using time-independent power-law fluids

Summary Theoretical and experimental analyses have been carried out for determining the injection condition below which the formation of air core does not take place in the course of flow of a time-independent power-law fluid through a swirl nozzle. Analytical solution lends one distinct value of generalized Reynolds number at the inlet to a nozzle below which the air core is not formed. Experiments reveal that there exist two limiting values of such generalized Reynolds number regarding the formation of air core in a nozzle. One value being the upper limit below which steady flow occurs without air core, the other one is the lower limit above which steady flow with fully developed air core persists. In between these two limiting values, there prevails a transition zone through which fully developed air core is set up within the nozzle. For all the nozzles, theoretical results are in fair agreement with the experimental values of upper limit of generalized Reynolds numbers with respect to steady flow without air core. Amongst all the pertinent independent geometrical parameters of a nozzle, the orifice-to-swirl chamber-diameter ratio has the remarkable influence on generalized Reynolds number describing the initiation of air core.Nomenclature D ₁ Swirl chamber diameter - D ₂ Orifice diameter - D _s Diameter of tangential entry ports - E A non-dimensional parameter defined by Eq. (9) - E _R A non-dimensional parameter defined by Eq. (25) - K Flow consistency index - L ₁ Length of the swirl chamber - n Flow behaviour index - P Static pressure inside the nozzle - P _b Back-pressure of the nozzle - Q Volume flow rate - R Radius vector or longitudinal coordinate with respect to spherical coordinate system (Fig. 3) - R ₁ Radius of the swirl chamber - R ₂ Radius of the orifice - Generalized Reynolds number at the inlet to the nozzle - Limiting value of generalized Reynolds number describing initiation of air core - R _z Radius at any section - r Radial distance from the nozzle axis - r _a Air core radius - u Longitudinal component of velocity with respect to spherical coordinate system (Fig. 3) - V _r Radial velocity component - V _z Axial velocity component - V Tangential velocity component - Tangential velocity at inlet to the nozzle - v Component of velocity in the axial plane perpendicular toR (Fig. 3) - w Component of velocity perpendicular to axial plane with respect to the spherical coordinate system (Fig. 3) - z Distance along the nozzle axis from its inlet plane - Half of the spin chamber angle - Boundary layer thickness measured perpendicularly from the nozzle wall - ₂ Boundary layer thickness at the orifice - Angle, which a radius vector makes with the nozzle axis, in spherical coordinate system (Fig. 3) - Density of the fluid - Running coordinate in the azimuthal direction with respect to the cylindrical polar coordinate system as shown in Fig. 3 - Circulation constant With 8 Figures     

On componentwise error estimates for inverse matrices

LetA be an×n-matrix with the property I–A<1. LetY be an approximation of the inverse ofA. This paper shows how to get a componentwise error estimate forY, that does not require too much numerical effort but generally presents better results than global error estimates do. Although proved by means of interval mathematics, the given error estimate can also be calculated in absence of any implementation of interval arithmetic.

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Über komponentenweise Fehlerabschätzungen für inverse Matrizen

Zusammenfassung SeiA einen×n-Matrix mit der Eigenschaft I–A<1. SeiY eine Approximation der Inversen vonA. In dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, wie man eine komponentenweise Fehlerabschätzung fürY erhalten kann, deren Berechnung nicht sehr aufwendig ist, die aber im allgemeinen schärfer ist als globale Fehlerabschätzungen. Obwohl mit intervallmathematischen Mitteln bewiesen, kann die angegebene Fehlerabschätzung auch berechnet werden, wenn keine Intervallarithmetik implementiert ist.

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This research was supported in part by Sonderforschungsbereich 72-Approximation und Optimierung, University of Bonn.     

Explicit,optimal stability functionals and their application to cyclic discretization methods

The present paper contains a stability concept for discretization methods of a certain, very general classM, which is optimal (in the sense of yielding the best general, two-sided error bounds) without being more restrictive than any of the classical stability definitions. The optimal stability functional Ψ_h related to it depends on the linear part of the discretization operator, and has the important property that Ψ_h [δ] may be of orderq+1, i.e. Ψ_h [δ] = O(h ^q+1), even if the local error δ only has orderq, δ = O(h ^q). This result may be used for the construction of methods with maximum order. Its application to linear cyclic methods, for example, furnishes a new approach to the theory of linearM-cyclick-step methods of maximum order.     

Konvergenz von quadratischen Interpolations- und Flächenabgleichssplines

The purpose of this paper is to show that for continuous functions the related quadratic splines converge without any assumption on the spline grid. The points of the interpolatory grid can be chosen between the corresponding points of the spline grid with a division ratio from \(\frac{{\sqrt 2 }}{2}\) to \(1 - \frac{{\sqrt 2 }}{2}\) . In the case of continuously differentiable functions the division ratio can even be taken between 0 and 1; in addition, the order of convergence is increased. For twice differentiable functions the full order of convergence is obtained. Analogous results about the convergence of histo splines are proved.