Bipartite isoperimetric graph partitioning for data co-clustering

Data co-clustering refers to the problem of simultaneous clustering of two data types. Typically, the data is stored in a contingency or co-occurrence matrix C where rows and columns of the matrix represent the data types to be co-clustered. An entry C _ij of the matrix signifies the relation between the data type represented by row i and column j. Co-clustering is the problem of deriving sub-matrices from the larger data matrix by simultaneously clustering rows and columns of the data matrix. In this paper, we present a novel graph theoretic approach to data co-clustering. The two data types are modeled as the two sets of vertices of a weighted bipartite graph. We then propose Isoperimetric Co-clustering Algorithm (ICA)—a new method for partitioning the bipartite graph. ICA requires a simple solution to a sparse system of linear equations instead of the eigenvalue or SVD problem in the popular spectral co-clustering approach. Our theoretical analysis and extensive experiments performed on publicly available datasets demonstrate the advantages of ICA over other approaches in terms of the quality, efficiency and stability in partitioning the bipartite graph.     

3D registration of human face using evolutionary computation and Kriging interpolation

This paper proposes a fast and robust 3D human face geometric data registration strategy dedicated for image-guided medical applications. The registration scheme is composed of a coarse transformation stage and a fine-tuning stage. In the first stage, fuzzy c-mean is used to reduce the data amount of template 3D image, and evolutionary computation is implemented to find optimal initial pose for the Iterative Closest Point plus k-dimensional (KD) tree scheme. In the second stage, the huge reference image data are replaced by a Kriging model. The time-consuming search for corresponding points in evaluating the degree of misalignment is substituted by projecting the points in the template image onto the model. To illustrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach, a problem composed of 174 635 points reference image and an 11 280 points template image is demonstrated. Computational results show that our approach accelerates the registration process from 1361.28 seconds to 432.85 seconds when compared with the conventional ICP plus K-D tree scheme, while the average misalignment reduces from 11.35 mm to 2.33 mm. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Responding to Security Issues in WiMAX Networks

WiMAX technology, the commercialization of the evolving IEEE 802.16 standard, aims to solve the last-mile problem with broadband wireless access at the scale of metropolitan area networks. WiMAX has attracted significant attention and interest because of its wide transmission range, high transmission rate, and mobility support. However, to make WiMAX networks usable and reliable, several security issues must be addressed in the standard and its protocols. In this article, the authors give an introduction to the security protocols used in WiMAX networks and then discuss why these protocols are deficient in terms of anti-replay, efficiency, scalability, and forward and backward secrecy, as well as how they can be enhanced to address these issues for real applications.     

A corner differentiation algorithm by a single sonar sensor for mobile robots

Ultrasonic sensors have been widely applied in mobile robots to obtain environmental information and avoid obstacles. In general, a typical domestic environment consists of planes, edges and corners. It is usually difficult to distinguish a plane from a corner directly with a single ultrasonic sensor. To overcome this difficulty, a corner differentiation algorithm for a single ultrasonic sensor is proposed in this paper. The algorithm is based on the features of all of the actual reflection points from the environment obtained by a reflection search algorithm from which the corners are realized by a corner differentiation algorithm. The experimental results show that the developed algorithm can successfully detect all planes and corners. Furthermore, an environmental map can be built based on the information obtained on planes and corners. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

从修辞学的角度对设计符号学中象征功能的再认识

我试图通过解读修辞学的发展历程,探究符号学发展的必然性,由本不存在修辞,到需要修辞,再到修辞的消亡的逻辑关系,联想到设计符号学的发展历程竟与其如此惊人的相似,由仅追求原始功能,到添加装饰满足非本质的需求,继而又摒弃装饰成分,聚焦其本质所在的现代设计,就像我在文章开头说的乙杂邢薜姆绞奖硐治尴蘧褪敲烙是象征的精髓一样,以最简洁的形式传达了最准确的信息,是设计符号学的核心所在。     

设计不安于“弃”——永续性环保设计

工业设计主要研究的是人、产品、环境三者之间的关系。所以好的工业设计产品要同时满足环境和人的心理的需要。本文以此为出发点,基于现在环境的恶化和人们之间的冷漠提出"永续性环保设计(Sustainable design)"的理念。通过介绍现今社会环境,提出此设计理念并提出了其设计方法。     

基于Web Service技术的MOM安全性模型

Web Service作为一门新兴的技术,在中间件技术中有广阔的应用前景.但是,现有的Web Service安全传输方案,不适用于应用层的消息安全保护.因此,这种结合方式将会为消息中问件系统带来安全隐患,无法保证消息中间件的安全消息传递.文中提出了一个基于Web Service技术的合理的中间件模型.并结合消息中问件的特点,在分析Web服务安全技术的基础上,进一步提出了消息中间件的安全传输模型,同时阐述了保证SOAP消息安全传输的基本方法.设计了平台无关的实现方式以体现出应用的透明性.     

Optical coherence tomography used for security and fingerprint-sensing applications

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging technology for high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of three-dimensional structures. In the past, OCT systems have been used mainly for medical applications, especially ophthalmological diagnostics. As the OCT system is capable of exploring the internal features of an object, the authors apply OCT technology to document security and fingerprint-based biometrics by directly retrieving the two-dimensional information form of a multiple-layer information carrier and internal human body objects. Since a typical depth-resolution of an OCT system is of micrometre scale, an information carrier having a volume of 20 mm times 20 mm times 2 mm could contain 200 mega-pixel images. On other hand, the technologies used in conventional biometrics can be easily fooled and tampered with by using artificial dummies, because these ID features are extracted only from the surface of the skin. Hence the use of OCT to explore the internal biometrics becomes increasingly important.     

Overexpression and elevated plasma level of tumor-associated antigen 90K/Mac-2 binding protein in colorectal carcinoma

The cancer cell secretome may contain potentially useful biomarkers. Previously, we have analyzed the colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cell secretome. In this study, tumor‐associated antigen 90K (TAA90K)/Mac‐2 binding protein (Mac‐2BP), one of the CRC cell secreted proteins, was chosen for evaluation as a potential CRC biomarker because its mRNA level was also found to be significantly elevated in CRC tissues and in a more metastatic CRC cell line from the analysis of two public domain array‐based datasets. Immunohistochemical analysis of 241 CRC specimens showed that TAA90K/Mac‐2BP was positively detected in 52.7% of the tumors, but weakly or not detected in over 95% of the adjacent nontumor epithelial cells. The plasma TAA90K/Mac‐2BP levels were significantly higher in CRC patients (N = 280) versus healthy controls (N = 147) (7.77 ± 3.49 vs. 5.72 ± 2.67 μg/mL, p<0.001). Moreover, combination of TAA90K/Mac‐2BP and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) could outperform CEA alone in discriminating CRC patients from healthy persons in this case‐control study. Our results collectively indicate that analysis of cancer cell secretome is a feasible strategy for identifying cancer biomarker candidates, and the TAA90K/Mac‐2BP may be a potential CRC biomarker.     

Building a portable data and information interoperability infrastructure-framework for a standard Taiwan Electronic Medical Record Template

Traditional electronic health record (EHR) data are produced from various hospital information systems. They could not have existed independently without an information system until the incarnation of XML technology. The interoperability of a healthcare system can be divided into two dimensions: functional interoperability and semantic interoperability. Currently, no single EHR standard exists that provides complete EHR interoperability. In order to establish a national EHR standard, we developed a set of local EHR templates. The Taiwan Electronic Medical Record Template (TMT) is a standard that aims to achieve semantic interoperability in EHR exchanges nationally. The TMT architecture is basically composed of forms, components, sections, and elements. Data stored in the elements which can be referenced by the code set, data type, and narrative block. The TMT was established with the following requirements in mind: (1) transformable to international standards; (2) having a minimal impact on the existing healthcare system; (3) easy to implement and deploy, and (4) compliant with Taiwan's current laws and regulations. The TMT provides a basis for building a portable, interoperable information infrastructure for EHR exchange in Taiwan.