Ensuring location diversity in privacy-preserving spatio-temporal data publishing

The rise of mobile technologies in the last decade has led to vast amounts of location information generated by individuals. From the knowledge discovery point of view, these data are quite valuable, but the inherent personal information in the data raises privacy concerns. There exists many algorithms in the literature to satisfy the privacy requirements of individuals, by generalizing, perturbing, and suppressing their data. Current techniques that try to ensure a level of indistinguishability between trajectories in a dataset are direct applications of \(k\) -anonymity, thus suffer from the shortcomings of \(k\) -anonymity such as the lack of diversity in sensitive regions. Moreover, these techniques fail to incorporate some common background knowledge, an adversary might have such as the underlying map, the traffic density, and the anonymization algorithm itself. We propose a new privacy metric \(p\) -confidentiality that ensures location diversity by bounding the probability of a user visiting a sensitive location with the \(p\) input parameter. We perform our probabilistic analysis based on the background knowledge of the adversary. Instead of grouping the trajectories, we anonymize the underlying map, that is, we group nodes (points of interest) to create obfuscation areas around sensitive locations. The groups are formed in such a way that the parts of trajectories entering the groups, coupled with the adversary background, do not increase the adversary’s belief in violating the \(p\) -confidentiality. We then use the map anonymization as a model to anonymize the trajectories. We prove that our algorithm is resistant to reverse-engineering attacks when the statistics required for map anonymization is publicly available. We empirically evaluate the performance of our algorithm and show that location diversity can be satisfied effectively.     

Effects of Variation of Axial Load and Bidirectional Loading on Seismic Performance of GFRP Retrofitted Reinforced Concrete Exterior Beam-Column Joints

Most of the experimental studies available in literature on the seismic assessment and retrofit of existing, poorly detailed, reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column joints, typical of pre-1970s construction practice, have concentrated on the two-dimensional (2D) response, using unidirectional cyclic loading testing protocol and constant axial load. Even more limited information is available on the performance of exterior (corner) three-dimensional (3D) RC beam-column joints with substandard detailing subjected to bidirectional loading regime. In this study, the results of a comprehensive experimental program is presented, aiming to show the effects of varying axial and bidirectional loading on the seismic performance of deficient exterior RC beam-column joints before and after retrofit. Ten exterior beam-column joint subassemblies are tested, including four as-built specimens and six retrofitted specimens using externally bonded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets. Test results are herein presented and conclusions are drawn on the basis of the observed global and local performance. The significance of the triaxial interaction of varying axial and bidirectional loading effects on the response of retrofitted corner joints is confirmed by the experimental findings. The proposed retrofit solution was shown to be capable of re-establishing an appropriate hierarchy of strength within the subassembly, protecting the panel zone region from shear failure while promoting the formation of a plastic hinge in the beam.     

An integrated fuzzy-lp approach for a supplier selection problem in supply chain management

In supply chain management process, the firm select best supplier takes the competitive advantage to other companies. Thus, supplier selection is an important issue and with the multiple criteria decision-making approach, the supplier selection problem includes both tangible and intangible factors. This paper is aimed to present an integrated fuzzy and linear programming approach to the problem. Firstly, linguistic values expressed in trapezoidal fuzzy numbers are applied to assess weights and ratings of supplier selection criteria. Then a hierarchy multiple model based on fuzzy set theory is expressed and fuzzy positive and negative ideal solutions are used to find each supplier’s closeness coefficient. Finally, a linear programming model based on the coefficients of suppliers, buyer’s budgeting, suppliers’ quality and capacity constraints is developed and order quantities assigned to each supplier according to the linear programming model. The integrated model is illustrated by an example in a textile firm.     

Identifying strategic management concepts: An analytic network process approach

This paper presents an approach to the identification of an organization’s strategic management concepts (SMCs) – mission, vision, values and competences. The highly qualitative relationships among these concepts are operationalized using the Analytic Network Process (ANP). As ANP captures the outcome of dependence and feedback between components of elements, the proposed approach enables us to handle indirect relationships and complex interactions existing among the SMCs. The alternatives with the highest overall priorities, resulting from the ANP, are selected as the organization’s most dominant SMC set. To improve the quality of the decision further analysis of the ANP results is suggested. Accordingly, alternative concept sets are derived by applying two approaches – bottom-up and top-down. The bottom-up approach indicates an explorative perspective where only common values and core competences held by the organization are used to identify the corresponding mission and vision statements. On the other hand, the top-down approach indicates a normative perspective where the necessary values and competences are determined according to a given desired vision statement. The proposed ANP approach has been applied to the Industrial Engineering Department (IED) of Istanbul Technical University. In light of the dominant, bottom-up and top-down sets, a final set of SMCs has been suggested for the IED.     

New highly linear tunable transconductor circuits with low number of MOS transistors

In this article, two new highly linear tunable transconductor circuits are proposed. The transconductors employ only six MOS transistors operated in saturation region. The second transconductor is derived from the first one with a slight modification. Transconductance of both transconductors can be tuned by a control voltage. Both of the transconductors do not need any additional bias voltages and currents. Another important feature of the transconductors is their high input and output impedances for cascadability with other circuits. Besides, total harmonic distortions are less than 1.5% for both transconductors. A positive lossless grounded inductor simulator with a grounded capacitor is given as an application example of the transconductors. Simulation and experimental test results are included to show effectiveness of the proposed circuits.     

Exact evaluation of retarded-time potential integrals for the RWG bases

A new analytical approach for obtaining the time samples of the retarded-time scalar and vector potentials due to an impulsively excited Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis function is presented. The approach is formulated directly in the time-domain without any assumptions regarding the temporal behavior of the currents represented by the RWG bases. To the best knowledge of the authors, analytical evaluation of the potential integrals due to the RWG bases have not been formulated prior to the present work either in the time domain or the frequency domain. It is shown that the aforementioned potentials are related to the arc segments formed by the intersection of the triangular supports of the RWG basis and the sphere that is centered at the observation point and that has a radius R=ct, where c is the speed of light. In particular, the scalar potential is directly proportional to the total arc length and the vector potential is a function of the bisectors of these arc segments. A simple algorithm to evaluate these quantities is also presented. The validity of the obtained time-domain formulae is demonstrated through comparison of results to those obtained in the frequency domain by using numerical quadrature and transformed into time domain.     

Topography based design of the T-DAB SFN for a mountainous area

A method for designing a terrestrial digital audio broadcasting single frequency network (T-DAB SFN) for a mountainous region is proposed. A computer database and the digital terrain elevation data are used in designing the network. Two fundamental approaches are compared; first, utilization of the existing transmitter sites is maximized by applying the initial cost constraint; then, the coverage percent of the service is forced to approach to 100% by applying the coverage efficiency constraint. Finally, a T-DAB SFN hybrid design procedure optimizing both constraints is proposed. The three design approaches are illustrated on the coverage of the mountainous Istanbul-Ankara highway. The results are compared using a reference cost look up table. The hybrid approach is shown to optimize the initial cost and the coverage efficiency, and can be applied to similar networking problems     

Age hardening of EN AW 2014 alloy extruded in the semi-solid state

Response to T6 heat treatment of thixoextruded EN AW 2014 aluminium alloy was investigated in the present work. Extrusion of a 2014 slug heated to a liquid fraction of 15%, takes place in the semi-solid state until the liquid fraction in the final part of the slug is reduced via segregation to a level where semi-solid forming is no longer possible. Hence, the final part of the slug is extruded in the solid-state with a concurrent recrystallization process. This process has produced two distinctly different structures at the front and rear ends and an unexpected hardness profile in T6 temper along the length of the thixoextruded rod. The response to T6 heat treatment of the globular front has been age hardening as usual. The inferior age hardening potential with respect to the hot extruded counterpart is attributed to the grain boundary Al₂Cu phase which has grown too coarse via liquid segregation to be readily solutionized at typical solutionizing temperatures. The rear end of the extrudate on the other hand, has softened upon T6 heat treatment owing to Cu depletion and a fully recrystallized structure.