International patent families: from application strategies to statistical indicators

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of international patent families, including their domestic component. We exploit a relatively under-studied feature of patent families, namely the number of patents covering the same invention within a given jurisdiction. Using this information, we highlight common patterns in the structure of international patent families, which reflect both the patenting strategies of innovators and the peculiarities of the different patent systems. While the literature has extensively used family size, i.e. the number of countries in which a given invention is protected, as a measure of patent value, our results suggest that the number of patent filings in the priority country within a patent family as well as the timespan between the first and last filings within a family are other insightful indicators of the value of patented innovations.     

A Highly Efficient Olefin Metathesis Process for the Synthesis of Terminal Alkenes from Fatty Acid Esters

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the use of olefin metathesis to convert oleochemicals into value-added products such as the bifunctional molecule methyl 9-decenoate, but the implementation of this process has been hampered by low ethenolysis efficiencies. We report herein the use of alpha olefins as ethylene surrogates in cross metathesis reactions with methyl oleate and soybean oil fatty acid methyl esters (soy FAME) resulting in considerable increases in catalyst efficiencies in the production of this promising chemical product. Additional gains in efficiency were realized by using a peroxide-scavenging feedstock pretreatment.     

Design methodology for modular tools

Serving individual customer needs at reasonable prices can be a profitable target market in high-wage countries. The dilemma between scale and scope-oriented production is one major research topic within the Cluster of Excellence ??Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries?? at the RWTH Aachen University. One main objective of this project is to bridge the existing gap between individual manufacturing and mass production. Modularization is a widely accepted approach in tool-based manufacturing processes. In this paper, we propose a flexible design methodology for modular tools and dies. The methodology will assist the design engineer in setting up a series of modularized tools in a conceptually closed manner. The described methodology covers modularization in a broad sense, i.e. it includes hardware modularization as well as modularization of the construction process. The methodology consists of three phases: initiation, analysis and design phase.     

大型结构体裂缝检测中的定位方法

为了提高大型结构体表面裂缝检测的效率,提出了一种基于图像处理技术和坐标映射相结合的定位方法。该方法首先在序列图像中抽取清晰度最高的一帧,应用Retinex算法对光照引起的亮度不均进行补偿。然后将提取的标志点图像坐标映射到观测坐标系下,根据标志点的观测坐标和世界坐标计算两坐标系间的映射关系。再根据形态学图像处理中的凸壳、像素化、细化算法提取裂缝的图像坐标;如果观测新裂缝,则将裂缝图像坐标映射到世界坐标系下;如果观测历史裂缝,则将该条裂缝的世界坐标映射到当前观测坐标系下,并计算该条历史裂缝当前的观测角度,从而实现裂缝的空间定位。经实验证明,该方法高效、准确、便捷,16 s内可实现自动定位,且偏差不大于0.07°。     

深度置信网络的代价敏感多粒度三支决策模型研究

最优粒度选择是自编码网络构造多粒度特征的关键环节。针对自编码网络粒度选择方法不合理导致特征提取效果差以及错误分类成本和测试成本高的问题,提出一种基于小批量梯度下降(mini-batch gradient descent, MBGD)的粒度层选取策略。该方法通过改变粒度选择方式重新构建多粒度空间,设计一个新的基于深度置信网络(deep belief network, DBN)的代价敏感多粒度三支决策模型。更优的粒度选择方法提升网络的特征提取能力,促使多粒度空间的构造朝着最快到达最细粒度空间的方向发展,降低图像重构误差以达到更小的错误分类代价和测试代价。实验结果表明,提供合理的粒度选取策略提高了代价敏感多粒度三支决策模型的决策准确性,并在给定代价情况下更快地获得总代价最小的最优粒层。     

Transportation Distances on the Circle

This paper is devoted to the study of the Monge-Kantorovich theory of optimal mass transport, in the special case of one-dimensional and circular distributions. More precisely, we study the Monge-Kantorovich problem between discrete distributions on the unit circle S ¹, in the case where the ground distance between two points x and y is defined as h(d(x,y)), where d is the geodesic distance on the circle and h a convex and increasing function. This study complements previous results in the literature, holding only for a ground distance equal to the geodesic distance d. We first prove that computing a Monge-Kantorovich distance between two given sets of pairwise different points boils down to cut the circle at a well chosen point and to compute the same distance on the real line. This result is then used to obtain a dissimilarity measure between 1-D and circular discrete histograms. In a last part, a study is conducted to compare the advantages and drawbacks of transportation distances relying on convex or concave cost functions, and of the classical L ¹ distance. Simple retrieval experiments based on the hue component of color images are shown to illustrate the interest of circular distances. The framework is eventually applied to the problem of color transfer between images.     

Fermented food products made with vegetable materials from tropical and warm countries: microbial and technological considerations

For many centuries, human beings have made fermented food, responding to the need to prolong the shelf life of perishable raw materials. Among the latter, vegetable materials come in diverse forms – roots, cereals, fruits, etc. – and vary from one location to another, especially if we study the products made in tropical and warm parts of the world. Humankind has explored many ways to ferment foods. This has led to the development of a number of different products characterised by original microbial communities, specific nutritional properties and typical sensory features. However, facing tremendous difficulties – sanitary preoccupations, nutritional needs and variability of organoleptic quality – scientists and food makers are now at a crossroads. One strategy would be to deduce which major traits should be optimised from a careful analysis of these products. The addition of selected starters may emerge from this as a good course of action. However, in this article, we consider that the use of traditional approaches – spontaneous fermentation and backslopping – is compatible with the search for higher quality in these products, on condition, though, that certain hygienic rules are respected and sufficient knowledge of microorganisms and raw materials is acquired.