A shell for signal interpretation expert systems

System monitoring and diagnosis through signal interpretation are important tasks in many engineering fields. Although monitoring or diagnosis expert systems help human experts a lot, it is not so easy to build a signal interpretation expert system. We have developed two expert systems for speech signal processing. The close analysis of the two systems revealed common functions and modules applicable to wide range of signal interpretation problems. On the basis of the experience, we have developed a shell for signal interpretation expert systems named SSI. In order to evaluate SSI, we also developed two expert systems by using it and obtained satisfactory results. This paper describes the design philosophy and architecture of SSI together with some examples.     

Average-case analysis of the Modified Harmonic algorithm

In this paper we analyze the average-case performance of the Modified Harmonic algorithm for on-line bin packing. We first analyze the average-case performance for arbitrary distribution of item sizes over (0,1]. This analysis is based on the following result. Letf ₁ andf ₂ be two linear combinations of random variables {N _i } _i=1 ^k where theN _i 's have a joint multinomial distribution for eachn= _i=1 ^k ,N _i . LetE(f ₁) O andE(f ₂) 0. Then lim_n E(max(_{f 1},f ₂ ))/n = lim _n max(E(f ₁),E(f ₂))/n. We then consider the special case when the item sizes are uniformly distributed over (0,1]. For specific values of the parameters, the Modified Harmonic algorithm turns out to be better than the other two linear-time on-line algorithms—Next Fit and Harmonic—in both the worst case as well as the average case. We also obtain optimal values for the parameters of the algorithm from the average-case standpoint. For these values of the parameters, the average-case performance ratio is less than 1.19. This compares well with the performance ratios 1.333. and 1.2865. of the Next Fit algorithm and the Harmonic algorithm, respectively.     

Average-case analysis of the Modified Harmonic algorithm

In this paper we analyze the average-case performance of the Modified Harmonic algorithm for on-line bin packing. We first analyze the average-case performance for arbitrary distribution of item sizes over (0,1]. This analysis is based on the following result. Letf ₁ andf ₂ be two linear combinations of random variables {N _i } _i=1 ^k where theN _i 's have a joint multinomial distribution for eachn=σ _i=1 ^k ,N _i . LetE(f ₁) ≠ O andE(f ₂)≠ 0. Then lim_{n →}∞E(max(_{f 1},f ₂ ))/n = lim _n →∞ max(E(f ₁),E(f ₂))/n. We then consider the special case when the item sizes are uniformly distributed over (0,1]. For specific values of the parameters, the Modified Harmonic algorithm turns out to be better than the other two linear-time on-line algorithms—Next Fit and Harmonic—in both the worst case as well as the average case. We also obtain optimal values for the parameters of the algorithm from the average-case standpoint. For these values of the parameters, the average-case performance ratio is less than 1.19. This compares well with the performance ratios 1.333. and 1.2865. of the Next Fit algorithm and the Harmonic algorithm, respectively.     

Principle and operation of a new type motor consisting of piezoelectric device and strain wave gearing

The authors have developed a new type of motor consisting of a piezoelectric device and strain wave gearing, and is called a piezoelectric motor. This is a first step in realizing a low-speed, small-size and lightweight motor. The principle of the motor is that the traveling wave is produced by piezoelectric devices and displacement conversion devices without mechanical resonance, and the torque to rotate the motor is generated by a mechanism of strain wave gearing (circular spline and flexspline) without using friction. The motor is operated at variable frequency and its rotational position (angle) is controlled in open-loop because it is basically a synchronous motor. In this paper, the structure and principle of the proposed motor are explained and the driving method and the mechanical characteristics of an experimental motor also are described. The results are as follows:

• 1 The realizability of the proposed piezoelectric motor is verified experimentally. The experimental motor operates at 2920 steps per revolution, and its speed range is 0 to 960 pps [or 0 to 20 (rpms)].
• 2 The torque characteristics are clarified qualitatively.
• 3 The generated torque of the experimental motor is small (less than 0.03 Nm) and therefore the improvement of the torque is an important subject hereafter.
• 4 It is possible to construct the motor with nonmetallic material. This fact is considered to facilitate obtaining a means to lighten the weight of the motor in the future.

     

Numerical solutions of the singular integral equations in the crack analysis using the body force method

In this paper, numerical solutions of the singular integral equations of the body force method in the crack problems are discussed. The stress fields induced by two kinds of displacement discontinuity are used as fundamental solutions. Then, the problem is formulated as a hypersingular integral equation with the singularity of the form r ². In the numerical calculation, two kinds of unknown functions are approximated by the products of the fundamental density function and the Chebyshev polynomials. As examples, the stress intensity factors of the oblique edge crack, kinked crack, branched crack and zig-zag crack are analyzed. The calculation shows that the present method gives accurate results even for the extremely oblique edge crack and kinked crack with extremely short bend which has been difficult to analyze by the previous method using the approximation by the products of the fundamental density function and the stepped functions etc.     

The Effect of Small Additions of Fe and Heavy Deformation on the Precipitation in an Al–1.1Mg–0.5Cu–0.3Si At. Pct Alloy

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The effect of 0.03 and 0.08 at. pct Fe additions on the formation of secondary phases in an Al–1.1Mg–0.5Cu–0.3Si at. pct alloy was...     

HMM-based state classification of a user with a walking support system using visual PCA features

The improvement of safety and dependability in systems that physically interact with humans requires investigation with respect to the possible states of the user’s motion and an attempt to recognize these states. In this study, we propose a method for real-time visual state classification of a user with a walking support system. The visual features are extracted using principal component analysis and classification is performed by hidden Markov models, both for real-time fall detection (one-class classification) and real-time state recognition (multi-class classification). The algorithms are used in experiments with a passive-type walker robot called “RT Walker” equipped with servo brakes and a depth sensor (Microsoft Kinect). The experiments are performed with 10 subjects, including an experienced physiotherapist who can imitate the walking pattern of the elderly and people with disabilities. The results of the state classification can be used to improve fall-prevention control algorithms for walking support systems. The proposed method can also be used for other vision-based classification applications, which require real-time abnormality detection or state recognition.     

Studies on relationship between activity and electron density on carbonyl oxygen in sex pheromone mimics of the American cockroach,part XI

From the relationship between structures of the 2-substituents of verbanyl analogs and their sex pheromone activities to the American cockroach, electron density of the carbonyl oxygen atom in the substituent, as estimated by the [¹⁷O]NMR chemical shift, was estimated to be an important factor which influenced the activity, in addition to length of the substituent and the position of the carbonyl group. (+)-Verbanyl methylcarbonate (XX), possessing the highest electron density on the carbonyl oxygen atom, showed the strongest activity among the analogs.For Part X, see Manabe et al., 1983. J. Chem. Ecol. 9:533–549.     

Mie scattering from sphere structures in polymer blends

Polymer blends of transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene become opaque due to light scattering at the boundaries of the two polymers. The polymer blend is light brown when it is illuminated by white light. The coloring depends on the spherical domain structures existing in the polymer blend. The coloring was analyzed by using the rigorous Mie theory. The Mie results were compared with the semiempirical results previously reported by the authors. The wavelength dependence of theoretical scattering efficiencies on radii of scattering spheres from 0.05 to 1.2 μm was obtained for polystyrene spheres in poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix, and vice versa. The scattering at the short wavelength region is stronger than at the long wavelength region. The scattering efficiencies become almost constant in the visible wavelength region for sufficiently large spheres.     

The effect of the N-linked glycans on structural features and physicochemical functions of soybean β-conglycinin homotrimers

β-Conglycinin is a trimeric protein consisting of three subunits, α,α′,and β, which are N-glycosylated. The α and α′ subunits contain extension regions in addition to core regions common to all subunits. We purified homogeneous trimers consisting of only α, α′, or β from mutant soybean cultivars containing β-conglycinin lacking one or two subunits: α homotrimers from an α′-lacking mutant, α′ homotrimers from an α-lacking mutant, and β homotrimers from an α-and α′-lacking mutant. Structural features and physicochemical functions of the three homotrimers were examined and compared with those of recombinant homotrimers having no N-linked glycans. The native homotrimers have secondary structures very similar to those of the recombinant ones. In analogy with the recombinant homotrimers, the native ones exhibit different thermal stabilities from one another (β>α′>α), and the native α and α′ homotrimers exhibit better solubility, emulsifying ability, and heat-induced association than the native β homotrimer. Further, the N-linked glycans contribute to solubilities of the three subunits at low ionic strength (μ=0.08) and to the emulsifying ability of the native β homotrimer. N-Linked glycans also prevent heat-induced associations of the native α and α′ homotrimers but do not contribute to the secondary structure and the thermal stability of β-conglycinin.