Adaptive Spatial Partitioning for Multidimensional Data Streams

We propose a space-efficient scheme for summarizing multidimensional data streams. Our sketch can be used to solve spatial versions of several classical data stream queries efficiently. For instance, we can track ε-hot spots, which are congruent boxes containing at least an ε fraction of the stream, and maintain hierarchical heavy hitters in d dimensions. Our sketch can also be viewed as a multidimensional generalization of the ε-approximate quantile summary. The space complexity of our scheme is O((1/ε) log R) if the points lie in the domain [0, R]^d, where d is assumed to be a constant. The scheme extends to the sliding window model with a log (ε n) factor increase in space, where n is the size of the sliding window. Our sketch can also be used to answer ε-approximate rectangular range queries over a stream of d-dimensional points.     

Investigation of texture effect on visual colour difference evaluation

The texture effect on visual colour difference evaluation was investigated in this study. Five colour centers were selected and textured colour pairs were generated using scanned textile woven fabrics and colour‐mapping technique. The textured and solid colour pairs were then displayed on a characterized cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor for colour difference evaluation. The colour difference values for the pairs with texture patterns are equal to 5.0 CIELAB units in lightness direction. The texture level was represented by the half‐width of histogram, which is called texture strength in this study. High correlation was found between texture strength and visual colour difference for textured colour pairs, which indicates that an increasing of 10 units of texture strength in luminance would cause a decreasing of 0.25 units visual difference for the five colour centers. The ratio of visual difference between textured and solid colour pairs also indicates a high parametric effect of texture. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 341–347, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.     

Robot-assisted wayfinding for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments

We present a robot-assisted wayfinding system for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments. The system consists of a mobile robotic guide and small passive RFID sensors embedded in the environment. The system is intended for use in indoor environments, such as office buildings, supermarkets and airports. We describe how the system was deployed in two indoor environments and evaluated by visually impaired participants in a series of pilot experiments. We analyze the system’s successes and failures and outline our plans for future research and development.     

Preliminary<Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> characterizations of a sol-gel derived bioactive glass-ceramic system

This study investigates quantitatively and qualitatively the sol-gel derived bioactive glass-ceramic system (BGS)—apatite-wollastonite (AW) type granules in the size range of 0.5–1 mm, as an effective graft material for bone augmentation and restoration. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the sintered granules revealed the rough material surface with micropores in the range 10–30 μm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the granules revealed the presence of crystalline phases of the hydroxyapatite and wollastonite, and the functional groups of the silicate and phosphates were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Thein vitro cell culture studies with L929 mouse fibroblast cell line showed very few cells adhered on the BGS disc after 24 h. This could be due to the highly reactive surface of the disc concomitant with the crystallization but not due to the cytotoxicity of the material, since the cellular viability (MTT assay) with the material was 80‰ Cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility studies proved that the material was non-toxic and biocompatible. After 12 weeks of implantation of the BGS granules in the tibia bone of New Zealand white rabbits, the granules were found to be well osteointegrated, as observed in the radiographs. Angiogram with barium sulphate and Indian ink after 12 weeks showed the presence of microcapillaries in the vicinity of the implant site implicating high vascularity. Gross observation of the implant site did not show any inflammation or necrosis. SEM of the implanted site after 24 weeks revealed good osteointegration of the material with the newly formed bone and host bone. New bone was also observed within the material, which was degrading. Histological evaluation of the bone healing with the BGS granules in the tibial defect at all time intervals was without inflammation or fibrous tissue encapsulation. After 2 weeks the new bone was observed as a trabeculae network around the granules, and by 6 weeks the defect was completely closed with immature woven bone. By 12 weeks mature woven bone was observed, and new immature woven bone was seen within the cracks of the granules. After 24 weeks the defect was completely healed with lamellar bone and the size of the granules decreased. Histomorphometrically the area percentage of new bone formed was 67.77% after 12 weeks and 63.37% after 24 weeks. Less bone formation after 24 weeks was due to an increased implant surface area contributed by the material degradation and active bone remodeling. The osteostimulative and osteoconductive potential of the BGS granules was established by tetracycline labelling of the mineralizing areas by 2 and 6 weeks. This sol-gel derived BGS granules proved to be bioactive and resorbable which in turn encouraged active bone formation.     

Cross-cultural universality of social-moral development: A critical review of Kohlbergian research.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 97(3) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2008-10967-001). The subheadings in Table 5 are incorrect and should be reversed. The first subheading should read "Countries for Which Studies Did Not Report Significant Differences," and the second subheading should read "Countries for Which Studies Did Report Statistically Significant Differences."] Reviews 45 cross-cultural studies of moral reasoning published from 1969 to 1984 to evaluate the empirical support for the primary empirical assumptions underlying the claim of L. Kohlberg (1971) that there is a cross-cultural universality of moral development. The assumptions underlying the claim are identified as culturally diverse samplings, universal and moral questions, invariant stage sequence, full range of stages, and general applicability of the stages. Findings support the underlying assumptions and identify some major caveats regarding the range and general applicability of the stages across cultures. Biases in favor of complex urban societies and middle-class populations are evident in the studies. It is suggested that sociocultural systems should be expected to vary in modal stage of usage and should also be understood as fully equal. A key to this position is to distinguish between society and culture and to bring a developmental perspective to both. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

关于中国放射源管理的建议

1　放射性废物管理方面( 1 )应当建立一个国家级的废放射源管理战略。此战略应包括过去、现在和将来产生的所有放射性废物。此废物管理战略可以由国家指定的委员会来制订。该委员会可以包括来自主要废物的产生单位、废物管理机构和相应的审管部门的代表。此战略应当涵盖技术选择 (处理和处置 )和基础架构 (废物管理机构和基金 )。( 2 )放射性废物管理 ,包括废密封源管理。要求有专门的技术设施和特别训练的人员。为避免基础结构和人力资源重复设置 ,可以考虑单一的废物管理机构。该机构可设有区域性的分支机构 ,也可以设有专门的部门管理来…     

A risk approach to the management of boiler tube thinning

A large set of industrial thickness inspection data covering four boiler units of a power station over a period of five years was made available to the authors. The measurements were made in regions of the boiler where corrosion/erosion was the major cause of failure of the boiler tubes. There were over 40,000 separately measured data points in the data and all were collected with some care and expense.In the development of maintenance strategies for equipment, this type of data is typical of the data that must be collected and assessed. This data thus represents an opportunity to evaluate the ability to generate a useful risk approach to the management of the tubing.An important example of a risk-based approach is the American Petroleum Institute (API) Risk Based Inspection (“RBI”), API 581. A variety of problems were encountered applying this to boiler tubes. The problems include irrelevant API 581 corrosion rate tables, lack of information on how to analyse inspection data, difficulty of dealing with multiple inspection categories and lack of suitable direction for programming inspection intervals.     

Organochlorine Contaminants of Wintering Ducks Foraging on Detroit River Sediments

Organochlorine analysis was performed on carcasses of 13 diving ducks from a 1981 wintering population that foraged on contaminated sediments in the lower Detroit River. Mean total PCB concentrations were 10 mg/kg for seven lesser scaups (Aythya affinis), 11 mg/kg for three greater scaups (A. marila), and 7.6 mg/kg for three goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula). Highest mean levels of other residues were measured for hexachlorobenzene (1.7 mg/kg) in goldeneyes, and transnonachlor (0.33 mg/kg) and 4,4’-DDE (1.3 mg/kg) in greater scaup. Quantitative analysis of 72 PCB congeners also was applied to water, seston, sediment, benthie oligochaetes, and carp from the same site. Principal congeners in most of the samples included some of the more toxic and persistent PCBs. Results of a multivariate analysis indicated that ratios of more conservative to less conservative PCBs did not vary significantly among ducks (α = .05), but differed from those in carp, oligochaetes, and sediment. For the February through March period of fat mobilization, concentrations of total PCB in lipid were inversely correlated with percent lipid (r = 0.76) in ducks. The percentage of conservative PCBs increased slightly. The distribution and partitioning of organochlorines, including toxic PCB congeners, varied considerably within this water column-sediment-fauna ecosystem. Estimates of toxic exposure based on total PCB values may be unreliable.