User behavior modeling of voice communications: an empirical study

In this study, analysis and modeling of arrival and service processes are presented in a comprehensive fashion in order to determine statistical properties of voice traffic from end‐user perspective in accordance with the queueing theory. For the first time in the literature, we introduce a user centric approach and examine these services considering both flow directions of voice traffic, the uplink and the downlink as opposed to existing studies with the network centric approach. In our study, we use experimental data composed of actual phone calls collected from 2G/3G networks. To achieve this, we designed and implemented a data collection system for mobile users and compared the results by using data from an operational cellular network. In order to determine the time correlation of voice calls, Hurst parameter estimation methods are used. On the basis of the outcomes, independency of call arrivals is shown. Additionally, it is shown that calls acquired from user and network centric approaches are both Poisson distributed. Next, looking at the problem from service process perspective, thorough analyses are performed to determine mathematical models that can best characterize call holding times. Maximum likelihood estimation and expectation maximization algorithm are used, and it is shown that the optimum mathematical model for the characterization of call holding times is the lognormal distribution family. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of starters on chemical, biochemical, and sensory changes in Turkish White-brined cheese during ripening

Turkish White-brined cheese was manufactured using Lactococcus strains (Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis NCDO763 plus L. lactis ssp. cremoris SK11 and L. lactis ssp. lactis UC317 plus L. lactis ssp. cremoris HP) or without a starter culture, and ripened for 90 d. It was found that the use of starters significantly influenced the physical, chemical, biochemical, and sensory properties of the cheeses. Chemical composition, pH, and sensory properties of cheeses made with starter were not affected by the different starter bacteria. The levels of soluble nitrogen fractions and urea-PAGE of the pH 4.6-insoluble fractions were found to be significantly different at various stages of ripening. Urea-PAGE patterns of the pH 4.6-insoluble fractions of the cheeses showed that considerable degradation of α_s1-casein occurred and that β-casein was more resistant to hydrolysis. The use of a starter culture significantly influenced the levels of 12% trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen, 5% phosphotungstic acid-soluble nitrogen, free amino acids, total free fatty acids, and the peptide profiles (reverse phase-HPLC) of 70% (vol/vol) ethanol-soluble and insoluble fractions of the pH 4.6-soluble fraction of the cheeses. The levels of peptides in the cheeses increased during the ripening period. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses of electrophoretic and chromatographic results indicated that the cheeses were significantly different in terms of their peptide profiles and they were grouped based on the use and type of starter and stage of ripening. Levels of free amino acid in the cheeses differed; Leu, Glu, Phe, Lys, and Val were the most abundant amino acids. Nitrogen fractions, total free amino acids, total free fatty acids, and the levels of peptides resolved by reverse phase-HPLC increased during ripening. No significant differences were found between the sensory properties of cheeses made using a starter, but the cheese made without starter received lower scores than the cheeses made using a starter. It was found that the cheese made with strains NCDO763 plus SK11 had the best quality during ripening. It was concluded that the use of different starter bacteria caused significant differences in the quality of the cheese, and that each starter culture contributed to proteolysis to a different degree.     

Hydropower Plant Site Assessment by Integrated Hydrological Modeling,Gene Expression Programming and Visual Basic Programming

Water Resources Management - The integrated hydrological modeling techniques were used to create a conceptual rainfall-runoff model for Hurman River watershed. The HEC-HMS and water modeling system...     

Effect of Steam Baking on Acrylamide Formation and Browning Kinetics of Cookies

Abstract: Effects of baking method and temperature on surface browning and acrylamide concentration of cookies were investigated. Cookies were baked in natural and forced convection and steam‐assisted hybrid ovens at 165, 180, and 195 °C and at different times. For all oven types, the acrlyamide concentration and surface color of cookies increased with increasing baking temperature. Significant correlation was observed between acrylamide formation and browning index, BI, which was calculated from Hunter L, a, and b color values, and it showed that the BI may be considered as a reliable indicator of acrylamide concentration in cookies. Acrylamide formation and browning index in cookies were considered as the first‐order reaction kinetics and the reaction rate constants, k, were in the range of 0.023 to 0.077 (min^?1) and 0.019 to 0.063 (min^?1), respectively. The effect of baking temperature on surface color and acrylamide concentration followed the Arrhenius type of equation, with activation energies for acrylamide concentration as 6.87 to 27.84 kJ/mol; for BI value as 19.54 to 35.36 kJ/mol, for all oven types. Steam‐assisted baking resulted in lower acrylamide concentration at 165 °C baking temperature and lower surface color for all temperatures. Steam‐assisted baking is recommended as a healthy way of cooking providing the reduction of harmful compounds such as acrylamide for bakery goods, at a minimal level, while keeping the physical quality. Practical Application: The kinetics of acrylamide formation and browning of cookies will possibly allow definition of optimum baking temperatures and times at convectional and steam‐assisted baking ovens. The kinetic model can be used by developing baking programs that can automatically control especially a new home‐scale steam‐assisted hybrid oven producing healthy products, for the use of domestic consumers.     

Self‐tuning PID control of a brushless DC motor by adaptive interaction

In this paper, a self‐tuning algorithm for proportional integral derivative (PID) control based on the adaptive interaction (AI) approach theory efficiently used in artificial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed. In this approach, a system is decomposed into interconnected subsystems, and adaptation occurs in the interaction weights among these subsystems. The principle behind the adaptation algorithm is mathematically equivalent to a gradient descent algorithm. The same adaptation as the well‐known backpropagation algorithm (BPA) can be achieved without the need of a feedback network, which would propagate the errors, by applying adaptive interaction. Thereby, the ANN controller can be adapted directly without wasting calculation time in order to increase the frequency response of the controller. The velocity control of a brushless DC motor (BLDCM) under slowly and rapidly changing load conditions is simulated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm. The AI tuning algorithm was used to tune up the PID gains, and the simulation results with PID adaptation process are presented by comparing the obtained results with the adaptive PID controller based on BPNN and a conventional PID controller. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The inhibitory effects of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus helveticus on Bacillus species isolated from raw milk in various salt concentrations

Nineteen strains of Bacillus were isolated and identified from 111 samples of raw milk. The inhibitory effects of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus helveticus on strains of Bacillus were studied. The inhibitory effects were evaluated (using the well diffusion method) on nutrient agar, with NaCl added at concentrations of 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 g/L. Lactobacillus casei inhibited 16 strains of Bacillus on nutrient agar without salt, and 18 strains in the presence of salt. When the salt concentration was 6.5%, the inhibitory effect decreased, and L. casei inhibited only eight strains of Bacillus ( Bacillus cereus , Bacillus sphaericus , Bacillus licheniformis , Bacillus macerans , Bacillus firmus , Bacillus coagulans , Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus stearothermophilus ). Lactobacillus helveticus formed the inhibitory zones against five strains of Bacillus on nutrient agar without salt, but with 4% NaCl concentration, it showed an inhibitory effect on 13 strains; a further two strains were inhibited in the presence of 4.5 and 5.0% salt. In 5.5% NaCl, the same 15 strains were inhibited by L. helveticus, whilst in 6 and 6.5% salt, the inhibitory effect decreased and only six and seven strains were affected, respectively. The maximum inhibitory effect with both L. casei and L. helveticus was observed in the presence of 4.5–5.5% salt.     

Consciousness,intentionality and intelligence: some foundational issues for artificial intelligence

Three fundamental questions concerning minds are presented. These are about consciousness, intentionality and intelligence. After we present the fundamental framework that has shaped both the philosophy of mind and the Artificial Intelligence research in the last forty years or so regarding the last two questions, we turn to consciousness, whose study still seems evasive to both communities. After briefly illustrating why and how phenomenal consciousness is puzzling, a theoretical diagnosis of the problem is proposed and a framework is presented, within which further research would yield a solution. The diagnosis is that the puzzle stems from a peculiar dual epistemic access to phenomenal aspects (qualia) of our conscious experiences. An account of concept formation is presented such that both the phenomenal concepts (like the concepts RED and SWEET) and the introspective concepts (like the concepts EXPERIENCING RED and TASTING SWEET) are acquired from a firstperson perspective as opposed to the third-person one (the standard concept formation strategy about objective features). We explain the first-person perspective in information-theoretic and computational terms: Nature (the Art whereby God hath made and governes the World) is by the Art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it can make an Artificial Animal. For seeing life is but a motion of Limbs, the beginning whereof is in some principall part within; why may we not say, that all Automata (Engines that move themselves by springs and wheels as doth a watch) have an artificiall life? For what is the Heart, but a Spring; and the Nerves but so many Strings; and the Joynts, but so many Wheeles, giving motion to the whole Body, such as was intended by the Artificer? Art goes yet further, imitating that Rationall and most excellent worke of Nature, Man. (Hobbes 1651, p. 81) So declared Thomas Hobbes in 1651 in the Introduction to his well-known work, Leviathan, published one year after Réne Descartes' death. Descartes was also interested in mechanical explanations of bodily processes and organic life. In fact, on the basis of his neuroanatomical and physiological studies, as well as philosophical arguments, Descartes had already argued that human and animal bodies could be mechanically understood as complicated and intricately designed machines (Descartes 1664). What differentiated Descartes from Hobbes lay in his belief that human beings, unlike non-human animals, were not merely bodies; they were unions of material bodies and immaterial souls. The immaterial soul was necessary for Descartes to explain the peculiar capacities and activities of the human mind. As such, materialist mechanical explanations could never be sufficient to account for the whole human being.