Service-oriented smart home applications: composition, code generation, deployment, and execution

A smart home usually has a variety of devices or home appliance, instead of designing software for a specific home, this paper proposes a service-oriented framework with a set of ontology systems to support service and device publishing, discovery of devices and their services, composition of control software using existing control services that wrap devices, deployment, and execution of the composed service in an computing environment, monitoring the execution, and recovery from device failure. The ontology systems specify semantic information about devices, services, and workflows used in various smart home, and users can compose and recompose services for their specific needs. New devices, workflows, and services can be added into ontology. Most of the steps in this process can be automated including code generation. For example, service composition will be carried out in three steps: abstract workflow design, function construction, and device discovery, and different codes can be generated for different computing platforms such as Java and Open Services Gateway initiative environments. In this way, a variety of smart home can be constructed rapidly using the framework by discovery and composition using existing services and workflows. This paper illustrates this framework using a media control example to illustrate the ontology, discovery, composition, deployment, execution, monitoring, and recovery.     

Interaction behavior of nitrogen in liquid niobium

The kinetics and mechanism of absorption/desorption of nitrogen in liquid Nb were investigated in the temperature range of 2470 °C to 2670 °C in samples levitated in a N₂/Ar stream with various nitrogen partial pressures. The nitrogen solution reaction in liquid Nb was found to be exothermic, with the standard enthalpy and entropy of solution of −236.4 ± 23.3 kJ/mol and −-5.3 ± 8.3 J/K · mol, respectively. Above the threshold flow rate of the N₂/Ar stream, the absorption process was determined to be second order with respect to nitrogen concentration, indicating that the rate-controlling step is either the adsorption of nitrogen molecules on the liquid surface or dissociation of adsorbed nitrogen molecules into surface-adsorbed atoms. The desorption process was found to be second order as well. At lower flow rates, however, the absorption rate was found to depend on the gas-phase mass transfer rate. The rate equation for nitrogen absorption in the range of 2470 °C to 2670 °C is given by with the value ofQ calculated to be −327.2 ± 20.6 kJ/mol, while nitrogen desorption at 2670 °C follows the relation      

Combining teacher-Led and technology-assisted instruction to improve phoneme blending to read words for elementary students with disabilities

Technology-assisted instruction has potential for helping students improve their reading skills. In the current studies, PowerPoint software was used to supplement teacher-led reading instruction for elementary-aged students with disabilities who struggled with phoneme blending to read words. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using two multiple probe design studies across sets of words based on an onset-rime (word family) strategy. In Study 1, teacher-led instruction was paired with technology-assisted instruction for all intervention sessions for three students in first and second grade. In Study 2, teacher-led instruction occurred between baseline and technology-assisted intervention sessions for three students in third and fourth grade. During the initial instruction sessions, participants recorded their own voices onto PowerPoint slides so that their technology-assisted instruction included self-modelling. Results of both studies indicated that technology-assisted instruction can be effective for helping students learn how to blend phonemes to read words; however, performance varied and there were limitations in each study that should be addressed in future research. Relevant implications for classroom instruction are emphasized.     

Contact printing pressure uniformization in roll-to-roll process using individual drive cross-coupled torque control

Microsystem Technologies - Printed electronics such as solar cells, RFIDs, and display panels can be made using printed electronic technology by printing viscous liquids having various properties...     

Customer entrepreneurship on digital platforms: Challenges and solutions for platform business models

Drawing on the mixed methods of qualitative research and agent‐based simulation, this study examines: (a) how end‐users use digital platforms to become customer–entrepreneurs undertaking commercial activities on platforms; and (b) how platform providers can convert this customer entrepreneurship into a revenue stream. Considering that end‐users have traditionally been defined as passive and uncharged actors in platform business models, an in‐depth understanding of their commercial activities and the viable revenue model to monetize this emerging customer practice is warranted. Our qualitative study reveals that customer–entrepreneurs make substantial use of platform offerings to advertise their products; communicate with end‐consumers; and accept payments. These commercial activities are largely exercised for free on platforms, even though they could otherwise serve as a source of revenue. On this point, our simulation results identify two pricing models achieving the generation of nearly identical revenues over time. First, platform providers may charge both advertising and transaction fees, which maximize the survival of professional customer–entrepreneurs. Second, platform businesses may levy advertising fees only, which maximizes the survival of informal customer–entrepreneurs operating on a micro‐scale and part‐time basis. This study offers theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications for platform studies.     

Adaptive synthesis of distance fields

We address the computational resource requirements of 3D example-based synthesis with an adaptive synthesis technique that uses a tree-based synthesis map. A signed-distance field (SDF) is determined for the 3D exemplars, and then new models can be synthesized as SDFs by neighborhood matching. Unlike voxel synthesis approach, our input is posed in the real domain to preserve maximum detail. In comparison to straightforward extensions to the existing volume texture synthesis approach, we made several improvements in terms of memory requirements, computation times, and synthesis quality. The inherent parallelism in this method makes it suitable for a multicore CPU. Results show that computation times and memory requirements are very much reduced, and large synthesized scenes exhibit fine details which mimic the exemplars.     

Generalized extreme learning machine acting on a metric space

Functional data learning is an extension of traditional data learning, that is, learning the data chosen from the Euclidean space ${\mathbb{R}^{n}}$ to a metric space. This paper focuses on the functional data learning with generalized single-hidden layer feedforward neural networks (GSLFNs) acting on some metric spaces. In addition, three learning algorithms, named Hilbert parallel overrelaxation backpropagation (H-PORBP) algorithm, ν-generalized support vector regression (ν-GSVR) and generalized extreme learning machine (G-ELM) are proposed to train the GSLFNs acting on some metric spaces. The experimental results on some metric spaces indicate that GELM with additive/RBF hidden-nodes has a faster learning speed, a better accuracy, and a better stability than HPORBP algorithm and ν-GSVR for training the functional data. The idea of GELM can be used to extend those improved extreme learning machines (ELMs) that act on the Euclidean space ${\mathbb{R}^{n}, }$ such as online sequential ELM, incremental ELM, pruning ELM and so on, to some metric spaces.     

The α- to β-Si3N4 transformation in the presence of liquid silicon

The compacts consisted of , -Si₃N₄ and free silicon are heat treated in the range 1650° C to 1750° C in an argon atmosphere in order to observe the following behaviours; the to phase transformation and variations of the microstructure during heat treatment in silicon nitride. For the microstructural observation of the heat treated specimens, the same grains in the polished surface were investigated before and after eliminating the retained silicon by etching. The to phase transformation, in this case, occurs via silicon melts irrespective of added -Si₃N₄. Both and phases are soluted and precipitated into molten silicon and their morphology are changed from an equiaxed shape to prismatic one. Although elongated grains are precipitated at low temperature or in the early stage of heat treatment, fine precipitated grains are mainly observed with increasing heat treating temperature.     

Dielectric properties and microstructural behaviour of B-site calcium-doped barium titanate ceramics

Dielectric properties and microstructural behaviour of Ba_1–x Sr _x Ti_1–y Ca _y O_3–y ceramics, where strontium and calcium were doped on the barium and titanium sites, respectively, within the range 0x0.24 and 0y0.05, were investigated. Calcium addition decreased the tetragonality,c/a, increased the unit cell volume, and lowered the Curie temperature, which were all attributed to the occupancy of Ca²⁺ ions on titanium sites. When sintered at a low oxygen partial pressure of 10^–9 MPa, a resistivity higher than 10¹¹ cm was maintained for the formulations containing B-site calcium substitution more than 0.5 mol %. With increasing the amount of calcium addition, the Curie peak was depressed and completely broadened for the compositions with calcium addition more than 3 mol %, where the average grain size was smaller than 1 m. Co-firing with nickel electrodes in a reducing atmosphere also depressed the Curie peak and inhibited the grain growth due to the diffusion of nickel into the dielectrics.     

利用CFD技术研究四边形通道内的流场

了解认知隧道内的流体力学的特点对于隧道火灾的研究和隧道安全建设有着非常大的意义。为了对隧道火灾的特点进行研究,我们使用商用CFD程序STAR-CD对速度场和压力分布进行了数值模拟。模拟过程中在同一入口位置的情况下改变四个出口位置,出口位置与模具高度的数值对别分别为L/H=0,0.375,0.75,1.125。同时还介绍了对于火灾救援和人员疏散的有效措施。