Color juxtaposition for pointillism based on an artistic color model and a statistical analysis

We analyze characteristics and patterns of color juxtaposition and the color theory used by pointillist painters and employ them to create rendering algorithm that generates images in a pointillist style. We determine the distribution of colors in several paintings by Seurat and quantify a number of the theory that he employs. Using an RYB color wheel and a hierarchical point generation technique, we convert an input image into a set of colored dots, which is again converted into brush strokes with appropriate shapes and directions. We present images which illustrate the extent to which we have managed to simulate Seurat’s technique.     

Seat inventory control for sequential multiple flights with customer choice behavior

This paper considers a seat inventory control problem in which flights depart sequentially and passengers purchase available seats depending on customer choice behavior. Customer choice behavior can lead to either a horizontal shift or a booking loss when a desired fare class is unavailable. This problem is mathematically challenging and intractable via exact mathematical models. As an alternative heuristic approach, this paper develops a simulation-based greedy grid-search algorithm and illustrates simulation experiments using the newly developed algorithm. This paper obtains encouraging numerical results with the approach proposed here, but additional studies are required for accommodating more general assumptions such as booking arrival patterns, booking control mechanisms (e.g., cancellation and overbooking) and strategic customer behavior.     

A fact-oriented ontological approach to human process modeling for knowledge-intensive business services

Modern business environment emphasizes the role of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). As well as the enterprises in any other kinds of industries, business process management (BPM) can be a source of core competency for the enterprises in KIBS industry. However, most of the business processes in KIBS are human processes which are collaborative, innovative, and dynamic, which cannot be supported well by current BPM technologies. Human interaction management (HIM) has emerged as an alternative theory to deal with human processes in KIBS. But, the current ways of process modeling and management in HIM have a problem of complexity, especially in terms of realizing its principle of ‘supportive activity management’. This research adopts fact-oriented ontological approach to address this problem. Based on fact-oriented approach, human-friendly condition modeling and state management during supportive activity management can be achieved.     

Catching two rabbits: adaptive real‐time support for embedded Linux

The trend of digital convergence makes multitasking common in many digital electronic products. Some applications in those systems have inherent real‐time properties, while many others have few or no timeliness requirements. Therefore the embedded Linux kernels, which are widely used in those devices, provide real‐time features in many forms. However, providing real‐time scheduling usually induces throughput degradation in heavy multitasking due to the increased context switches. Usually the throughput degradation becomes a critical problem, since the performance of the embedded processors is generally limited for cost, design and energy efficiency reasons. This paper proposes schemes to lessen the throughput degradation, which is from real‐time scheduling, by suppressing unnecessary context switches and applying real‐time scheduling mechanisms only when it is necessary. Also the suggested schemes enable the complete priority inheritance protocol to prevent the well‐known priority inversion problem. We evaluated the effectiveness of our approach with open‐source benchmarks. By using the suggested schemes, the throughput is improved while the scheduling latency is kept same or better in comparison with the existing approaches. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Run-to-run control of inductively coupled C2F6 plasma etching of SiO2: Construction of a numerical process with a computational fluid dynamics code

A numerical process to simulate SiO₂ dry etching with inductively coupled C₂F₆ plasmas has been constructed using a commercial CFD code as a first step to design a run-to-run control system. The simulator was found to reasonably predict the reactive ion etching behavior of C₂F₆ plasmas and used to investigate the effects of plasma operating variables on the etch rate and uniformity. The relationship between the operating variables and the etching characteristics was mathematically modeled through linear regression for future run-to-run control system design.     

Preparation of bao-pbo-nd2o3-tio2 powders by hydrothermal synthesis

Homogeneous and nano-sized BPNT [(Ba_1-xPb_x)Nd₂Ti₅O₁₄] powders were prepared under various hydrothermal conditions. Crystallinity and homogeneity of the synthetic powders were investigated. The microwave dielectric properties of the filters prepared with hydrothermal powders were compared with those of the filters prepared with conventional powders. The microwave dielectric properties of the filter prepared with the hydrothermal powders were also better than those of the filter manufactured with the conventional powders. The dielectric constant, quality constant and temperature coefficient of resonance frequency of hydrothermally prepared filter under optimum condition and measured at 3.5 GHz around were about 93, 6067 and 0 ppm/°C, respectively.     

Role of primate medial vestibular nucleus in long-term adaptive plasticity of vestibuloocular reflex

1. Fifteen hundred and thirty cells were recorded in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) of alert monkeys whose vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) had been adapted to one of two kinds of spectacles. The "high-gain" sample was recorded from monkeys that had worn 2.0 x telescopic spectacles; the gain of the VOR in the dark (eye velocity divided by head velocity) was greater than 1.5. The "low-gain" sample was recorded from monkeys that had worn goggles providing a visual field that was fixed with respect to the freely turning head; the gain of the VOR was less than 0.4. 2. Cells showing modulation of firing rate related to imposed head velocity were grouped into four categories: pure vestibular (10), vestibular-plus-saccade (10), vestibular-plus-position (10), and vestibular-plus-head/body (24). Sensitivity to head velocity was measured from averaged responses to sinusoidal, 0.4-Hz whole-body oscillation in the horizontal plane. Almost all cells (98%) having increased firing during ipsilateral head rotation received inputs from the horizontal semicircular canals. Conversely, 82% of cells having increased firing during contralateral head rotation received inputs from the vertical canals. 3. There were no statistically significant differences in resting discharge rate, phase shift, or sensitivity to head velocity between the high- and low-gain samples of any of the cell types. Nonetheless, there was a consistent tendency, evident in all the functionally defined cell groups, for the sensitivity to be about 20% greater in the high-gain samples. However, this difference is small by comparison with the fourfold difference in VOR gain. 4. Detailed scrutiny of the response properties of individual cells suggested that the small differences in sensitivity reflect small changes distributed throughout the population, rather than large and potentially significant changes within a small sub-population. 5. Our data indicate that large, adaptive changes in the gain of the VOR are accompanied by only minor changes in the vestibular sensitivity and no changes in the phase shift or resting discharge rates of cells in the MVN. It remains possible that large changes in vestibular sensitivity occurred in cells we did not sample or in subgroups we could not identify. We argue that this is unlikely and that the major changes underlying VOR plasticity occur after the first central synapse in the VOR pathways.     

Effect of moditen-depot therapy on the duration and quality of remissions in schizophrenia patients

The authors studied the effectiveness of out-patient treatment by Moditen-Deppt of 128 schizophrenic patients. A comparison of the previous remissions appearing during usual pharmacotherapy and remissions seen during Moditen-Depot treatment depicted statistically significant differences, indicating a distinct prevention of exacerbations due to this preparation, an increase in the duration and improved quality of remissions. Such improved remissions were expressed in lesser severity, in a decrease of psychopathological disturbances, changes qualified as a "mollification of a defect" and an improvement of some socio-clinical indices.     

A procedural framework for dynamic changes of human interactions in knowledge intensive services

The knowledge intensive service processes should be managed in a human-oriented way since humans who naturally undertake complex operations of an intellectual nature in the processes are the most valuable resources. The most fundamental nature of human work is collaborative and dynamic. Humans interact and communicate with each other to accomplish their jobs in the process. To help them to work together, a strong representation of the process should be provided to facilitate them to clearly understand who they should interact with and what activities need to be performed. For the clear representation, Human Interaction Management (HIM), which has been suggested to comprehensively support human work, adopts a role-based approach to process modeling. It, however, tends to hide elements of interactions although the collaborative human interaction is one of the most fundamental nature of human work. To remedy this problem, a state-driven modeling approach to human interactions was presented. It clearly visualizes the interactions so that humans can be guided through it. However, they do not just follow the previously defined sequence of activities, but continuously work out how they are going to proceed from now on according to the state of things they encounter throughout the life of the work. To fully support the dynamic nature of human work, human interactions should be flexibly managed. Therefore, this paper presents a framework for the flexible management of human interactions. The framework provides a capability to flexibly manage the interactions in a decentralized way by allowing interaction participants to dynamically change the involved interaction based on the continuous negotiation of how to achieve the ultimate goal of the interaction. It will be a basis for realization of decentralized management of human interactions in knowledge intensive service processes.