A physically-based computer model of aggregate electric waterheating loads

Electric water heaters have been the focus of several previous studies because of their pervasiveness in power systems and their consequent potential importance when considering conservation through more efficient design and operation of the heaters. Also, because such devices are associated with an energy storage capability, they are often considered within load management by direct device control programs. Finally, they tend to be responsible for persistent system load transients in a cold load pickup situation. Understanding of the above issues can be greatly enhanced with the availability of a computer model of aggregate electric water heating loads. A physically-based such model is presented and its dynamic properties are investigated via numerical simulation under various operating conditions and parameter configurations. The results are analyzed in the paper     

Tracking and MAP reconstruction of line scratches in degraded motion pictures

A suitable detection and reconstruction approach is proposed for removing line scratches from degraded motion picture films. The detection procedure consists of two steps. First, a simple 1D-extrema detector provides line scratch candidates. Unlike impulsive distortions, which appear randomly in an image, line artifacts persist across several frames. Furthermore, the detection process is complicated by the fact that lines occur as a natural part in interesting scenes. Therefore, we add a validation step for separating possible line defects from false detections. It consists in tracking the potential line artifacts over the frames using a Kalman filter. A new Bayesian restoration technique, dealing with both low and high frequencies around and inside the detected deteriorations, is investigated to achieve a nearly invisible reconstruction of damaged areas. Accepted: 13 August 2001     

Computing a hyperelliptic integral using arithmetic in the Jacobian of the curve

In this paper, we describe an efficient algorithm for computing an elementary antiderivative of an algebraic function defined on a hyperelliptic curve. Our algorithm combines B. M. Trager's integration algorithm and a technique for computing in the Jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve introduced by D. G. Cantor. Our method has been implemented and successfully compared to Trager's general algorithm.Work partially made at Departement Informatik ETH ZurichUnité de Recherche Associée au CNRS 1586     

A partition model approach to updating universal scheme interfaces

The updating of relational databases has received extensive attention in the past few years. However, the various methods proposed present two main drawbacks: either the method cannot perform some update because of nondeterminism, or the method is deterministic but leads to counterintuitive results. In this paper, we use partition semantics to study updating in universal scheme interfaces. It is shown that, contrary to other approaches, the main difficulties are due to nondeterminism of deletions. We characterize when a deletion is deterministic or not, and we show how partition semantics allow for choices in certain cases of nondeterminism     

State-feedback control of systems with multiplicative noise via linear matrix inequalities

We consider LTI systems perturbed by parametric uncertainties, modeled as white noise disturbances. We show how to maximize, via state-feedback control, the smallest norm of the noise intensity vector producing instability in the mean square sense, using convex optimization over linear matrix inequalities. We also show how to maximize performance robustness, where performance is measured by expected output energy, with either bounded initial conditions and zero inputs (classical LQG cost), or zero initial conditions and deterministic inputs of bounded energy (a generalization of the H_∞ norm).     

Anorectal reconstruction by coloperineal anastomosis and dynamic double graciloplasty after abdomino-perineal resection

The aim of this study was to assess the technical and functional results of total anorectal reconstruction with double dynamic graciloplasty after abdominoperineal resection (APR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From May 1995 to December 1996. 10 patients (6 males and 4 females), with a mean age of 54 years (range 39-74), underwent anorectal reconstruction for low rectal adenocarcinoma. All patients had preoperative radiotherapy and six had postoperative chemotherapy. The surgical procedure was performed in three stages: 1) APR, coloperineal anastomosis, double graciloplasty and ileostomy; 2) three months later, implantation of stimulator and leads; 3) after a two-months training period, the stoma was closed. RESULTS: There was no postoperative mortality. Early and late morbidity occurred in 5 patients: 2 colonic fistulas, 1 necrosis of colon, 1 ileostomy prolapse, 1 neosphincter stenosis, 1 sepsis of stimulator. No patient had recurrence of the disease (mean follow-up 16 months), but two patients died at 3 and 8 months, respectively from anorexia and pulmonary embolism. Seven patients were available for evaluation (2 fistula, 1 death). Before training, the resting pressure and the squeeze pressure were 30 and 175 cm H2O respectively. At the time of evaluation, the electrical stimulated pressure was 95 cm H2O. Six of these 7 patients were continent (5 with spontaneous defecation, 1 with enemas) and 1 was incontinent. CONCLUSIONS: Anorectal reconstruction with dynamic graciloplasty can be an alternative to permanent colostomy for selected patients after APR. However, there is a high morbidity and the quality of life of the patients must be evaluated.     

Characteristics of aluminum-implanted 6H-SiC samples after different thermal treatments

Multiple energy aluminum (Al) implantations were performed at room temperature in n-type epitaxial 6H-SiC layers, aiming at amorphizing the material from the surface up to a depth inferior to 0.5 μm. Annealings were then carried out in an induction furnace. The goal of this paper is to optimize the furnace geometrical configuration, in order to reduce the surface degradation and improve the crystal reordering. This optimization was established for one-side amorphized wafers, which need restricting annealing parameters, and is therefore supposed to be valid for less crystal damaging implantations. Two types of geometrical parameters were essentially studied: the internal configuration, which tends to increase the silicon partial pressure inside the reactor, and the position of the sample, which has a direct influence on the recrystallization and on the dopant electrical activation. The annealings are compared for the same thermal parameters: the plateau temperature (1700 °C), the annealing duration (30 min), and the heating rate (60 °C s⁻¹). The surface roughness was evaluated by using atomic force microscopy. Two final configurations were retained, leading to satisfactory results with respect to the as-implanted material: (i) Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry revealed a very good recrystallization in both cases, giving a signal level similar to the virgin crystal one; (ii) secondary ion mass spectrometry showed two distinct results depending on the sample position: one position led to some material etching, especially the SiC part which was amorphized by the implantation, and the second position gave rise to the deposition of a crudely monocrystalline SiC layer on the surface of the sample implanted side. This coating was found to prevent from any dopant loss by exodiffusion or material etching. Electrical measurements (four-point probe at 300 K) proved an Al substitutional ratio of 97 and 78% depending on the configuration, giving room temperature sheet resistances of about 2×10⁴ and 4×10⁴ Ω sq.⁻¹, respectively, for 4×10¹⁹ cm⁻³ Al implanted samples.     

Construction of a complete genomic library of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and physical mapping of chromosome XI at 3·7 kb resolution

A consortium of European laboratories has been organized to systematically sequence the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. As part of the BIOTECH program aimed at sequencing chromosomes XI and II, we have constructed a total genomic library of yeast strain FY1679 (a direct S288C derivative) into cosmid vectors pWE15 and pOU61cos. Primary clones from four independent libraries totalling 190 genome equivalents have been stored at ?80°C. A subset of 1939 independent clones (six genome equivalents) was hybridized using purified chromosomes XI and X as probes. A total of 147 chromosome XI-specific cosmid clones was used to construct the physical map of that chromosome. Mapping methods included a combination of classical bottom-up strategies (fingerprinting, hybridizations) and a novel top-down strategy using I-SceI chromosome fragmentation. The 147 cosmid clones form a unique contig covering the entire chromosome XI (666 kb) with the sole exceptions of the (C_1?3A)_n repeats of the telomeres. Colinearity of cosmid inserts with yeast DNA was directly verified. A complete EcoRI map of chromosome XI was deduced from partial overlaps of cosmids and used for the sequencing program. Comparison of this map with the genetic map shows unexpected divergences that have been solved by subsequent genetic analysis, yet underline the necessity of independent physical mapping in genome projects.     

Semantic and pragmatic processing in FIDO: A flexible interface for data-base operations

This article deals with a flexible natural language interface to access data stored in a relational data base. This interface may prove of great value to the less sophisticated user.The FIDO system (Flexible Interface for Database Operations) is presented; it accepts queries issued in natural language (Italian) and translates them into relational algebra operations. FIDO is composed of a parser (not described in the paper), a two-level semantic network, which (among other things) expresses the correspondence between the natural language terms and the conceptual database objects, and a translator/optimizer, which translates the conceptual query into its logical equivalent (i.e. into a query expressed in terms of stored relations and their attributes). The article describes the main characteristics of the semantic network and addresses, in greater detail, the problem of query translation and optimization.The flexibility of FIDO is due to the complete independence of the semantic knowledge source from the logical schema of the data base. In fact, the logical schema can be designed on the basis of considerations not related to the overall structure of FIDO (e.g. the presence of particular types of applications that have to be implemented in a particularly efficient way). In principle, the (relational) data base could be preexistent with respect to the adoption of FIDO, in that the data structures used by the translator/optimizer and described in this paper are able to describe the correspondence between the conceptual model of the domain and different logical schemas.