Honey bees find the shortest path: a collective flow-mediated approach

Artificial Life and Robotics - Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are social insects that makes frequent use of volatile pheromone signals to collectively navigate unpredictable and unknown...     

Algorithm for the extraction of page-formatted binary digital data

We present an algorithm for fast and reliable extraction of page-formatted binary digital data. The advantages of the algorithm include a low raw bit-error rate, fast extraction speed, the use of a simple and density-efficient coding scheme, and large tolerance to a change of the signal-to-noise ratio. We used this algorithm to analyze shot-noise-limited binary data that had large interpage and intrapage intensity variations and obtained an improvement in the bit-error rate of 3-4 orders of magnitude compared with that in a single-threshold-detection scheme. Implications of our results for the development of high-speed, high-density holographic memories are discussed.     

Development of a sequential robust–tolerance design model for a destructive quality characteristic

Robust design (RD) and tolerance design (TD) have received much attention from researchers and practitioners for more than two decades, and a number of methodologies for modeling and optimizing the RD and TD processes have been studied. However, there is ample room for improvement. Because most existing research considers RD and TD as separate research fields, the primary objective of this paper is to develop a sequential robust–tolerance design method to jointly determine the best factor settings and the closed-form solutions for the optimal specification limits. We then apply the proposed method to a destructive quality characteristic. Finally, a case study and sensitivity analyses are performed for verification purposes, and further studies are discussed.     

A dispatching method for automated lifting vehicles in automated port container terminals

In automated container terminals, containers are transported from the marshalling yard to a ship and vice versa by automated vehicles. The automated vehicle type studied in this paper is an automated lifting vehicle (ALV) that is capable of lifting a container from the ground by itself. This study discusses how to dispatch ALVs by utilizing information about pickup and delivery locations and time in future delivery tasks. A mixed-integer programming model is provided for assigning optimal delivery tasks to ALVs. A procedure for converting buffer constraints into time window constraints and a heuristic algorithm for overcoming the excessive computational time required for solving the mathematical model are suggested. Numerical experiments are reported to compare the objective values and computational times by a heuristic algorithm with those by an optimizing method and to analyze the effects of dual cycle operation, number of ALVs, and buffer capacity on the performance of ALVs.     

Dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble

This paper reports the dynamic behaviour of a magnetically actuated floating liquid marble by analysing the oscillation of the marble. A liquid marble is a liquid droplet coated with hydrophobic powder. Magnetite particles inside the marble make it magnetic. The marble floats on a carrier liquid that contains aqueous glycerol of various concentrations. A permanent magnet located under the carrier liquid drives the floating marble with the initial velocity. Stopping the magnet abruptly causes the marble to oscillate around its final position for a few seconds. The oscillation was recorded and analysed using customised image processing and evaluation software. The damped harmonic motion model was then applied to the data and tested. Subsequently, critical parameters of the system such as the initial displacement, friction correction factor, the apparent frequency and the spring constant were determined and discussed. The simple experimental set-up and convenient theoretical approach allow us to characterise the marble motion under the influence of a magnet with good accuracy.     

Stability radius of implicit dynamic equations with constant coefficients on time scales

This paper deals with the stability radii of implicit dynamic equations on time scales when the structured perturbations act on both the coefficient of derivative and the right-hand side. Formulas of the stability radii are derived as a unification and generalization of some previous results. A special case where the real stability radius and the complex stability radius are equal is studied. Examples are derived to illustrate results.     

BSPNN: boosted subspace probabilistic neural network for email security

In the modern age of Internet connectivity, advanced information systems have accumulated huge volumes of data. Such fast growing, tremendous amount of data, collected and stored in large databases has far exceeded our human ability to comprehend without proper tools. There has been a great deal of research conducted to explore the potential applications of Machine Learning technologies in Security Informatics. This article studies the Network Security Detection problems in which predictive models are constructed to detect network security breaches such as spamming. Due to overwhelming volume of data, complexity and dynamics of computer networks and evolving cyber threats, current security systems suffer limited performance with low detection accuracy and high number of false alarms. To address such performance issues, a novel Machine Learning algorithm, namely Boosted Subspace Probabilistic Neural Network (BSPNN), has been proposed which combines a Radial Basis Function Neural Network with an innovative diversity-based ensemble learning framework. Extensive empirical analyses suggested that BSPNN achieved high detection accuracy with relatively small computational complexity compared with other conventional detection methods.     

Performance evaluation of priority CSMA-CA mechanism on ISA100.11a wireless network

The International Society of Automation recently released ISA100.11a as an open standard for reliable wireless networks for industrial automation. ISA100.11a uses the TDMA scheme in the medium access layer to provide deterministic services. However, ISA100.11a adopts the CSMA-CA mechanism with priorities for retransmission from failure on dedicated links, sporadic data, and network configuration.This paper evaluates ISA100.11a CSMA-CA by simulation, considering the effects of backoff procedures and priority settings to probability of collision and successful use of slots. It's demonstrated that a high number of priority classes enable better network utilization resulting in less number of packets exceeding their lifetime.     

Comportement électrocatalytique vis à vis de la réduction d'oxygène des oxydes mixtes AxByMn3−(x+y)O4

Résumé Les résultats expérimentaux présentés dans cette étude et ceux publiés précédemment montrent que l'électroréduction de l'oxygène se fait dans les sites actifs formés par des ions Mn⁴⁺, et que ceux de Mn³⁺ assurent le transport des électrons au sein du solide.

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From the results obtained in this study and those presented in previous publications, it can be deduced that the electroreduction of oxygen occurs via electron transfers at active sites created by Mn⁴⁺ ions and that Mn³⁺ ions contribute to the transport of the electrons through the bulk of the electrocatalysts.

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Certains de ces résultats ont fait l'object d'une communication enPoster à la réunion I.S.E. à Varna, Septembre 1977.

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A=Zn, Cr, Al;B = Ni, Cu; et 0 x,y 1.