Data Refinement of Remote Procedures

Recently the action systems formalism for parallel and distributed systems has been extended with the procedure mechanism. This gives us a very general framework for describing different communication paradigms for action systems, e.g. remote procedure calls. Action systems come with a design methodology based on the refinement calculus. Data refinement is a powerful technique for refining action systems. In this paper we will develop a theory and proof rules for the refinement of action systems that communicate via remote procedures based on the data refinement approach. The proof rules we develop are compositional so that modular refinement of action systems is supported. As an example we will especially study the atomicity refinement of actions. This is an important refinement strategy, as it potentially increases the degree of parallelism in an action system. Received February 1999 / Accepted in revised form July 2000     

The Strategic Incrementalism of Lahti Master Planning: Three Lessons

ABSTRACT

The city of Lahti, Finland, has developed a unique policy of combining city strategy work with strategic master planning in an iterative process. It thereby offers insights to research on strategic spatial planning, exemplifying how institutional frameworks of statutory planning can be utilized as resources in strategic planning. Three lessons from the Lahti case are drawn: (1) utilize the moments of opportunity in the institutional environment of statutory planning, (2) shift the focus from the level of ‘strategic plans’ to the policy level of strategy work, (3) develop strategic planning as a platform for diverse ‘languages’.     

Molecular Weight Characterization and Gelling Properties of Acid-Modified Maize Starches

The reduction in the molecular weight distribution during acid hydrolysis of ordinary and waxy maize starch occured in two stages: first amylopectin degraded to intermediate high molecular weight polysac-charides, secondly, these were further hydrolyzed. The amylose moiety of ordinary and high-amylose starch was not affected very much by the hydrolysis conditions used (0.1–1 M HCI, 40°C, 0.3–4 h), but the gelling properties of starch weakened. The amylopectin degradation products, probably branched dextrins, were shown to hinder the gel formation of amylose in the starch pastes.     

Issues related to the computer realization of a multidisciplinary and multiobjective optimization system

Issues and novel ideas to be considered when developing computer realizations of complex multidisciplinary and multiobjective optimization systems are introduced. The aim is to discuss computer realizations that make possible both computationally efficient multidisciplinary analysis and multiobjective optimization of real world problems. We introduce software tools that make typically very time-consuming simulation processes more effective and, thus, enable even interactive multiobjective optimization with a real decision maker. In this paper, we first define a multidisciplinary and multiobjective optimization system and after that present an implementation overview of such problems including basic components participating in the solution process. Furthermore, interfaces and data flows between the components are described. A couple of important features related to the implementation are discussed in detail, for example, the usage of automatic differentiation. Finally, the ideas presented are illustrated with an industrial multiobjective optimization problem, when we describe numerical experiments related to quality properties in paper making.     

Neural networks and genetic algorithms for bankruptcy predictions

We are focusing on three alternative techniques-linear discriminant analysis, logit analysis and genetic algorithms-that can be used to empirically select predictors for neural networks in failure prediction. The selected techniques all have different assumptions about the relationships between the independent variables. Linear discriminant analysis is based on linear combination of independent variables, logit analysis uses the logistical cumulative function and genetic algorithms is a global search procedure based on the mechanics of natural selection and natural genetics. In an empirical test all three selection methods chose different bankruptcy prediction variables. The best prediction results were achieved when using genetic algorithms.     

What goes down must come up? Trends of industrial electricity use in the North-West of Russia

This article uses decomposition method to analyse industrial electricity consumption in North-Western Russia, namely in Archangelsk oblast, the Republic of Karelia and Murmansk oblast. The case sectors, forestry and electricity, have in most cases developed similarly in the chosen regions during 1990–2001. The decomposition analysis shows that the reduction of economic activity has reduced electricity consumption in all three regions but that it is not always the main factor reducing consumption. The changes in energy efficiency increased consumption in the forestry sector in all regions while in the electricity sector it led to a reduction. The changes in the structures of the regional economies increased electricity consumption in electricity industry which gained importance due to developments in the manufacturing industry. In Murmansk, forestry sector has almost disappeared during the observation period. This was the main observed electricity consumption reduction caused by structural changes. Many of the developments can be better understood against the general knowledge of transition factors.     

A microwave transmission-line network guiding electromagnetic fields through a dense array of metallic objects

We present measurements and simulations of a transmission-line network that has been designed for cloaking applications in the microwave region. Here the network is not used for cloaking but for channelling electromagnetic fields through an electrically dense array of metal objects, which alone is basically impenetrable to the impinging electromagnetic radiation. With the designed transmission-line network the waves emitted by a source placed in an air-filled waveguide are coupled into the network and guided through the array of metallic objects. Our goal is to illustrate the simple manufacturing, assembly, and the general feasibility of cloaking devices based on the transmission-line approach. Most importantly, we demonstrate both with measurements and with numerical simulations the excellent coupling of waves between the network and the surrounding medium.     

Expected user experience of mobile augmented reality services: a user study in the context of shopping centres

The technical enablers for mobile augmented reality (MAR) are becoming robust enough to allow the development of MAR services that are truly valuable for consumers. Such services would provide a novel interface to the ubiquitous digital information in the physical world, hence serving in great variety of contexts and everyday human activities. To ensure the acceptance and success of future MAR services, their development should be based on knowledge about potential end users’ expectations and requirements. We conducted 16 semi-structured interview sessions with 28 participants in shopping centres, which can be considered as a fruitful context for MAR services. We aimed to elicit new knowledge about (1) the characteristics of the expected user experience and (2) central user requirements related to MAR in such a context. From a pragmatic viewpoint, the participants expected MAR services to catalyse their sense of efficiency, empower them with novel context-sensitive and proactive functionalities and raise their awareness of the information related to their surroundings with an intuitive interface. Emotionally, MAR services were expected to offer stimulating and pleasant experiences, such as playfulness, inspiration, liveliness, collectivity and surprise. The user experience categories and user requirements that were identified can serve as targets for the design of user experience of future MAR services.     

Identity and overall acceptance of two types of sour rye bread

Response surface methodology was employed to study the influence of four recipe variables (wheat: rye flour ratio, bread acidity, ash content of rye flour and sodium chloride content) on the identity and overall acceptance of two rye bread types (soft and crisp rye bread). The subjects ( n = 79) rated attribute intensities, the extent to which the salient sensory properties and the overall sample corresponded to their expectations of rye bread, and the overall acceptance (pleasantness and purchase intentions). The acidity and ash content contributed the most to the extent to which a sample met subjects' expectations. The NaCl content was not critical. Consumer acceptance was affected by ash content, and by the interactions, NaCl content × acidity and wheat:rye ratio × ash content. The non-significance of NaCl content should encourage the baking industry to put low-salt rye products on the market.     

Survey of methods to visualize alternatives in multiple criteria decision making problems

When solving decision problems where multiple conflicting criteria are to be considered simultaneously, decision makers must compare several different alternatives and select the most preferred one. The task of comparing multidimensional vectors is very demanding for the decision maker without any support. Different graphical visualization tools can be used to support and help the decision maker in understanding similarities and differences between the alternatives and graphical illustration is a very important part of decision support systems that are used in solving multiple criteria decision making problems. The visualization task is by no means trivial because, on the one hand, the graphics must be easy to comprehend and not too much information should be lost but, on the other hand, no extra unintentional information should be included. In this paper, we survey and analyze different ways of visualizing a small set of discrete alternatives graphically in the context of multiple criteria decision making. Some of the ways discussed are widely used and some others deserve to be brought into a wider awareness. This survey provides a starting point for all those who deal with multiple criteria decision making problems and need information of what kind of visualization techniques could be put to use in order to support the decision maker better.