The Neural Network Approach to Input–Output Analysis for Economic Systems

Economic practitioners in China are giving up the classical Leontief’s Input–Output analysis methods. This paper offers an alternative method of input–output analysis. The proposed method is based on the layered neural network model. It shows that neural networks method can be useful for input–output analysis for a dynamic economic system.       

Hot embossing of microstructures: characterization of friction during demolding

Today, hot embossing and injection molding belong to the established plastic molding processes in microengineering. Based on experimental findings, a variety of microstructures have been replicated so far using the above processes. However, with increasing requirements regarding the embossing surface and the simultaneous decrease of the structure size down into the nanorange, increasing know––how is needed to adapt hot embossing to industrial standards. To reach this objective, a German–Canadian cooperation project has been launched to study hot embossing theoretically by a process simulation and experimentally. The present publication shall report about an important aspect––the determination of friction during the demolding of microstructures.     

Extended multi bottom–up tree transducers

Extended multi bottom–up tree transducers are defined and investigated. They are an extension of multi bottom–up tree transducers by arbitrary, not just shallow, left-hand sides of rules; this includes rules that do not consume input. It is shown that such transducers, even linear ones, can compute all transformations that are computed by linear extended top–down tree transducers, which are a theoretical model for syntax-based machine translation. Moreover, the classical composition results for bottom–up tree transducers are generalized to extended multi bottom–up tree transducers. Finally, characterizations in terms of extended top–down tree transducers and tree bimorphisms are presented.     

Information assimilation framework for event detection in multimedia surveillance systems

Most multimedia surveillance and monitoring systems nowadays utilize multiple types of sensors to detect events of interest as and when they occur in the environment. However, due to the asynchrony among and diversity of sensors, information assimilation – how to combine the information obtained from asynchronous and multifarious sources is an important and challenging research problem. In this paper, we propose a framework for information assimilation that addresses the issues – “when”, “what” and “how” to assimilate the information obtained from different media sources in order to detect events in multimedia surveillance systems. The proposed framework adopts a hierarchical probabilistic assimilation approach to detect atomic and compound events. To detect an event, our framework uses not only the media streams available at the current instant but it also utilizes their two important properties – first, accumulated past history of whether they have been providing concurring or contradictory evidences, and – second, the system designer’s confidence in them. The experimental results show the utility of the proposed framework.     

Thinking About Evolution in Terms of Cellular Computing

The past five decades of molecular genetics have produced many discoveries about genome structure and function that can only be understood from an informatic perspective: – distinct sequence codes to mark the individual steps in packaging, expression, replication, transmission, repair and restructuring of DNA molecules; – modularity of data files for RNA and protein products; – combinatoric organization of signals to format the genome for differential functioning during cellular and organismal cycles; – direct participation of DNA in the execution of biological algorithms (formation of highly structured nucleoprotein complexes); – hierarchical organization of genomic subsystems to form higher level system architectures. This review will discuss aspects of genome organization and genome change that require a more formal computational analysis. We will see how modern results indicate that genome evolution has many similarities to computer system engineering. The ability of cells to control the function of natural genetic engineering systems is central to the genome’s potential as a Read–Write information storage system.     

A genetic approach to the design of autonomous agents for futures trading

We propose a genetic algorithm-based method for designing an autonomous trader agent. The task of the proposed method is to find an optimal set of fuzzy if–then rules that best represents the behavior of a target trader agent. A highly profitable trader agent is used as the target in the proposed genetic algorithm. A trading history for the target agent is obtained from a series of futures trading. The antecedent part of fuzzy if–then rules considers time-series data of spot prices, while the consequent part indicates the order of trade (Buy, Sell, or No action) with its degree of certainty. The proposed method determines the antecedent part of fuzzy if–then rules. The consequent part of fuzzy if–then rules is automatically determined from the trading history of the target trader agent. The autonomous trader agent designed by the proposed genetic algorithm consists of a fixed number of fuzzy if–then rules. The decision of the autonomous trader agent is made by fuzzy inference from the time-series data of spot prices. This work was presented in part at the 11th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 23–25, 2006     

On Parabolic Boundary Layers for Convection–Diffusion Equations in a Channel: Analysis and Numerical Applications

In this article we discuss singularly perturbed convection–diffusion equations in a channel in cases producing parabolic boundary layers. It has been shown that one can improve the numerical resolution of singularly perturbed problems involving boundary layers, by incorporating the structure of the boundary layers into the finite element spaces, when this structure is available; see e.g. [Cheng, W. and Temam, R. (2002). Comput. Fluid. V.31, 453–466; Jung, C. (2005). Numer. Meth. Partial Differ. Eq. V.21, 623–648]. This approach is developed in this article for a convection–diffusion equation. Using an analytical approach, we first derive an approximate (simplified) form of the parabolic boundary layers (elements) for our problem; we then develop new numerical schemes using these boundary layer elements. The results are performed for the perturbation parameter ε in the range 10⁻¹–10⁻¹⁵ whereas the discretization mesh is in the range of order 1/10–1/100 in the x-direction and of order 1/10–1/30 in the y-direction. Indications on various extensions of this work are briefly described at the end of the Introduction.Dedicated to David Gottlieb on his 60th birthday.     

An algorithm for the construction of intrinsic delaunay triangulations with applications to digital geometry processing

Summary The discrete Laplace–Beltrami operator plays a prominent role in many digital geometry processing applications ranging from denoising to parameterization, editing, and physical simulation. The standard discretization uses the cotangents of the angles in the immersed mesh which leads to a variety of numerical problems. We advocate the use of the intrinsic Laplace–Beltrami operator. It satisfies a local maximum principle, guaranteeing, e.g., that no flipped triangles can occur in parameterizations. It also leads to better conditioned linear systems. The intrinsic Laplace–Beltrami operator is based on an intrinsic Delaunay triangulation of the surface. We detail an incremental algorithm to construct such triangulations together with an overlay structure which captures the relationship between the extrinsic and intrinsic triangulations. Using a variety of example meshes we demonstrate the numerical benefits of the intrinsic Laplace–Beltrami operator.     

Multichannel image segmentation using adaptive finite elements

We present an adaptive finite element algorithm for segmentation with denoising of multichannel images in two dimensions, of which an extension to three dimensional images is straight forward. It is based on a level set formulation of the Mumford–Shah approach proposed by Chan and Vese in (JVCIR 11:130–141,(2000); IEEE Trans Image Proces 10(2):266–277, (2001); Int J Comp Vis 50(3):271–293, (2002)) In case of a minimal partition problem an exact solution is given and convergence of the discrete solution towards this solution is numerically verified.     

Anodic bonding of glass to aluminium

Anodic bonding of glass to aluminium may provide a higher degree of freedom in device design. In this paper, a systematic variation of the bonding parameters for the aluminium–glass bond is presented. Hermetic seals with strengths of 18.0 MPa can be achieved using a 50–100-nm-thick bonding aluminium layer, and bonding at 300–400°C applying a voltage of 1,000–1,500 V for 20 min. With these parameters, bond yields above 95.1% were obtained on 17 wafers. The bonds survived extensive thermal ageing without significant degradation. The possibility of bonding glass to an aluminium layer with buried, electrically isolated conductors underneath is also demonstrated.