Statistically correlated multi-task learning for autonomous driving

Neural Computing and Applications - Autonomous driving research is an emerging area in the machine learning domain. Most existing methods perform single-task learning, while multi-task learning...     

Energy-efficient clustering in mobile ad-hoc networks using multi-objective particle swarm optimization

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is dynamic in nature and is composed of wirelessly connected nodes that perform hop-by-hop routing without the help of any fixed infrastructure. One of the important requirements of a MANET is the efficiency of energy, which increases the lifetime of the network. Several techniques have been proposed by researchers to achieve this goal and one of them is clustering in MANETs that can help in providing an energy-efficient solution. Clustering involves the selection of cluster-heads (CHs) for each cluster and fewer CHs result in greater energy efficiency as these nodes drain more power than noncluster-heads. In the literature, several techniques are available for clustering by using optimization and evolutionary techniques that provide a single solution at a time. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective solution by using multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm to optimize the number of clusters in an ad hoc network as well as energy dissipation in nodes in order to provide an energy-efficient solution and reduce the network traffic. In the proposed solution, inter-cluster and intra-cluster traffic is managed by the cluster-heads. The proposed algorithm takes into consideration the degree of nodes, transmission power, and battery power consumption of the mobile nodes. The main advantage of this method is that it provides a set of solutions at a time. These solutions are achieved through optimal Pareto front. We compare the results of the proposed approach with two other well-known clustering techniques; WCA and CLPSO-based clustering by using different performance metrics. We perform extensive simulations to show that the proposed approach is an effective approach for clustering in mobile ad hoc networks environment and performs better than the other two approaches.     

Kinetics of Thermal Dehydroxylation and Carbonation of Magnesium Hydroxide

The kinetics of simultaneous dehydroxylation and carbonation of precipitated Mg(OH)₂ were studied using isothermal and nonisothermal thermogravimetric analyses. Specimens were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and through measurements of the volume of carbon dioxide evolved in a subsequent reaction with hydrochloric acid. From 275° to 475°C, the kinetics of isothermal dehydroxylation in helium were best fit to a contracting-sphere model, yielding an activation energy of 146 kJ/mol, which was greater than values reported in the literature for isothermal dehydroxylation under vacuum (53–126 kJ/mol). The carbonation kinetics were complicated by the fact that dehydroxylation occurred simultaneously. The overall kinetics also could be fit to a contracting-sphere model, yielding a net activation energy of 304 kJ/mol. The most rapid carbonation kinetics occurred near 375°C. At this temperature, Mg(OH)₂ underwent rapid dehydroxylation and subsequent phase transformation, whereas thermodynamics favored the formation of carbonate. During carbonation, MgCO₃ precipitated on the surface of disrupted Mg(OH)₂ crystals acting as a kinetic barrier to both the outward diffusion of H₂O and the inward diffusion of CO₂.     

Your comments matter: incorporating viewers’ comments for ranking online video content using bibliometrics

ABSTRACT

The quality of user-generated content over World Wide Web media is a matter of serious concern for both creators and users. To measure the quality of content, webometric techniques are commonly used. In recent times, bibliometric techniques have been introduced to good effect for evaluation of the quality of user-generated content, which were originally used for scholarly data. However, the application of bibliometric techniques to evaluate the quality of YouTube content is limited to h-index and g-index considering only views. This paper advocates for and demonstrates the adaptation of existing Bibliometric indices including h-index, g-index and M-index exploiting both views and comments and proposes three indices h_vc, g_vc and m_vc for YouTube video channel ranking. The empirical results prove that the proposed indices using views along with the comments outperform the existing approaches on a real-world dataset of YouTube.     

Adaptive dynamic surface control of a hypersonic flight vehicle with improved tracking

This work presents a nonlinear adaptive dynamic surface air speed and a flight path angle control design procedure for the longitudinal dynamics of a generic hypersonic flight vehicle. The proposed design scheme takes into account the magnitude, rate, and bandwidth constraints on the actuator signals. A new approach is used to enhance tracking performance and avoid a large initial control signal. The uncertain nonlinear functions in the flight vehicle model are approximated by using radial basis function neural networks. A detailed stability analysis of the designed controllers shows that all the signals of the closed‐loop system are uniformly ultimately bounded. The robust performance of the design scheme is verified through numerical simulations of the flight vehicle model for various parameter variation test cases. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

Three-qubit Grover’s algorithm using superconducting quantum interference devices in cavity-QED

We present a scheme for the implementation of three-qubit Grover’s algorithm using four-level superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) coupled to a superconducting resonator. The scheme is based on resonant, off-resonant interaction of the cavity field with SQUIDs and application of classical microwave pulses. We show that adjustment of SQUID level spacings during the gate operations, adiabatic passage, and second-order detuning are not required that leads to faster implementation. We also show that the marked state can be searched with high fidelity even in the presence of unwanted off-resonant interactions, level decay, and cavity dissipation.     

Characterization of Nicalon fibres with varying diameters: Part II Modified Weibull distribution

Diameters vary significantly in a tow of commercial NicalonTM fibres, which is one of the most attractive ceramic reinforcements for structural composites. It was found that the strength distribution of Nicalon fibres could not be adequately characterized using either single- or bi-modal Weibull distribution. A recently proposed modified Weibull distribution can account for the effect of varying diameter in the characterization of fibre strength. To verify the validity of the modified Weibull distribution, comprehensive mechanical testing and fractographic studies have been conducted on Nicalon SiC fibres with diameters varying from 8 to 22 m. The experimental results have been reported in Part I. Part II of this paper further modifies the derivation of the modified Weibull distribution to yield a relationship which is similar in form, but soundly based on experimental findings. Factors considered in the modified Weibull distribution include the dependence of fracture toughness and flaw density on fibre diameter, both of which may vary with fibre diameter, as reported in Part I. Comparison with experimental data shows that the current modified Weibull distribution works very well, while both single-modal and bi-modal Weibull distributions are inadequate for describing Nicalon fibres with varying diameters. © 1998 Chapman & Hall     

Iterative methods for solving extended general mixed variational inequalities

In this paper, we introduce and consider a new class of mixed variational inequalities involving four operators, which are called extended general mixed variational inequalities. Using the resolvent operator technique, we establish the equivalence between the extended general mixed variational inequalities and fixed point problems as well as resolvent equations. We use this alternative equivalent formulation to suggest and analyze some iterative methods for solving general mixed variational inequalities. We study the convergence criteria for the suggested iterative methods under suitable conditions. Our methods of proof are very simple as compared with other techniques. The results proved in this paper may be viewed as refinements and important generalizations of the previous known results.