Contribution Modeling on Condition Evaluation of Asphalt Pavement Using Uncertainty Measurement and Entropy Theory

In view of the deficiency that traditional pavement performance evaluation index did not consider the influence of their difference on weight, the grade of the evaluation index also did not take into account intermediate state and the impact of uncertainty on the evaluation results, a determination method of pavement performance evaluation index weight based on entropy theory was developed. The unascertained measurement function of evaluation index was performed by left-half ladder distribution, and unascertained measurement matrix was obtained. The index weight was calculated by minimum entropy theory, and the practicability of this method was verified through a concrete example finally. The results show that there were different weights in different samples, which depended on index measurement function and were the overall characterization of comprehensive measurement of every index. The method which is based on the given weighting factor did not conform to the engineering facts. It was difficult to identify the importance of the pavement performance evaluation index in different samples. The balance of the various indexes is better to be considered in the proposed method, and the comprehensive situation of pavement performance is really reflected, which improves the evaluation of the reliability.

Artificial Intelligence from Colonial India: Race, Statistics, and Facial Recognition in the Global South

This article examines the history of a similarity measure—the Mahalanobis Distance Function—and its movement from colonial India into contemporary artificial intelligence technologies, including facial recognition, and its reapplication into postcolonial India. The article identifies how the creation of the Distance Function was connected to the colonial “problem” of caste and ethnic classification for British bureaucracy in 1920-1930s India. This article demonstrates that the Distance Function is a statistical method, originating to make anthropometric caste distinctions in India, that became both a technical standard and a mobile racialized technique, utilized in machine learning applications. The creation of the Distance Function as a measure of “similitude” at a particular period of colonial state-making helped to model wider categories of classification which have proliferated in facial recognition technology. Overall, we highlight how a measurement function that operates in recognition technologies today can be traced across time and space to other racialized contexts.

Evaluating Quality Characteristics of Ubiquitous Application Through Means of Quality Models using Meta-metrics Approach

Ubiquitous computing shifted the way how users interact with applications. The demand of information anytime and anywhere impacts the daily life of its users, be it work related or personal. Difficulty arises when determining the quality of ubiquitous application due to lack in appropriate metrics of quality models, which serves as the motivation behind this paper. The aim of this paper is to assess the quality of ubiquitous application using comparative analysis of quality model metrics via meta-metrics approach. Preliminary review mapping was conducted where distinctive quality characteristics of ubiquitous applications from AQUARIUM model are identified. Metrics mapping was then conducted to compare metrics characteristics with quality characteristics via value assignment using meta-metrics technique. Results shows that most of the metrics mapped are not of definitive derivation, providing opportunity to have a more structured and defined measurement function.

Research and Application of Automatic Measurement of Resistance Value Based on a Thermal Control Device

The resistance measurement system of thermal control device is mainly composed of four parts: fixture, interface circuit board, switches module and data acquisition system. The main contents of the system design are as follows: To make the system realize the automatic resistance measurement function of thermocouple, heating belt and heating plate, and improves the measurement speed and robustness of the software; To achieve the friendliness of human-machine interface; At room temperature, it can collect 40 output voltage signals of thermocouple, and judge whether the temperature collection of thermocouple is accurate or not.

Utility Measurement in Integrative Negotiation

This paper develops an adjustment to utility measurement in integrative negotiation where the negotiation information context is incomplete. The developed function reveals not only win-win outcomes but also deceptive practices where negotiators accept a win-lose deal and then compensate their loss in a deceptive way and greedy practices where negotiators realize their strong competitive position and try to extremely maximize their gains. However, to realize the objective, the utility measurement function literature and theories are reviewed to determine the relevant function structure and the necessary attributes that reveal the desired outcome in an incomplete information context. After examination, relationship measurement is added to the function under two utilities: Decision Utility and Experienced Utility. The foundation of the utility measurement function contributes to revealing satisfying win-win outcomes in an incomplete information negotiation context. Therefore, it develops the negotiation field by designing win-win deals that are beneficial and satisfying in which the advantage is distributed between the negotiators.

Transverse bunch-by-bunch feedback system for time-resolved experiments at PLS-II

A description of the upgraded bunch-by-bunch feedback system for time-resolved experiments at Pohang Light Source II (PLS-II) is provided. The bunch-by-bunch feedback system has been upgraded to increase the single-bunch current in the hybrid fill pattern of the PLS-II facility. The project is part of the SPring-8 and PLS-II collaboration. The main features of the upgrade are to employ a single 500 MHz analog-to-digital converter (ADC) instead of the previous four 125 MHz interleaved ADCs for 500 MHz rate, to replace a single-loop two-dimensional feedback with two independent one-dimensional feedback loops, to implement the tune measurement function with a single bunch, and mainly to implement single-bunch and stretcher control. The realization of a 400 mA hybrid fill pattern including a 10 mA single bunch demonstrates the precision of the upgraded bunch-by-bunch feedback system.

Development of non-contact three-dimensional resonator applicator with non-invasive temperature measurement function

Cancer affects the lives of many people across the world. Indeed, it is the second leading cause of death globally. There are a number of existing cancer treatments but they have limitations. For example, many treatments destroy diseased tissue but also damage healthy tissue in the process. Professor Kazuo Kato, Department of Mechanical Engineering Informatics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Japan, is working to discover how cancer cells can be killed without harming the patient. This work centres on the principles that underlie hyperthermia, which is a cancer treatment that can treat cancer without damaging the human body. It does this by exposing body tissue to high temperatures and cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than normal cells. Kato and the team are developing a hyperthermia system that is able to heat cells in various tissues while using ultrasound images to non-invasively measure the 3D temperature distribution inside the human body. Using this technique, cancerous tissues can be heated and treated non invasively. An additional benefit of the novel ultrasound imaging system and cavity resonator that the researchers are developing is that it is smaller and less expensive than existing treatments.