A robust set-valued state estimation approach to the problem of vision based SLAM for mobile robots

The problem of visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is examined in this paper using ideas and algorithms from robust control and estimation theory. Using a stereo-vision based sensor, a nonlinear measurement model is derived which leads to nonlinear measurements of the landmark coordinates along with optical flow based measurements of the relative robot-landmark velocity. Using a novel analytical measurement transformation, the nonlinear SLAM problem is converted into the linear filter is guaranteed stable and the ALAM state estimation error is bounded within an ellipsoidal set. No similar results are available for the commonly employed extended Kalman filter which is known to exhibit divergent and inconsistency characteristics in practice.

Candidate working set strategy based SMO algorithm in support vector machine

Sequential minimal optimization (SMO) is quite an efficient algorithm for training the support vector machine. The most important step of this algorithm is the selection of the working set, which greatly affects the training speed. The feasible direction strategy for the working set selection can decrease the objective function, however, may augment to the total calculation for selecting the working set in each of the iteration. In this paper, a new candidate working set (CWS) Strategy is presented considering the cost on the working set selection and cache performance. This new strategy can select several greatest violating samples from Cache as the iterative working sets for the next several optimizing steps, which can improve the efficiency of the kernel cache usage and reduce the computational cost related to the working set selection. The results of the theory analysis and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can reduce the training time, especially on the large-scale datasets.

Computing the numerical scale of the linguistic term set for the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation model

When using linguistic approaches to solve decision problems, we need the techniques for computing with words (CW). Together with the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation models (i.e., the Herrera and Mart´ınez model and the Wang and Hao model), some computational techniques for CW are also developed. In this paper, we define the concept of numerical scale and extend the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation models under the numerical scale.We find that the key of computational techniques
based on linguistic 2-tuples is to set suitable numerical scale with
the purpose of making transformations between linguistic 2-tuples
and numerical values. By defining the concept of the transitive
calibration matrix and its consistent index, this paper develops an optimization model to compute the numerical scale of the linguistic term set. The desired properties of the optimization model are also presented. Furthermore, we discuss how to construct the transitive calibration matrix for decision problems using linguistic preference relations and analyze the linkage between the consistent index of the transitive calibration matrix and one of the linguistic preference relations. The results in this paper are pretty helpful to complete the fuzzy 2-tuple representation models for CW.

The resident assessment instrument-minimum data set 2.0 quality indicators : a systematic review

Background
The Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS) 2.0 is designed to collect the minimum amount of data to guide care planning and monitoring for residents in long-term care settings. These data have been used to compute indicators of care quality. Use of the quality indicators to inform quality improvement initiatives is contingent upon the validity and reliability of the indicators. The purpose of this review was to systematically examine published and grey research reports in order to assess the state of the science regarding the validity and reliability of the RAI-MDS 2.0 Quality Indicators (QIs).

Methods
We systematically reviewed the evidence for the validity and reliability of the RAI-MDS 2.0 QIs. A comprehensive literature search identified relevant original research published, in English, prior to December 2008. Fourteen articles and one report examining the validity and/or reliability of the RAI-MDS 2.0 QIs were included.

Results
The studies fell into two broad categories, those that examined individual quality indicators and those that examined multiple indicators. All studies were conducted in the United States and included from one to a total of 209 facilities. The number of residents included in the studies ranged from 109 to 5758. One study conducted under research conditions examined 38 chronic care QIs, of which strong evidence for the validity of 12 of the QIs was found. In response to these findings, the 12 QIs were recommended for public reporting purposes. However, a number of observational studies (n=13), conducted in "real world" conditions, have tested the validity and/or reliability of individual QIs, with mixed results. Ten QIs have been studied in this manner, including falls, depression, depression without treatment, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, weight loss, bedfast, restraint, pressure ulcer, and pain. These studies have revealed the potential for systematic bias in reporting, with under-reporting of some indicators and over-reporting of others.

Conclusion
Evidence for the reliability and validity of the RAI-MDS QIs remains inconclusive. The QIs provide a useful tool for quality monitoring and to inform quality improvement programs and initiatives. However, caution should be exercised when interpreting the QI results and other sources of evidence of the quality of care processes should be considered in conjunction with QI results.

Retrodicting patch use by foraging swans in a heterogeneous environment using a set of functional responses

Effective conservation of important bird areas requires insight in the number of birds an area can support, and how this carrying capacity changes with habitat modifications. When food depletion is the dominant mechanism of competition, it should in principle be possible to calculate the total time foragers can spend per patch from their functional response (intake rate as a function of food density). However, in the field there are likely to be factors modulating the functional response. In this study previously published results of experiments on captive Bewick's swans were used to obtain functional responses of swans digging for tubers of Fennel pondweed on different foraging substrates: sandy and clayey sediment, and in shallow and deep water. In a field study, four 250×250 m sections belonging to different types (sandy–shallow, clayey–shallow, sandy–deep and clayey–deep) were delineated. Here tubers were sampled with sediment corers in three years, both before and after swan exploitation in autumn, and swans were observed and mapped from a hide in two of these years. Giving-up tuber biomass densities varied among sections. Substitution of these giving-up densities in the derived patch-type-specific functional responses yielded the quitting net energy intake rates in the four sections. As expected from the marginal value theorem, the quitting net energy intake rates did not vary among sections. Moreover, the observed foraging pressure (total foraging time per area) per patch type was in quantitative agreement with the integrated functional responses. These results suggest that in spatially heterogeneous environments, patch exploitation by foragers can be predicted from their functional responses after accounting for foraging substrate.

Fusion based 3D tracking of mobile transmitters via robust set-valued state estimation with RSS measurements

This paper investigates the problem of location and velocity detection of a mobile agent using Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements captured by geographically distributed seed nodes. With inherently nonlinear power measurements, we derive a powerful linear measurement scheme using an analytical measurement conversion technique which can readily be used with RSS measuring sensors. We also employ the concept of sensor fusion in conjunction for the case of redundant measurements to further enhance the estimation accuracy.

Harajuku : urban stage-set Q & A

Harajuku is arguably one of the most exciting and vibrant fashion precincts of Tokyo. Through a series of questions and answers, Harajuku Urban Stage-Set captures the urban character of the precinct and the complexity of that unique place

We need one district government to be set up to replace other district governments : the beginnings of Provincial Government in Papua New Guinea

Decentralisation, provincial government, and regional autonomy continue as influential factors in Papua New Guinea’s political economy.  The role played in creating PNG’s provincial government system by separatist movements in East New Britain, Bougainville and elsewhere is acknowledged.  However, as the Constitutional Planning Committee (CPC) discovered during its program of consultations with the Papua New Guinean people from 1972 to 1974, there was a strong groundswell around the country for district-level governments.  This article investigates how the CPC stimulated discussion of this issue through its own activities, and how the people in their discussion groups responded to the CPC’s ‘Discussion Paper on Relations Between the Central Government and Other Levels of Government’.

Parallel manipulators with a rotation-symmetric arm system

Parallel manipulators with a rotation-symmetric arm system possess all the typical advantages of parallel robots, such as high acceleration and high-accuracy positioning. Contrary to the majority of proposed parallel manipulators, the rotation-symmetric arm system leads to a large workspace in relation to the footprint of the manipulator. This paper focuses on a subclass of these manipulators with additional favorable qualities, including low inertia and high eigenfrequencies. These qualities are achieved using only 5-DOF lower arm links and by mounting all actuators on the nonmoving base column of the manipulator. The common feature of all previously proposed manipulators in this subclass is identified and several novel 3-DOF and 4-DOF members are introduced.