Desirable properties for XML update mechanisms

The adoption of XML as the default data interchange format and the standardisation of the XPath and XQuery languages has resulted in significant research in the development and implementation of XML databases capable of processing queries efficiently. The ever-increasing deployment of XML in industry and the real-world requirement to support efficient updates to XML documents has more recently prompted research in dynamic XML labelling schemes. In this paper, we provide an overview of the recent research in dynamic XML labelling schemes. Our motivation is to define a set of properties that represent a more holistic dynamic labelling scheme and present our findings through an evaluation matrix for most of the existing schemes that provide update functionality

Comparison of knowledge representation in PDM and by semantic networks

\u27Nowadays, computer-aided tools have enabled the creation of electronic design documents on an unprecedented scale, while determining and finding what can be reused for a new design is like searching for a \u27needle in a haystack\u27. (…) The availability of such extensive knowledge resources is creating new challenges as well as opportunities for research on how to retrieve and reuse the knowl-edge from existing designs.\u27 [1] If the requested knowledge is implicit (which means that it is only in the minds of the employees of a company) the retrieval and reuse of knowledge is even more com-plicated. By representing the (engineering) data backbone of a company, PDM systems are the software implementation which should support the designer to retrieve information about existing and successful design projects. This paper shows that the known data classification approaches of common PDM systems are not applicable to represent implicit (tacit) knowledge. Furthermore a new approach to knowledge representation is introduced by using Semantic Networks. The feasibility of the presented work is shown by a use-case scenario in which the conventional PDM system supported product development process is compared with the proposed way by using the soft-ware \u27The Semaril\u27 — a software tool developed at the Institute of Engineering Design/CAD based on Semantic Networks [2]

High-level Thesaurus (HILT) Phase III [Project] : Final Report

An evaluation stage of the HILT Phase III pilot M2M demonstrator was to be undertaken following completion of the main development work (November/December 2006). The aim was to determine whether the pilot demonstrator operates as specified in the requirements document and, hence, whether it correctly delivers the functionality needed to meet the five use cases (devised during the preceding feasibility study). Outcomes will be used to inform the system refinement process, due to occur in January 2007. Six SOAP functions were designed to meet the functionality required by each of the use cases, either singly or in combination, and the working pilot is best tested by examining whether each part of the system architecture (see Figure 1) operates as specified in the requirements document when any given one of the functions is called. This report documents the use cases being addressed, the nature of the functions designed to meet the use cases, how each part of the system is required to operate when a function is called, methodologies determined to assess the satisfactory performance of functions, and associated results. It is not the intention of this evaluation to study the quality of mappings or retrieval performance. Results presented will enable the identification of issues or errors within the system as it is currently implemented (or requirements as currently specified) and any additional requirements for development beyond Phase III will be noted

Pyro: A Python-based Versatile Programming Environment for Teaching Robotics

In this paper we describe a programming framework called Pyro which provides a set of abstractions that allows students to write platform­independent robot programs. This project is unique because of its focus on the pedagogical implications of teaching mobile robotics via a top­down approach. We describe the background of the project, novel abstractions created, its library of objects, and the many learning modules that have been created from which curricula for different types of courses can be drawn. Finally, we explore Pyro from the students\u27 perspective in a case study

Pyro: A Python-based Versatile Programming Environment for Teaching Robotics

In this paper we describe a programming framework called Pyro which provides a set of abstractions that allows students to write platform­independent robot programs. This project is unique because of its focus on the pedagogical implications of teaching mobile robotics via a top­down approach. We describe the background of the project, novel abstractions created, its library of objects, and the many learning modules that have been created from which curricula for different types of courses can be drawn. Finally, we explore Pyro from the students\u27 perspective in a case study

On the analysis of musical performance by computer

Existing automatic methods of analysing musical performance can generally be described as music-oriented DSP analysis. However, this merely identifies attributes, or artefacts which can be found within the performance. This information, though invaluable, is not an analysis of the performance process. The process of performance first involves an analysis of the score (whether from a printed sheet or from memory), and through this analysis, the performer decides how to perform the piece. Thus, an analysis of the performance process requires an analysis of the performance attributes and artefacts in the context of the musical score. With this type analysis it is possible to ask profound questions such as “why or when does a performer use this technique”. The work presented in this thesis provides the tools which are required to investigate these performance issues. A new computer representation, Performance Markup Language (PML) is presented which combines the domains of the musical score, performance information and analytical structures. This representation provides the framework with which information within these domains can be cross-referenced internally, and the markup of information in external files. Most importantly, the rep resentation defines the relationship between performance events and the corresponding objects within the score, thus facilitating analysis of performance information in the context of the score and analyses of the score. To evaluate the correspondences between performance notes and notes within the score, the performance must be analysed using a score-performance matching algorithm. A new score-performance matching algorithm is presented in this document which is based on Dynamic Programming. In score-performance matching there are situations where dynamic programming alone is not sufficient to accurately identify correspondences. The algorithm presented here makes use of analyses of both the score and the performance to overcome the inherent shortcomings of the DP method and to improve the accuracy and robustness of DP matching in the presence of performance errors and expressive timing. Together with the musical score and performance markup, the correspondences identified by the matching algorithm provide the minimum information required to investigate musical performance, and forms the foundation of a PML representation. The Microtonalism project investigated the issues surrounding the performance of microtonal music on conventional (i.e. non microtonal specific) instruments, namely voice. This included the automatic analysis of vocal performances to extract information regarding pitch accuracy. This was possible using tools developed using the performance representation and the matching algorithm

Querying and Updating XML Data based on Node Labeling Schemes

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH