12,852 research outputs found
Extraction and parsing of herbarium specimen data: Exploring the use of the Dublin core application profile framework
Herbaria around the world house millions of plant specimens; botanists and other researchers value these resources as ingredients in biodiversity research. Even when the specimen sheets are digitized and made available online, the critical information about the specimen stored on the sheet are not in a usable (i.e., machine-processible) form. This paper describes a current research and development project that is designing and testing high-throughput workflows that combine machine- and human-processes to extract and parse the specimen label data. The primary focus of the paper is the metadata needs for the workflow and the creation of the structured metadata records describing the plant specimen. In the project, we are exploring the use of the new Dublin Core Metadata Initiative framework for application profiles. First articulated as the Singapore Framework for Dublin Core Application Profiles in 2007, the use of this framework is in its infancy. The promises of this framework for maximum interoperability and for documenting the use of metadata for maximum reusability, and for supporting metadata applications that are in conformance with Web architectural principles provide the incentive to explore and add implementation experience regarding this new framework
Verifying Real-Time Systems using Explicit-time Description Methods
Timed model checking has been extensively researched in recent years. Many
new formalisms with time extensions and tools based on them have been
presented. On the other hand, Explicit-Time Description Methods aim to verify
real-time systems with general untimed model checkers. Lamport presented an
explicit-time description method using a clock-ticking process (Tick) to
simulate the passage of time together with a group of global variables for time
requirements. This paper proposes a new explicit-time description method with
no reliance on global variables. Instead, it uses rendezvous synchronization
steps between the Tick process and each system process to simulate time. This
new method achieves better modularity and facilitates usage of more complex
timing constraints. The two explicit-time description methods are implemented
in DIVINE, a well-known distributed-memory model checker. Preliminary
experiment results show that our new method, with better modularity, is
comparable to Lamport's method with respect to time and memory efficiency
Addressing information flow in lean production management and control in construction
Traditionally, production control on construction sites has been a challenging area,
where the ad-hoc production control methods foster uncertainty - one of the biggest
enemies of efficiency and smooth production flow. Lean construction methods such
as the Last Planner System have partially tackled this problem by addressing the flow
aspect through means such as constraints analysis and commitment planning.
However, such systems have relatively long planning cycles to respond to the
dynamic production requirements of construction, where almost daily if not hourly
control is needed. New solutions have been designed by researchers to improve this
aspect such as VisiLean, but again these types of software systems require the
proximity and availability of computer devices to workers. Given this observation,
there is a need for a communication system between the field and site office that is
highly interoperable and provides real-time task status information. A High-level
communication framework (using VisiLean) is presented in this paper, which aims to
overcome the problems of system integration and improve the flow of information
within the production system. The framework provides, among other things, generic
and standardized interfaces to simplify the “push” and “pull” of the right (production)
information, whenever needed, wherever needed, by whoever needs it. Overall, it is
anticipated that the reliability of the production control will be improve
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