Business integration models in the context of web services.

E-commerce development and applications have been bringing the Internet to business and marketing and reforming our current business styles and processes. The rapid development of the Web, in particular, the introduction of the semantic web and web service technologies, enables business processes, modeling and management to enter an entirely new stage. Traditional web based business data and transactions can now be analyzed, extracted and modeled to discover new business rules and to form new business strategies, let alone mining the business data in order to classify customers or products. In this paper, we investigate and analyze the business integration models in the context of web services using a micro-payment system because a micro-payment system is considered to be a service intensive activity, where many payment tasks involve different forms of services, such as payment method selection for buyers, security support software, product price comparison, etc. We will use the micro-payment case to discuss and illustrate how the web services approaches support and transform the business process and integration model.

A mathematical simulation model of the CH-47B helicopter, volume 1

A nonlinear simulation model of the CH-47B helicopter was adapted for use in the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) simulation facility. The model represents the specific configuration of the ARC variable stability CH-47B helicopter and will be used in ground simulation research and to expedite and verify flight experiment design. Modeling of the helicopter uses a total force approach in six rigid body degrees of freedom. Rotor dynamics are simulated using the Wheatlely-Bailey equations including steady-state flapping dynamics. Also included in the model is the option for simulation of external suspension, slung-load equations of motion

Network Structure, Topology and Dynamics in Generalized Models of Synchronization

We explore the interplay of network structure, topology, and dynamic interactions between nodes using the paradigm of distributed synchronization in a network of coupled oscillators. As the network evolves to a global steady state, interconnected oscillators synchronize in stages, revealing network's underlying community structure. Traditional models of synchronization assume that interactions between nodes are mediated by a conservative process, such as diffusion. However, social and biological processes are often non-conservative. We propose a new model of synchronization in a network of oscillators coupled via non-conservative processes. We study dynamics of synchronization of a synthetic and real-world networks and show that different synchronization models reveal different structures within the same network

Analysis of Power-aware Buffering Schemes in Wireless Sensor Networks

We study the power-aware buffering problem in battery-powered sensor networks, focusing on the fixed-size and fixed-interval buffering schemes. The main motivation is to address the yet poorly understood size variation-induced effect on power-aware buffering schemes. Our theoretical analysis elucidates the fundamental differences between the fixed-size and fixed-interval buffering schemes in the presence of data size variation. It shows that data size variation has detrimental effects on the power expenditure of the fixed-size buffering in general, and reveals that the size variation induced effects can be either mitigated by a positive skewness or promoted by a negative skewness in size distribution. By contrast, the fixed-interval buffering scheme has an obvious advantage of being eminently immune to the data-size variation. Hence the fixed-interval buffering scheme is a risk-averse strategy for its robustness in a variety of operational environments. In addition, based on the fixed-interval buffering scheme, we establish the power consumption relationship between child nodes and parent node in a static data collection tree, and give an in-depth analysis of the impact of child bandwidth distribution on parent's power consumption. This study is of practical significance: it sheds new light on the relationship among power consumption of buffering schemes, power parameters of radio module and memory bank, data arrival rate and data size variation, thereby providing well-informed guidance in determining an optimal buffer size (interval) to maximize the operational lifespan of sensor networks

MSAT-X electronically steered phased array antenna system

A low profile electronically steered phased array was successfully developed for the Mobile Satellite Experiment Program (MSAT-X). The newly invented cavity-backed printed crossed-slot was used as the radiating element. The choice of this element was based on its low elevation angle gain coverage and low profile. A nineteen-way radial type unequal power divider and eighteen three-bit diode phase shifters constitute the beamformer module which is used to scan the beams electronically. A complete hybrid mode pointing system was also developed. The major features of the antenna system are broad coverage, low profile, and fast acquisition and tracking performance, even under fading conditions. Excellent intersatellite isolation (better than 26 dB) was realized, which will provide good quality mobile satellite communication in the future

Comparison of chemical profiles and effectiveness between Erxian decoction and mixtures of decoctions of its individual herbs : a novel approach for identification of the standard chemicals

Acknowledgements This study was partially supported by grants from the Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research (Project Number 201211159146 and 201411159213), the University of Hong Kong. We thank Mr Keith Wong and Ms Cindy Lee for their technical assistances.Peer reviewedPublisher PD