Service re-routing for service network graph: efficiency, scalability and implementation

The key to success in Next Generation Network is service routing in which service requests may need to be redirected as in the case of the INVITE request in Session Initiation Protocol. Service Path (SPath) holds the authentication and server paths along side with service information. As the number of hops in a redirection increases, the length of SPath increases. The overhead for service routing protocols which uses SPath increases with the length of SPath. Hence it is desirable to optimize SPath to ensure efficiency and scalability of protocols involving service routing. In this paper, we propose a re-routing strategy to optimize service routing, and demonstrate how this strategy can be implemented using SPath to enhance the efficiency and scalability of Service Network Graph (SNG)

An evaluation of electronic individual peer assessment in an introductory programming course

[Abstract]: Peer learning is a powerful pedagogical practice delivering improved outcomes over conventional teacher-student interactions while offering marking relief to instructors. Peer review enables learning by requiring students to evaluate the work of others. PRAISE is an on-line peer-review system that facilitates anonymous review and delivers prompt feedback from multiple sources. This study is an evaluation of the use of PRAISE in an introductory programming course. Use of the system is examined and attitudes of novice programmers towards the use of peer review are compared to those of students from other disciplines, raising a number of interesting issues. Recommendations are made to introductory programming instructors who may be considering peer review in assignments

Hypergraph Modelling for Geometric Model Fitting

In this paper, we propose a novel hypergraph based method (called HF) to fit and segment multi-structural data. The proposed HF formulates the geometric model fitting problem as a hypergraph partition problem based on a novel hypergraph model. In the hypergraph model, vertices represent data points and hyperedges denote model hypotheses. The hypergraph, with large and "data-determined" degrees of hyperedges, can express the complex relationships between model hypotheses and data points. In addition, we develop a robust hypergraph partition algorithm to detect sub-hypergraphs for model fitting. HF can effectively and efficiently estimate the number of, and the parameters of, model instances in multi-structural data heavily corrupted with outliers simultaneously. Experimental results show the advantages of the proposed method over previous methods on both synthetic data and real images.Comment: Pattern Recognition, 201

Mergers Simulation and Demand Analysis for the U.S. Carbonated Soft Drink Industry

Replaced with revised version of paper on 09/29/09. Former title: Mergers, Price Competition for the U.S. Carbonated Soft Drink Industrydistance metrics, demand, merger simulation, Agribusiness, Industrial Organization, Marketing, L13, C14,

Aerospace engineering educational program

The principle goal of the educational component of NASA CORE is the creation of aerospace engineering options in the mechanical engineering program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. To accomplish this goal, a concerted effort during the past year has resulted in detailed plans for the initiation of aerospace options in both the BSME and MSME programs in the fall of 1993. All proposed new courses and the BSME aerospace option curriculum must undergo a lengthy approval process involving two cirriculum oversight committees (School of Engineering and University level) and three levels of general faculty approval. Assuming approval is obtained from all levels, the options will officially take effect in Fall '93. In anticipation of this, certain courses in the proposed curriculum are being offered during the current academic year under special topics headings so that current junior level students may graduate in May '94 under the BSME aerospace option. The proposed undergraduate aerospace option curriculum (along with the regular mechanical engineering curriculum for reference) is attached at the end of this report, and course outlines for the new courses are included in the appendix

On aggregation bias in structural demand models

Consumer demand analysis attracts considerable attention. It remains an open question, however, whether estimating demand with aggregate data is reliable when disaggregate store-level data is given. Demand models may produce biased results when applied to data aggregated across stores with different pricing strategies. In this study, the graphical model is used to investigate the following question: Do we find the same structure when we fit causal models on sub-groupings of stores, as we find when we fit models on aggregate data from all stores?causal analysis, aggregation bias, Demand and Price Analysis, C01,

Evaluating probability forecasts

Probability forecasts of events are routinely used in climate predictions, in forecasting default probabilities on bank loans or in estimating the probability of a patient's positive response to treatment. Scoring rules have long been used to assess the efficacy of the forecast probabilities after observing the occurrence, or nonoccurrence, of the predicted events. We develop herein a statistical theory for scoring rules and propose an alternative approach to the evaluation of probability forecasts. This approach uses loss functions relating the predicted to the actual probabilities of the events and applies martingale theory to exploit the temporal structure between the forecast and the subsequent occurrence or nonoccurrence of the event.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOS902 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org