Local Point Of View Research Articles

Power-Aware Metrics for Wireless Sensor Networks

Energy conservation is a critical issue in wireless sensor networks for node and network life, as the nodes are powered by batteries. One way of doing so is to use only local information available to the nodes in the network. This article evaluates a number of power-aware routing protocols based on local information only. The simulation shows that basing the routing decision on the remaining power of neighbouring nodes is not by itself enough. Instead, using the directional value and the sum of power remaining at the next neighbours gives the routing protocol a broader perspective about the condition of the network from a local point of view and enhances the decision process.

Cybernetics and systems, from past to future

The founders of cybernetics and systems are presented, among them N. Wiener, W.S. McCulloch and L. von Bertalanffy. Some precursors are cited from antiquity to 20th century. The basic concepts are exposed: feedback, quantity of information, requisite variety, homeostasis, local and global points of view, oprn systems, autopoiesis. The roles of the observer and of the actor are emphasized. Future is considered in three directions: development of epistemology and of praxiology, symbiosis of man and machine, role of requisite variety in the survival of mankind.

Ground-state magnetic properties ofCoNclusters on Pd(111): Spin moments, orbital moments, and magnetic anisotropy

The ground-state spin moments $〈{S}_{z}〉,$ orbital moments $〈{L}_{z}〉,$ and magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{N}$ clusters deposited on the Pd(111) surface are determined in the framework of a self-consistent, real-space tight-binding method. Two-dimensional ${\mathrm{Co}}_{N}/\mathrm{Pd}(111)$ with $N<~13$ show remarkably large total magnetic moments per Co atom ${M}_{z}=(2〈{S}_{z}〉+〈{L}_{z}〉)/N=(2.4--2.7){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B},$ which are the result of three physically distinct effects. The first and leading contribution comes, as expected, from the local spin moments $〈{S}_{\mathrm{iz}}〉$ at the Co atoms $i=1\ensuremath{-}N$ $[2〈{S}_{\mathrm{iz}}{〉}_{\mathrm{Co}}\ensuremath{\simeq}1.7{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}].$ Second, significant spin moments are induced at the Pd atoms $i>N$ close to the Co-Pd interface, which amount to about 20% of ${M}_{z}$ $[2〈{S}_{\mathrm{iz}}{〉}_{\mathrm{Pd}}=(0.2--0.3){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}].$ Finally, remarkably enhanced orbital magnetic moments $〈{L}_{\mathrm{iz}}〉$ are found that are responsible for approximately 20% of ${M}_{z}.$ In the case of Co atoms, $〈{L}_{\mathrm{iz}}{〉}_{\mathrm{Co}}\ensuremath{\simeq}(0.3--0.5){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ is almost a factor of 3 larger than the Co-bulk orbital moment, while in Pd atoms $〈{L}_{\mathrm{iz}}{〉}_{\mathrm{Pd}}=(0.02--0.04){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ represents about 10% of the total local moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{iz}}=2〈{S}_{\mathrm{iz}}〉+〈{L}_{\mathrm{iz}}〉.$ The dependence of the orbital moments on the orientation of the magnetization with respect to the cluster structure is quantified. These results and the associated MAEs are analyzed from a local point of view. One- and two-dimensional (2D) ${\mathrm{Co}}_{N}$ are considered in order to investigate the structural dependence of the magnetic behavior. The role of the cluster-surface interactions is discussed by comparison with free cluster calculations. In particular, we observe that the lowest-energy magnetization direction (easy axis) changes from in-plane to off-plane upon deposition of 2D ${\mathrm{Co}}_{N}$ on Pd(111). Cluster-substrate hybridizations are therefore crucial for the magnetoanisotropic behavior of magnetic islands deposited on metallic substrates.

Threats and Threat Scenarios in the North during the Cold War

To understand the cold war it is necessary to focus on geopolitics, geostrategy and varying threat scenarios. But it was also a conflict of ideology, in which both parties, with the USA and the Soviet Union at the front, were seeking to promote their own social constructions, based on their respective ideologies, and strengthen their political and military positions. In addition, mentalities were created that were characterized by fear, threats and enemy images, which to some extent were manifestations of the way in which the contending parties viewed themselves as well as their enemy. The present article deals with some aspects of the cold war threat scenarios that relate to the northern areas of Europe in general, and to North Norway in particular. First, it briefly discusses the concepts of "geopolitics" and "threat scenario" and makes an attempt to establish a kind of geopolitical status for the period in question. Second, it discusses "northern" threat images in the cold war, from an international perspective as well as from a national and local point of view. In dealing with the local perspective, the article also looks into the question of whether the cold war was experienced very differently, according to people's regional belonging or their social, political and professional backgrounds.

Lectures on the functional renormalization group method

AbstractThese introductory notes are about functional renormalization group equations and some of their applications. It is emphasised that the applicability of this method extends well beyond critical systems, it actually provides us a general purpose algorithm to solve strongly coupled quantum field theories. The renormalization group equation of F. Wegner and A. Houghton is shown to resum the loop-expansion. Another version, due to J. Polchinski, is obtained by the method of collective coordinates and can be used for the resummation of the perturbation series. The genuinely non-perturbative evolution equation is obtained by a manner reminiscent of the Schwinger-Dyson equations. Two variants of this scheme are presented where the scale which determines the order of the successive elimination of the modes is extracted from external and internal spaces. The renormalization of composite operators is discussed briefly as an alternative way to arrive at the renormalization group equation. The scaling laws and fixed points are considered from local and global points of view. Instability induced renormalization and new scaling laws are shown to occur in the symmetry broken phase of the scaler theory. The flattening of the effective potential of a compact variable is demonstrated in case of the sine-Gordon model. Finally, a manifestly gauge invariant evolution equation is given for QED.

The Role Of Ge In Cluster Formation In B And Bf2 Implanted Si Wafers After Ge Pre-Amorphization

ABSTRACTCluster formation in high dose B, BF2 implanted Si wafers is an important problem in silicon doping, since it is one of the leading causes of the electrical deactivation of the dopant. In this study, we used Ge pre-amorphized, ultra low energy B and BF2 implanted Si wafers in order to probe these clusters from a local structural point of view. Ge K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) is a powerful tool in obtaining local structural information around the Ge atom. The effects of different implant species with various implant doses and annealing conditions on the cluster formation are presented using Ge K-edge multi-shell XAFS analysis. The non-linear least-squares fits to the Ge K-edge Fourier Transformed (FT) XAFS data using calculated standards from multiple scattering simulations around the Ge atom reveal formed Ge-B clusters for the Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) annealed wafers. The results also indicate the laser annealing process on the other hand is blocking the formation of these Ge induced Ge-B clusters.

About a Generalization of Bell's Inequality

We make use of natural induction to propose, following John Ju Sakurai, a generalization of Bell's inequality for two spin s=n/2(n=1,2,...) particle systems in a singlet state. We have found that for any finite integer or half-integer spin Bell's inequality is violated when the terms in the inequality are calculated from a quantum mechanical point of view. In the final expression for this inequality the two members therein are expressed in terms of a single parameter θ. Violation occurs for θ in some interval of the form (α,π/2) where α parameter becomes closer and closer to π/2, as the spin grows, that is, the greater the spin number the size of the interval in which violation occurs diminishes to zero. Bell's inequality is a relationship among observables that discriminates between Einstein's locality principle and the non-local point of view of orthodox quantum mechanics. So our conclusion may also be stated by saying that for large spin numbers the non-local and local points of view agree.

COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT IN INDIA: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TENURE

SUMMARY Background The policies embracing the Community-based forest management systems in India have not yielded significant results. The National and State Governments have responded to the demands for community rights over forests by various policy statements, but the tenure of forest land remains the most contentious issue in the field of forest management in India. This paper examines policies in their local and external environments in both historical as well as current contexts. Important elements for understanding the local view points and assigning forest tenure are: • the community concerns for the state of forest resources and their efforts at its conservation, • rural poverty, • access to basic needs for livelihoods and • the condition of the forest resources. Relevant forest policies of the national and state governments are discussed with specific reference to the recent Joint Forest Management programme and questions of tenure. The topic is placed in context with the development of other sectors of the rural economy and international concern for the environment.

Myth, Cultural Identity, and Ethnopolitics: Samoa and the Tongan "Empire"

This article argues that cultural identity models not only are models of a group--a kind of group self-image--but also predicate models for a shared political way of being in the world, that is, for a political praxis. I present a processual form of structural analysis for mapping the meaning transformations through which people think about cultural identity in myth. Cultural identity is conceived in contrast and comparison to other cultures; therefore, myths render intercultural relations from a local viewpoint and are useful in constructing an interactive perspective on regional history. These ideas are presented via Samoan myths that were told to Western scribes during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, when Samoans were resisting foreign colonials and developing a new sense of cultural identity. They concern a central puzzle of Polynesian prehistory--the nature of the so-called Tongan empire.

Frequency Dependence of Quantum Localization in a Periodically Driven System

We study the quantum localization phenomena for a random matrix model belonging to the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE). An oscillating external field is applied on the system. After the transient time evolution, energy is saturated to various values depending on the frequencies. We investigate the frequency dependence of the saturated energy. This dependence cannot be explained by a naive picture of successive independent Landau-Zener transitions at avoided level crossing points. The effect of quantum interference is essential. We define the number of Floquet states which have large overlap with the initial state, and calculate its frequency dependence. The number of Floquet states shows approximately linear dependence on the frequency, when the frequency is small. Comparing the localization length in Floquet states and that in energy states from the viewpoint of the Anderson localization, we conclude that the Landau-Zener picture works for the local transition processes between levels.

The rationality of the prevention of substance abuse from the local authorities' point of view

In Finland, the role of the state in reorganising alcohol policy has become that of an information guide, and the responsibility for practical arrangements has been increasingly delegated to municipalities. With the dismantling of the state-run centralised alcohol policy system, the focus has been shifted to the prevention of substance abuse at the local level. The reorganisations have intensified the pressure to find adequate methods for preventing substance abuse at the local level. In this article, we will discuss the pressures created by the dismantling of the state-run alcohol policy and the decentralisation of responsibility in the context of three cities. Our data consists of interviews with authorities from Helsinki, Tampere, and Lappeenranta who have actively participated in local co-operation projects in the substance abuse field. The data was analysed from two different perspectives. First, we studied the data from the information perspective by examining how familiar our interviewees were with the recent history of alcohol policy and the changes in the alcohol policy system. We were also interested in their views on the reorganisations in the prevention of substance abuse and the reallocation of resources. Then, we analysed our data with the tools provided by the positioning theory and semiotic sociology. A common feature for all three cities was that the prevention of substance abuse was perceived as the correct method for preventing and treating substance abuse problems. The role of the third sector in the prevention of substance abuse grew in the 1990s, which was also deemed important. Differences emerged between cities, for example, in the identification of substance abuse problems. In Helsinki and Tampere, mixed substance abuse was categorised as the most serious substance abuse problem, whereas in Lappeenranta alcohol abuse was regarded as such. Differences were also apparent in the ways in which authorities positioned themselves in the welfare tradition of restrictive alcohol policy. Interviewees from Helsinki and Tampere saw the reorganisations in alcohol policy as a change of direction within the old tradition. The prevailing opinion in Lappeenranta was that the prevention of substance abuse has created space for the revival of collective responsibility in the spirit of old village communities. Helsinki was clearly lagging behind in the development of networks within the substance abuse field. Authorities from Helsinki admitted that the co-operation network between authorities was still in its infancy, whereas authorities from Tampere and Lappeenranta maintained that a sustainable co-operation scheme had been in progress for a long time.

Size evolution of the surface short fatigue cracks of 1Cr18Ni9Ti pipe-weld metal with a local viewpoint

The size evolution of surface short cracks in 1Cr18Ni9Ti pipe-weld metal is investigated in this paper. A local viewpoint is used to explain the observed evolution of cracking phenomena. The so-called ‘effectively short fatigue crack criterion’ is used to characterize distributed populations of cracks. Special attention is paid to the initiation zone of dominant effectively short fatigue cracks (DESFCs) and then the zones ahead of the DESFC tips. The results reveal that the evolutionary size exhibits significant characteristics of microstructurally short crack (MSC) and physically short crack (PSC) stages. Fatigue damage is contributed largely to the initiation, and irregular growth, of effectively short fatigue cracks (ESFCs) in the MSC stage. In the PSC stage, the damage is due mainly to the DESFC growth, and partially to the growth of ESFCs and the coalescence of ESFCs themselves and with the DESFC. The damage processes involve gradual transitions from a non-ordered/chaotic status in the fatigue initiation regime, to an independently random status at the boundary between the MSC and PSC stages. Finally, a subsequent transition occurs to a history-dependent random status.

Diffusion PDEs on vector-valued images

In this article, we propose a local and geometric point of view of vector image filtering using diffusion PDEs. It allows us to analyze proposed methods of vector data regularization, as well as propose a new vector PDE, well adapted for image restoration. This equation, whose key feature is the use of a local vector geometry, combines the advantages of diffusion PDEs for noise removing but also uses vector shock filters to enhance blurred edges. The extension to norm constrained vector fields can be the start for other well-known constrained problems, as optical flow computation, orientation analysis, and tensor image restoration.

Ambiguous representations: power and mimesis in colonial Guinea

This paper explores some aspects of the ambiguity of power relations during the colonial period that still influence the postcolonial construction of the nation. The colonial encounter led to the confrontation of local political institutions with the colonial project of cultural and political hegemony. Local intermediaries were particularly sensitive to this mutual game of domination, integration and exclusion. Focusing on the iconographic representations of a category of such intermediaries, the régulos or local chiefs in Guinea-Bissau – both from the local point of view and from the colonialist one – we have access to a mirror of the empire: the perverse and continual negotiation of identities and references between colonizers and colonized.

Consistent abstractions of affine control systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of constructing abstractions of affine control systems that preserve reachability properties, and, in particular, local accessibility. In this framework, showing local accessibility of the higher level, abstracted model is equivalent to showing local accessibility of the, more detailed, lower level model. Given an affine control system and a smooth surjective map, we present a canonical construction for extracting an affine control system describing the trajectories of the abstracted variables. We then obtain conditions on the abstraction maps that render the original and abstracted system equivalent from a local accessibility point of view. Such consistent hierarchies of accessibility preserving abstractions of nonlinear control systems are then considered for various classes of affine control systems including linear, bilinear, drift free, and strict feedback systems.

Heat Treatment Effects on the Superconductivity and Crystal Structure of Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4Studied Using a Single Crystal

We performed systematic post-growth heat treatments on sizable single crystals of Nd 1.85 Ce 0.15 CuO 4 . The superconducting transition temperature, T c , and its distribution in the sample are both sensitive to details of the heat treatment and sample size. With refinement of the heat treatment conditions we have succeeded in preparing two distinct superconducting samples in which T c equals 18 K and 25 K under identical Ce-concentrations. Neutron scattering experiments initially observed nonmagnetic superstructure peaks at (π,π) only in the reduced superconducting phase. Atomic displacement in this structure is different from that induced by in-plane rotation of CuO 4 squares as previously reported for Gd 2- x Ce x CuO 4 . A possible relationship between atomic displacements and superconductivity and the role of reduced heat treatments are discussed from the viewpoint of carrier localization.

Joining Communities: The Value of an Ethnographic Approach in Early Childhood Intervention Research

This paper explores the use of ethnographic approaches, which are characterized by their openness to local perspectives and viewpoints, in developing and strengthening a partnership between an Early Head Start program and university-based researchers. While the ability of the researchers to respond to community and program concerns was constrained somewhat by the requirements of the experimental design of the national study, researchers' openness to changing other aspects of the study strengthened the research partnership, creating a mutually beneficial and satisfying experience for researchers and program staff. Perhaps most importantly, these methods provided both program staff and re- searchers in this partnership with an opportunity to explore and respond to a broader set of community concerns.

Study of the Local Structure Changes in PbTiO 3 by Pb L III EXAFS

The Pb L III -edge EXAFS for PbTiO 3 was measured in the temperature range from 20 K to 873 K. The structural changes in Pb-O and Pb-Ti atomic pairs through the critical temperature (763 K) due to the phase transition from tetragonal to cubic phase were discussed from the local point of view. Three types of atomic pairs, shorter Pb-O(1), medium Pb-O(2) and longer Pb-O(3) were analyzed independently. The former two Pb-O pairs show the "order-disorder" type phase transition; Pb-O distance does not change through T c . On the other hand the last one shows the "displacive" type; the interatomic distance decreases discontinuously at T c and the mean square relative displacement shows the soft mode behavior.

Costs and benefits of forest conservation: regional and local comparisons in Eastern Finland

In addition to environmental interests vs. timber production, debates on forest conservation have typically dealt with nationwide vs. local and regional interests. While most previous studies have focused on the nationwide perspective, this paper considers the benefits and costs of existing conservation areas from the regional and local point of view. The non-market benefits of conservation are measured by means of contingent valuation. Unlike most discrete-choice CV studies, we allow for zero willingness to pay. The results of our cost-benefit analysis suggest that the aggregate benefits of conservation clearly exceed the total opportunity costs when viewed from a regional (or nationwide) perspective, but at the local level costs exceed the benefits of conservation. Differences were also found in locally vs. regionally relevant benefits and costs.

HONDA: GLOBAL MANUFACTURING AND COMPETITIVENESS

I would like to limit my discussion to the experiences and strategies Honda has employed to evolve from our roots as a local company in Japan, with a global viewpoint — into what we are today, a global company with a local viewpoint.