Training Load Monitoring Algorithms on Highly Sub-Metered Home Electricity Consumption Data

The growing interest in energy-efficient buildings is driving changes in investment, design, and occupant behavior. To better focus cost and resource conservation efforts, electricity consumption feedback can be used to provide motivation, guidance, and verification. Disaggregating by end-use helps both consumers and producers to identify targets for conservation. While hardware-based sub-metering is costly and labor-intensive, non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) is capable of gathering detailed energy-use data with minimal equipment cost and installation time. However, variations in measurements between metering devices complicate the process of compiling the necessary appliance profiles. Future work involves the devel-opment of NILM algorithms using sensor fusion and detailed appliance-level data gathered from a highly-sensed house currently being constructed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.     

Imagery Enhancement and Interpretation for Remote Visual Inspection of Aging Civil Infrastructure

In this paper, we describe an image enhancement and interpretation methodology to enhance and recognize surface defects and critical patterns from remote imagery of sewer pipeline inspection. The objective is to provide inspectors and professionals with better tools to allow them to examine the imagery for condition assessment. We present initial results of a collaboration with a robotic company through a case study on computer-assisted processing and interpretation of sewer pipeline inspection imagery. In the mean time, the described enhancement and interpretation methodology can also be applied to sewer pipeline condition assessment in an offline mode, where this methodology can support professionals’ examination of acquired sewer condition imagery.     

The Definitions of Fundamental Geometric Entities Contained in Book I of Euclids Elements

OElig;he thesis is sustained that the definitions of fundamental geometric entities which open Euclids Elements actually are excerpts from the Definitions by Heron of Alexandria, interpolated in late antiquity into Euclids treatise. As a consequence, one of the main bases of the traditional Platonist interpretation of Euclid is refuted. Arguments about the constructivist nature of Euclids mathematical philosophy are given. (Received June 6, 1997)     

High-fidelity projective read-out of a solid-state spin quantum register

Initialization and read-out of coupled quantum systems are essential ingredients for the implementation of quantum algorithms. Single-shot read-out of the state of a multi-quantum-bit (multi-qubit) register would allow direct investigation of quantum correlations (entanglement), and would give access to further key resources such as quantum error correction and deterministic quantum teleportation. Although spins in solids are attractive candidates for scalable quantum information processing, their single-shot detection has been achieved only for isolated qubits. Here we demonstrate the preparation and measurement of a multi-spin quantum register in a low-temperature solid-state system by implementing resonant optical excitation techniques originally developed in atomic physics. We achieve high-fidelity read-out of the electronic spin associated with a single nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond, and use this read-out to project up to three nearby nuclear spin qubits onto a well-defined state. Conversely, we can distinguish the state of the nuclear spins in a single shot by mapping it onto, and subsequently measuring, the electronic spin. Finally, we show compatibility with qubit control: we demonstrate initialization, coherent manipulation and single-shot read-out in a single experiment on a two-qubit register, using techniques suitable for extension to larger registers. These results pave the way for a test of Bell's inequalities on solid-state spins and the implementation of measurement-based quantum information protocols.     

被忘却的革命——公元前300年科学诞生以及科学为什么必须再生

本书是一本科学史专著，讨论的主要问题可以由副标题看出：科学如何在公元前300年诞生以及它为什么必须再生。作者的论点十分清楚，但他的研究途径与数学密切相关，本书的作者在罗马大学数学系工作并是数学史专家。     

Comparing the accuracy of density forecasts from competing models

A rapidly growing literature emphasizes the importance of evaluating the forecast accuracy of empirical models on the basis of density (as opposed to point) forecasting performance. We propose a test statistic for the null hypothesis that two competing models have equal density forecast accuracy. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the test, which has a known limiting distribution, displays satisfactory size and power properties. The use of the test is illustrated with an application to exchange rate forecasting. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.