Heterogeneous cluster-based wireless sensor networks (WSN) attracted increasing attention recently. Obviously, the clustering makes the entire networks hierarchical; thus, several kinds of keys are required for hierarchical network topology. However, most existing key management schemes for it place more emphasis on pairwise key management schemes or key predistribution schemes and neglect the ...

A cardinal challenge in epidemiological and ecological modelling is to develop effective and easily deployed tools for model assessment. The availability of such methods would greatly improve understanding, prediction and management of disease and ecosystems. Conventional Bayesian model assessment tools such as Bayes factors and the deviance information criterion (DIC) are natural candidates bu...

We explore the connection between channel and source coding problems. Our study centers on the class of binning schemes that characterize the largest known achievable rates for channel and source coding problems with partial side information and multiterminal scenarios. The binning scheme can be viewed as a set of bins with each bin forming a channel code (with error probability 22) and set of ...

Users’ signing order is an important factor in multisignature schemes. In fact the signing order often reflects signer’s rank in a signing group. So far, many multisignature schemes, called structured schemes, have been proposed that provide verifiability of the signing order associated with the structure of a group of signers. However, there are not many structured multisignature schemes utili...

A system is presented for off-line word-level recognition of small sets of hand-written words. The system performs well on a variety of tasks such as recognizing numerals hand-written in English (one through ten), Hebrew characters, and Pascal's reserved words. Only small changes are needed in the parameters of the system when switching from one application to another. The heart of the proposed...

A major challenge in realizing core-based system-chips is the adoption of adequate test and diagnosis strategies. this paper focuses on the current industrial practices in test strategies for system-chips. It discusses the challenges in testing embedded cores, the testing requirements for individual cores, and their test access mechanisms. It also covers the integrated test strategies for syste...

Flocks participating in sire referencing schemes can achieve greater genetic gains than those achievable by within-flock selection. However, requirements for joining these schemes can be prohibitive to some producers. The objectives of this study were to determine whether less restrictive schemes or schemes of shorter duration could achieve rates of gain and reduce inbreeding as efficiently as ...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Globally, extending financial protection and equitable access to health services to those outside the formal sector employment is a major challenge for achieving universal coverage. While some favour contributory schemes, others have embraced tax-funded health service cover for those outside the formal sector. This paper critically examines the issue of how to cover tho...

In this paper a novel filtering design intended for the impulsive noise removal in color images is presented. The described scheme utilizes the rank weighted cumulated distances between the pixels belonging to the local filtering window. The impulse detection scheme is based on the difference between the aggregated weighted distances assigned to the central pixel of the window and the minimum v...