Zoning is widely used for obtaining topological features of handwritten characters. In this paper we have modified the zoning criteria using fuzzy boundary of individual zones keeping the point in mind that writing style of different persons may shift the structural pattern of the character from one zone to the adjacent zone. The zone-wise normalized distance of individual black pixel along wit...

This paper presents a two-level based character recognition method in which a dynamically selection of the most promising zoning scheme for feature extraction allows us to obtain interesting results for character recognition. The first level consists of a conventional neural network and a look-up-table that is used to suggest the best zoning scheme for a given unknown character. The information...

This paper describes the development and applications of a computational tool, referred to as the Multi-Objective Zoning and AggRegation Tool (MOZART), for devising optimal zoning systems. MOZART aims to account for a diverse range of criteria that may arise in customising zones to suit different contexts. This flexibility is achieved by treating the problem of zone design as a problem of parti...

Economists have long argued that systems of marketable permits are a cost-effective means of regulating externalities. Though these ideas have only recently been implemented in the field of pollution control, transferable development rights (TDRs) have been used for decades by city planners in many locales. Most opponents of permit trading contest the granting of property rights to the originat...

Because of its complexity, handwriting recognition has to exploit many sources of information to be successful, e.g. the handwriting zones. Variability of zone-lines, however, requires a more flexible representation than traditional horizontal or linear methods. The proposed method therefore employs approximating cubic splines. Using entire lines of text rather than individual words is shown to...

Zoning has always been one of the basic tools of land use control available. Zoning is the regulation and restriction of land uses according to a predetermined plan. This paper will present a look at conventional zoning, its origins, the evolution of the zoning, and the scope of zoning types. Regardless of the varieties, most zoning codes can be classified into at least one of the following bro...

Performance based seismic design (PBSD) is a cogent design approach that allows engineers to design structures with a predictable seismic performance for a specified level of hazard. In contrast to the conventional limit state or strength and serviceability based design in which a structure is designed to withstand severe load combinations and be functional under normal load conditions, PBSD go...

Seismic anisotropy is an efficient way to investigate the deformation field within the upper mantle. In the framework of rigid tectonic plates, we make use of recent tomographic models of azimuthal anisotropy for deriving the best rotation pole of the Pacific plate in the uppermost 200km of the mantle. It is found to be in good agreement with current plate motion (NUVEL1, HS3 and NNR). However,...

This paper reports on the damage of Wushi bridge in a recent Taiwan 921 earthquake. Damage to Wushi bridge appeared in the superstructure, the substructure and the approaches. Typical types of damage are discussed and illustrated in this paper. A review of the bridge design specifications in Taiwan is also presented to give the background on the seismic design of Taiwan highway bridges.

Pletser et al. performed a seismic-refraction survey on Devon Island with the goal of assessing the feasibility of astronauts carrying out such operations on Mars to detect subsurface water. We demonstrate that the seismic analysis is fundamentally flawed. The survey performed in this test will likely bear little resemblance to future crewed geophysical surface operations, and better methods ex...