Sharif Digital Repository

People use social networks to share millions of stories every day, but these stories rarely become viral. Can we estimate the probability that a story becomes a viral cascade If so, can we find a set of users that are more likely to trigger viral cascades These estimation and maximization problems are very challenging since both rare-event nature of viral cascades and efficiency requirement should be considered. Unfortunately, this problem still remains largely unexplored to date. In this paper, given temporal dynamics of a network, we first develop an efficient viral cascade probability estimation method, VICE, that leverages an special importance sampling approximation to achieve high... 

People use social networks to share millions of stories every day, but these stories rarely become viral. Can we estimate the probability that a story becomes a viral cascade? If so, can we find a set of users that are more likely to trigger viral cascades? These estimation and maximization problems are very challenging since both rare-event nature of viral cascades and efficiency requirement should be considered. Unfortunately, this problem still remains largely unexplored to date. In this paper, given temporal dynamics of a network, we first develop an efficient viral cascade probability estimation method, ViCE, that leverages an special importance sampling approximation to achieve high... 

Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities and people shares millions of message in a short time; however this information rarely goes viral. The diffusion process begins with an initial set of source nodes and continues with other nodes. In addition, the viral cascade is triggered when the number of infected nodes exceeds a specific threshold. Then, we find an initial set of source nodes that maximizes the number of infected nodes given the source nodes. This study aims to answer the following questions: how does a spread like a viral cascade propagate in a network? Do the structural properties of the propagation pattern play an important role in virality? If so, can we... 

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are well-promising future networks especially for ubiquitous connection to Internet. In this paper, we propose an analytical model in order to evaluate the maximum stable throughput of a WMN based on a simplified version of IEEE 802.11s MAC protocol. Our modeling approach is based on a multi-class open queueing network. In this respect, we map some of the important features of IEEE 802.11s MAC protocol, esp., its contention-based and contention-free periods onto different parameters of the proposed queueing network. By solving the related traffic equations and applying the stability condition, we determine the maximum stable throughput, i.e., the maximum packet... 

In this study, the artificial neural network (ANN) was used for the prediction of WDT. The inputs to network are molar mass and pressure, and the output is WDT at each input. A two-layer network with different hidden neurons and different learning algorithms such as LM, SCG, GDA and BR were examined. The network with 16 hidden neurons and Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) train function showed the best results in comparison with the other networks. Also, the predicted results of this network were compared with the thermodynamic models and better accordance with experimental data for ANN was concluded  

In this study, 40% CaO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was used for biodiesel production from corn oil. A transesterification reaction was done for 5h at a temperature of 65°C in the presence of corn oil, methanol (methanol to oil molar ratio of 12:1), and CaO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst (0.06g/g (6wt%)). Catalyst used in this study was synthesized using the sol-gel method. In this method, two parameters of gelation temperature and nitric acid concentration were used as variables in the catalyst synthesis step, and experiments were designed using central composite design (CCD). The results indicate that the optimal point is achieved at a gelation temperature of 70°C and... 

Transesterification reaction was performed in the presence of soybean oil, methanol, and Demineralized water plant sedimentation catalyst at 60°C for 8 h in this study. Central composite design method was used to study the effect of catalyst concentration and methanol to oil molar ratio on purity and yield of produced biodiesel. The results showed catalyst concentration of 9.08 wt% and methanol to oil molar ratio of 22.49 as the optimum condition in which the values of purity and yield of the produced biodiesel in the second-order models were 99.89% and 81.83%, respectively. Experiments are in good agreement with the mentioned values as corresponded values are 99.95% and 86.68%,... 

Under different loading conditions, the over-head cranes may experience a wide range of model parameters variation. A robust control strategy is developed to achieve the high positioning accuracy, short transportation time and suppression of swing angle for an uncertain over-head crane system. Over-head crane is modeled as a three degrees of freedom system and control problem is investigated for two cases: a system with a single control input (the force on trolley) and a system with two control inputs (the force on trolley and the torque on lifter). Regulator and observer systems are designed. To achieve the tracking objectives, an optimal robust controller is designed based on μ-synthesis... 

Due to international competition and strict limitations of standards regarding the noise level, investigation of gear vibration is of great importance. In this paper, nonlinear oscillations of spur gear pairs including the backlash nonlinearity is studied. Dynamic system is described through the classical single degree of freedom (SDOF) model in terms of dynamic transmission error (DTE). Using multiple scale method, forced vibration responses of the gear system including primary, super-harmonic and sub-harmonic resonances are investigated. In each case, the jump phenomenon and stability analysis are studied. In addition, the effect of dynamic and manufacturing parameters of the gear system... 

In this paper, nonlinear oscillation of the automobile gear system is studied. The backlash dynamic parameter is included in the nonlinear mathematical modeling of the problem. Using multiple scale method, forced vibration responses of the gear system including Primary, Subharmonic and Super-harmonic resonances are investigated. In each case, the jump phenomenon and stability analysis are studied. In addition, the effect of dynamic and manufacturing parameters of the gear system on the time responses are analyzed. Simulation and nonlinear analysis of the problem are developed in MAPLE and MATLAB environments  

Under different loading conditions, the over-head cranes may experience a wide range of model parameters variation. A robust control strategy is developed to achieve the high positioning accuracy, short transportation time and suppression of swing angle for an uncertain over-head crane system. Over-head crane is modeled as a three degrees of freedom system and control problem is investigated for two cases: a system with a single control input (the force on trolley) and a system with two control inputs (the force on trolley and the torque on lifter). Regulator and observer systems are designed. To achieve the tracking objectives, an optimal robust controller is designed based on μ-synthesis... 

To achieve a cost-effective and reliable use of wind power generation, advanced control techniques are required. In this paper, the application of two control strategies for the improvement of wind turbine power output is investigated in the presence of model/environmental uncertainties. Rotational speed of the wind turbine and consequently its power output are controlled via manipulation of blades pitch angle (at a constant generator torque). First, the classical PID controller is designed based on root locus analysis while in the second scheme, an H∞-robust controller is designed via μ-synthesis based on DKiteration algorithm. Performance of the two controllers in tracking of the desired... 

Performance control of a boiler–turbine unit is of great importance due to demands for the economical operations of power plants and environmental awareness. In this paper, an optimal control strategy is designed to achieve the desired performance of a boiler–turbine unit. A multivariable nonlinear model of a utility boiler–turbine unit is considered. By manipulation of valves position for the fuel, steam and feed-water flows; output variables including the drum pressure, electric output and fluid density (and consequently drum water level) are controlled. Performance measure of the problem is defined such that the control efforts are minimized while the tracking objectives are obtained. In... 

In this research, nonlinear dynamics of an air-ehandling unit (AHU) is studied for tracking objectives, in the presence of harmonic perturbations. Three arbitrary realistic set-paths are considered for the indoor temperature and relative humidity. Two controllers based on feedback linearization (FBL) and pole placement approaches are designed to preserve the dynamic system around the desired tracking paths. It is shown that FBL controller works efficiently in bifurcation control and transforms the quasi-periodic limit cycles into the periodic ones (and consequently comfortable indoor conditions). In addition, FBL controller guarantees suppression of larger periodic limit cycles into the... 

Scheduling of the maintenance activities is considered, in which the duration of activities is uncertain, delivery date of the maintenance shutdown is predefined, and activities are multi-mode. The problem is a multi-mode time-constrained project scheduling problem (MTCPSP). The glycol regeneration unit in a gas refinery is as the case study. Based on the effect of equipment or sub-equipment on the system reliability, the importance value of equipment and sub-equipment within the system is determined, and these values are used in a heuristic algorithm as a priority rule for choosing activities in the schedule. Outcomes demonstrate the performance of the algorithm in early or on time delivery...