Chair – Sos Agaian UTSA; 210-4585939; sos.agaian@utsa Vice Chair – David Akopian

1. System of SystemsSos Agaian (Chair)Dr’s. Math., CS, and Engineering ScienceThe Peter T. Flawn Distinguished ProfessorSPIE Fellow Electrical & Computer Engineering, UTSAURL: http://engineering.utsa.edu/~sagaian/sos.agaian@utsa.eduIEEE Central Texas SectionFall Planning MeetingFebruary, 6 2010 San Marcos, TX

2. Systems Man Cybernetics SocietyCentral Texas Chapter (San Antonio) • Chair – Sos Agaian UTSA; 210-4585939; sos.agaian@utsa.edu • Vice Chair – David Akopian UTSA; 210-4587718; david.akopian@utsa.edu • Secretary/Treasurer – David Akopian UTSA; 210-4587718; david.akopian@utsa.edu • Technical Activity Chair – Yufei Huang UTSA; 210-4586270; yufei.huang@utsa.edu

3. Chapter Updates-Lectures: Edward R. Dougherty, “The Epistemology of Systems Biology Lies in Systems Theory and Designed Experiments, Not In Data Processing and Everyday Explanation” Robert M. Kennedy '26 ChairDirector, Genomic Signal Processing Laboratory, Texas A&M UniversityDirector, Computational Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute ABSTRACT: Systems Biology can only yield scientific knowledge if it adheres to the scientific epistemology grounded on the duality of a mathematical model characterizing relations between quantifiable variables and its validation via a designed experiment. What is particular to Systems Biology, and other systems-based science and engineering disciplines, is the central role played by dynamical systems in the form of multi-dimensional random processes. Indeed, the mathematical ground, that is, the form in which the knowledge of Systems Biology must be constituted, was set down by Norbert Wiener in 1948 when he noted that he and others “had already become aware of the essential unity of the set of problems centering about communication, control, and statistical mechanics, whether in the machine or in living tissue.” Simply put, Systems Biology requires Systems Theory. Nothing has since occurred to raise any impediment to Wiener’s original insight, and much has occurred to validate it. Indeed, upon what besides Systems Theory would one expect Systems Biology to be based? Nevertheless, biological systems areas such as genomics have to a great extent ignored both modern scientific epistemology and Systems Theory, often choosing to engage in a contemporary form of Cartesianism involving ad hoc data processing and a postiori explanation.

4. Chapter Updates-Lectures: • 2. David Akopian, An Introduction to Assisted GPS Technology”, • PhD, Associate Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio. • Abstract: During recent years, location technologies have emerged as a research area with many possible applications in wireless communications, surveillance, military equipment, etc.  For example, US Federal Communication Commission Enhanced 911 (E911) Mandate seeks to provide emergency services personnel with location information that will enable them to dispatch assistance to wireless 911 callers much more quickly. Assisted GPS (A-GPS, aGPS) is an extension of the conventional Global Positioning System (GPS) which integrates wireless systems with GPS receivers for wider coverage and higher sensitivity in indoor and urban areas where GPS signals are very weak. A-GPS is supported by all cellular network standards as one of the most accurate technologies. Start-up sensitivity improves by as much as 25dB relative to conventional GPS and reduces start times to less than six seconds. The presentation will introduce A-GPS, associated communication protocols and software GPS receiver implementation aspects.

5. Lectures: 3. Reiner Creutzburg, “Forensics for Mobile Devices” Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Dept of Informatics and Media PO Box 2132 Dept. Media, P.O. D‐14737 Brandenburg Germany(creutzburg@fh‐brandenburg.de) Abstract: This presentation is an overview on computer forensics, as well as new developments in multimedia forensics. First, the standard methods and tools of computer forensics are discussed. Then, the new and emerging topic of multimedia forensics is introduced with treatment of its subareas: forensics for images, audio, video, CD and DVD, cameras, scanners and printers, cell phones, and pen digitizers. Here, the focus is on signal and image processing and sensometrics for sensor identification and tamper detection. For example, for identifying digital cameras, any photographic image can be subjected to analysis. Specific approaches for selected media examples will be discussed to show the recent advances and still open problems.

6. Lectures: 4. Prof.NasserKehtarnavaz, “Non-rigid Image Registration for Enhanced Functional Localization in Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging”, Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas Abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly being used to study altered brain activity in various brain disorders and dysfunctions. In the fMRI image processing pipeline, image registration is used in order to localize brain activity to specific anatomic brain regions for neurological brain studies. Our study of the existing registration methods, in particular those in the widely used neuroimaging software packages (AFNI, SPM, FSL), has revealed that the effect of spatial distortions in echo-planar-imaging (EPI) functional images cannot be adequately corrected by these methods. As a joint project with University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, we have thus developed a computationally-efficient deformable or non-rigid registration approach which achieves more accurate registration. Our improved registration software has been released as a software package named NPTK on the Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources Clearinghouse (NITRC) website for public use. This talk will provide an overview of image registration in the existing fMRI image processing pipeline and discusses our improved registration approach.

7. Lectures: 5. Douglas Creighton,” Innovations in Data Driven Modelling: Processes, Facilities and Infrastructure Systems” The Centre for Intelligent Systems Research, Deakin University, Australian National University Abstract: Our industry-based research into modelling of manufacturing processes, airport operations and supply chains has garnered some valuable lessons into the requirements of next generation platforms for analysis and decision making. Time critical services, such as airport baggage systems, cargo operations and passenger screening all demand efficient flows, despite the presence of process variation. Rapid, data-driven modelling techniques are well suited to the evaluation of facility changes or operating rules. Through our experience in this field, algorithms, methodologies and tools have been developed to improve data collection and analysis, model development and scenario management. By incorporating these tools with 3D visualisation of data driven models greater confidence in results is achieved. This talk will discuss accelerated simulation model development and analysis using discrete event simulation, meta-heuristics and simulation-based optimisation

8. New Business- Tutorial (3 hours) Reiner Creutzburg, “Computer and Multimedia Forensics” Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Dept of Informatics and Media PO Box 2132 Brandenburg Germany (creutzburg@fh‐brandenburg.de) Abstract: This course will present an introduction and overview on computer forensics, as well as new developments in multimedia forensics. First, the standard methods and tools of computer forensics are discussed in detail. These include: incidence response, data collection, forensic duplication, evidence handling, data analysis techniques, forensic tools, analyzing Windows systems, reporting and presentation of results, and legal issues. Then, the new and emerging topic of multimedia forensics is introduced with treatment of its subareas: forensics for images, audio, video, CD and DVD, cameras, scanners and printers, cell phones, and pen digitizers. Here, the focus is on signal and image processing and sensometrics for sensor identification and tamper detection. For example, for identifying digital cameras, any photographic image can be subjected to analysis. General fundamentals will be introduced and specific approaches for selected media examples of image, audio, video, CD, DVD, cell phone data and digital handwritten documents will be discussed to show the recent advances and still open problems

9. New Business- Tutorial (8 hours)IEEE SMC 2009 Sos Agaian & Philip Chen ,” Multimedia Security Systems “ Abstract: The issue of multimedia data security is becoming increasingly vital as civilization moves closer and closer toward the information age. Creation, editing, distribution, and storage of digital multimedia data, such as images, audio, video, and text, have become the major tasks of today’s computerized systems (cell phones, PDAs, etc.) along with the continuous availability of Internet, and will continue to be the major driving strength to the system research and communications in the future. Current advances, in the digital multimedia processing community, have introduced a wide range of security aspects on the topics of confidential data transmission and storage, user identification, and authentication. This course will present an overview of the theory and the integrated applications in the secure communication and information systems. The three main objectives of this course are: To gain knowledge of the multimedia data system representations; To ensure security and the integrity of the vital multimedia data through the concepts of cryptographic and digital data hiding (steganographic, watermarking) techniques; To utilize these concepts in the real time applications.

10. Others: SMCS Annual Conference IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics SMC 2009,San Antonio, TX USA Oct. 11-14 Philp Chen: Chair of the conf. Sos Agaian: Registration Chair David Akopian: Local Chair

11. Chapter Plans / Issues • 2-4 invited lectures • General Meeting

12. QUESTIONS ? ? ?Thankscontact InformationSos Agaiansos.agaian@utsa.edu