The present study proposes two alternate model structures to represent exponentially damped sinusoids and proposes a novel method of estimating the parameters of the damped sinusoids by combining Hankel singular value decomposition (HSVD) with the extended complex Kalman filter (ECKF). The ECKF is capable of estimating the parameters and can effectively track the variations of damping constants and frequencies. However, the performance of ECKF has been found to be very sensitive to initial state estimates when one of the proposed model (called model-1) is used for representing the signal. Some of the existing methods of damped signal estimation including HSVD, which belong to the class of batch processing algorithms, are not sensitive to initial conditions. However, these are unsuitable for tracking variations of signal parameters. The proposed algorithm, therefore, uses HSVD to accurately estimate the initial states from few samples of the signal. These estimates are subsequently being used by ECKF to eliminate its sensitivity to initial conditions. The structure of Model-1 is further modified to yield another model structure (called Model-2) to represent the damped signal. The parameters of the damped signal were estimated under variety of noisy conditions by ECKF using both Model-1 & 2. Their effectiveness were compared by computing the the variances of estimates and comparing those with Cramer-Rao (CR) bound. Results of estimation show that Model-2 is more efficient compared to Model-1 and ECKF is capable of accurately tracking the variations in signal parameters.


Chromatography is widely used in biotherapeutics manufacturing, and the corresponding underlying mechanisms are well understood. To enable process control and automation, spectroscopic techniques are very convenient as on-line sensors, but their application is often limited by their sensitivity. In this work, we investigate the implementation of Raman spectroscopy to monitor monoclonal antibody (mAb) breakthrough (BT) curves in chromatographic operations with a low titer harvest. A state estimation procedure is developed by combining information coming from a lumped kinetic model (LKM) and a Raman analyzer in the frame of an extended Kalman filter approach (EKF). A comparison with suitable experimental data shows that this approach allows for the obtainment of reliable estimates of antibody concentrations with reduced noise and increased robustness.


Abstract
 The objective of this study was to determine the influence of supplementations with 3.5 or 7.5 mg dihydroquercetin (experimental groups D1 and D2) or with 0.255 or 0.545 g dry distilled rose petals (experimental groups R1 and R2)/kg/d added as to pig's combined feed on the parameters of lipolysis expressed by acid value; lipid hydroperoxides expressed by peroxide value, lipid oxidation secondary products expressed by 2-tiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), pH and L*, a*, b* colour characteristics in m. Longissimus lumborum et thoracis, m. Semimembranosus, backfat and leaf fat stored 24 h and 7d at 2±1°C, or 315 d at -18±1°C. A total of 120 pigs were randomly divided to five groups - a control (C) and four experimental (D1, D2, R1 and R2) each fed 45 d prior to harvest with shown above levels of phytonutrients enriched diets. More pronounced effects were determined (P ≤ 0.05) at frozen storage compared to chilled storage. The oxidative and colour stabilities of chilled (2±1°C) and frozen (-18°C) pork are comparatively higher when pig's diet was supplemented with 3.5 mg dihydroquercetin or 0.255 g dry distilled rose petals/kg/d. The conclusion was made can the supplementation of pig's combined feed (finisher) with 3.5 mg dihydroquercetin or 0.255 g dry distilled rose petals/kg/d is a promising strategy to increase the oxidative stability of lean pork or fat and stabilized pork meat colour without deleterious changes of meat acidity.


It is a major question in archaeology and anthropology whether human populations started to grow primarily after the advent of agriculture, i.e., the Neolithic time, especially in East Asia, which was one of the centers of ancient agricultural civilization. To answer this question requires an accurate estimation of the time of lineage expansion as well as that of population expansion in a population sample without ascertainment bias. In this study, we analyzed all available mtDNA genomes of East Asians ascertained by random sampling, a total of 367 complete mtDNA sequences generated by the 1000 Genome Project, including 249 Chinese (CHB, CHD, and CHS) and 118 Japanese (JPT). We found that major mtDNA lineages underwent expansions, all of which, except for two JPT-specific lineages, including D4, D4b2b, D4a, D4j, D5a2a, A, N9a, F1a1'4, F2, B4, B4a, G2a1 and M7b1'2'4, occurred before 10 kya, i.e., before the Neolithic time (symbolized by Dadiwan Culture at 7.9 kya) in East Asia. Consistent to this observation, the further analysis showed that the population expansion in East Asia started at 13 kya and lasted until 4 kya. The results suggest that the population growth in East Asia constituted a need for the introduction of agriculture and might be one of the driving forces that led to the further development of agriculture.


An experiment is presented which tested the variability of practice hypothesis of Schmidt's (1975) schema theory. Children served as subjects and a complex motor task was used. The results supported the variability of practice hypothesis in that the group that had more variable practice did perform better on the average on a novel variation of the task than did the group with less variable practice. There was no support for the suggestion that variability of practice would increase the rate of improvement on the novel variation. The results are discussed in relation to the differential importance of the four subcomponents of the schema in its development.


ABSTRACT Introduction: The accurate discrimination of another person's eye-gaze direction is vital as it provides a cue to the gazer's focus of attention, which in turn supports joint attention. Patients with schizophrenia have shown a "direct gaze bias" when judging gaze direction. However, current tasks do not dissociate an early perceptual bias from high-level top-down effects. We investigated early stages of gaze processing in schizophrenia by measuring perceptual sensitivity to fine deviations in gaze direction (i.e., the cone of direct gaze: CoDG) and ability to reflexively orient to locations cued by the same deviations. Methods: Twenty-four patients and 26 controls completed a CoDG discrimination task that used realistic direct-face images with six fine degrees of deviation (i.e., 3, 6 or 9 pixels to the left and right) and direct gaze, and a gaze cueing task that assessed reflexive orienting to the same fine-grained deviations. Results: Our data showed patients exhibited no impairment in gaze discrimination, nor did we observe a reduced orienting response. Conclusions: These results suggest that while patients may suffer deficits associated with interpreting another person's gaze, the earliest processes concerned with detecting averted gaze and reflexively orienting to the gazed-at location are intact.


Self-adjusting computation enables writing programs that can automatically and efficiently respond to changes to their data (e.g., inputs). The idea behind the approach is to store all data that can change over time in modifiable references and to let computations construct traces that can drive change propagation. After changes have occurred, change propagation updates the result of the computation by re-evaluating only those expressions that depend on the changed data. Previous approaches to self-adjusting computation require that modifiable references be written at most once during execution---this makes the model applicable only in a purely functional setting.
 In this paper, we present techniques for imperative self-adjusting computation where modifiable references can be written multiple times. We define a language SAIL (Self-Adjusting Imperative Language) and prove consistency, i.e., that change propagation and from-scratch execution are observationally equivalent. Since SAIL programs are imperative, they can create cyclic data structures. To prove equivalence in the presence of cycles in the store, we formulate and use an untyped, step-indexed logical relation, where step indices are used to ensure well-foundedness. We show that SAIL accepts an asymptotically efficient implementation by presenting algorithms and data structures for its implementation. When the number of operations (reads and writes) per modifiable is bounded by a constant, we show that change propagation becomes as efficient as in the non-imperative case. The general case incurs a slowdown that is logarithmic in the maximum number of such operations. We describe a prototype implementation of SAIL as a Standard ML library.


Plethyzmography in assessment of hemodynamic results of pacemaker functions programming The paper presents potential role of plethyzmography in optimization of heart hemodynamic function during pacemaker programming. The assessment of optimal stroke volume in patients, with implanted dual chamber pacemaker (DDD), by plethyzmography was a goal of the study. The data were collected during pacing rhythm. 20 patients (8 female and 12 male, average 77.4+/-4.6 years) with dual chamber pacemaker (DDD) and with pacing rhythm during routine pacemaker control and study tests were incorporated in the study group. Hemodynamic parameters were assessed during modification of atrio-ventricular delay (AVD) for pacing rhythm of 70 bpm and 90 bpm. The time of atrioventricular was programmed with 20 ms steps within range 100-200 ms and data were recorded with two minutes delay between two consecutive measurements. Stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) were calculated from plethyzmographic signal by using Beatscope software (TNO Holand). Highest SV calculated for given pacing rhythm was named optimal stroke volume (OSV) and consequently highest cardiac output was named maximal cardiac output (MCO). The time of atrio-ventricular delay for OSV was named optimal atrioventricular delay (OAVD). The results have showed: mean values of OAVD for 70 bpm - 152+/-33 ms and for 90 bpm -149+/-35 ms, shortening of the mean OAVD time caused by increase of pacing rate from 70 bpm to 90 bpm what resulted in statistically significant decrease of OSV with not statistically significant increase of MCO. The analysis of consecutive patients revealed three types of response to increase of pacing rhythm: 1. typical-shortening of OAVD, 2. neutral-no change of OAVD and 3.atypical-lengthening of OAVD.


On the basis of a clinico-morphological analysis of 50 cases with acute respiratory viral infections, developing clinically with brain symptoms, the authors distinguish 2 main factors, influencing their development. The main factors consist in a evicious circles of respiratory disorders which causes the appearance of toxico-hypoxic encephalopathy. Encephalitis of an immuno-allergic nature are seen less frequently and may appear soon after acute respiratory viral infections. Histologically there are 2 forms of allergic encephalitis: 1) with perivascular lymphocyte infiltration and 2) hemorrhagical. The second form differs clinically from the first by apoplectic-like development with a coma and rapid short course. Both forms of poctinfluenza allergic encephalitis differ from encephalopathy in the fact that they develop not during the crucial phase of acute respiratory infection, but follow 1-2 weeks. The morphological differences of hemmorrhagical forms of poctinfluenza allergic encephalitis from from encephalopathy are characterized by intensive perivascular hemorrhages with a tendency towards their fusion; by changes in the vascular walls; by an appearance of small foci of colliquative necrosis and demyelinization.


Automated deception detection (ADD) from real-life videos is a challenging task. It specifically needs to address two problems: (1) Both face and body contain useful cues regarding whether a subject is deceptive. How to effectively fuse the two is thus key to the effectiveness of an ADD model. (2) Real-life deceptive samples are hard to collect; learning with limited training data thus challenges most deep learning based ADD models. In this work, both problems are addressed. Specifically, for face-body multimodal learning, a novel face-focused cross-stream network (FFCSN) is proposed. It differs significantly from the popular two-stream networks in that: (a) face detection is added into the spatial stream to capture the facial expressions explicitly, and (b) correlation learning is performed across the spatial and temporal streams for joint deep feature learning across both face and body. To address the training data scarcity problem, our FFCSN model is trained with both meta learning and adversarial learning. Extensive experiments show that our FFCSN model achieves state-of-the-art results. Further, the proposed FFCSN model as well as its robust training strategy are shown to be generally applicable to other human-centric video analysis tasks such as emotion recognition from user-generated videos.


Earthwork is an important content in engineering construction. This paper explores a scientific method of earthwork calculation, designs and develops corresponding software which accurately calculates the earthwork, effectively reduces engineering investment and budget deviation. It mainly studies the three-dimensional model building by the complex form through two period observations. The model building methodology mainly adopts the elevation of two period observation data`s mutual insertion to establish the two period superposition triangle net. And then getting the method of calculating tri-prism volume formed by triangular. This method, the volume calculation principle is simple, high precision, and the design of the special software system is based on the above method. At present, the software system applies in the engineering, and it has computational fast, convenient, results accuracy and reliable etc., advantages.


Abstract Context. Increasing forest fragmentation and degradation has forced wildlife to live in close proximity to humans, increasing the chances of human–wildlife conflict. Leopard (Panthera pardus) typifies the problem faced by large carnivores. It is a threatened species with a wide distribution, with a large part of their range outside protected areas, leaving them vulnerable to human–leopard conflict. Understanding their status and diet in such non-protected forests is necessary for their long-term conservation. Aims. The present study aimed to estimate leopard density and assess their diet in a non-protected forest. Methods. A camera-trapping survey was carried out in the Kamdi forest corridor outside of protected areas, covering 791.29 km2 in the western part of Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) in Nepal. Leopard density was estimated based on the photographs obtained in camera traps, using Bayesian Explicit Capture–recapture (B-SECR) models. Scats of leopards were opportunistically collected (n = 60) and their diet analysed through micro-histological characters of hair remains. The frequency of occurrence and relative biomass of different prey species consumed by leopard was calculated. Key results. Leopard density was estimated to be 1.50 (± 0.49 s.e.) 100 km−2 in the survey area. Similarly, we identified 13 prey species in the leopard scats. Wild prey contributed the majority (67.8%) of leopard diet, including 23.2% of wild boar (Sus scrofa) and 18.3% of spotted deer (Axis axis). Nearly one-third of leopard diet consists of domestic livestock (cattle, goat, sheep) and dog. Conclusions. Leopard density was found to be relatively low in the forest corridor compared with protected areas. Nearly one-third of leopard diet from domestic livestock and dogs suggests that human–leopard conflict could be problematic in the survey area. Implications. Increasing prey density in the forest corridor and improving livestock husbandry in the periphery will contribute to increase leopard density, reduce the human–leopard conflict and enhance the functionality of the corridor.


Coccidioides immitis, the causative agent of San Joaquin Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis), produces a urease which has been suggested to contribute to the virulence of this fungal pathogen. Urease catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea and has been proposed to at least partly account for alkalinity of the microenvironment in which C. immitis grows due to the release of ammonia and ammonium ions. The C. immitis urease was purified to homogeneity (1048-fold) from the mycelial cytosol by chromatographic fractionation. The sequence of 12 N-terminal amino-acid residues of the purified, native polypeptide was identical to that predicted by the translated urease gene sequence which has been reported. The isolated enzyme exhibited a specific activity in the presence of urea of 1750 micromol min(-1) mg(-1) protein, has a native molecular mass of 450 kDa, revealed a Km for urea of 4.1 mM, had a pH optimum of 8.0 and is heat stable. Hydroxyurea, acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) and boric acid each inhibited activity of the purified enzyme. Urease activity was enhanced by the presence of 5-10 mM concentrations of Mg2+ or Mn2+, but inhibited by Li+, Ni2+, Cu2+ or Zn2+. The reversible urease inhibitor, AHA, blocked enzyme activity in the crude mycelial cytosolic fraction when added at a concentration of 10 mM. On the other hand, 10 mM AHA added to 4-day-old mycelial cultures only partially decreased the amount of ammonium detected in the culture medium. It is evident, therefore, that C. immitis urease activity does not account for the total amount of ammonia secreted during in vitro growth of the pathogen. Other metabolic sources of ammonia, which may also contribute to the virulence of C. immitis, are under investigation.


This study tests the consistency of the Nigerian Stock Market with the efficient market hypothesis (EMH) in the semi-strong form using bonus issues as the information generating event. Using daily data, a total of 121 bonus issues were observed and examined for the period 2002-2006. The stocks which were tested were classified according to the size of their bonus issues and also according to the price of the stock to know the impact of information released on the price of different categories of stock. Using the event study methodology, the market and the market adjusted models as well as the vector auto regression models, the study discovered that information release impacts significantly only in the year 2002. Also, it reveals that small bonus issues responded speedily to bonus issues more than medium and large bonus issues. In addition, the test between penny stocks and blue chips shows that only penny stocks were significantly affected.


Imagine two presidents. The first campaigned on an issue that requires him to expand the role of the federal government — maybe it was civil rights legislation or stricter sentencing for federal criminals. In contrast, the second president pushes policies — financial deregulation, perhaps, or drug decriminalization — that mean less government involvement. Each is elected in a decisive fashion, and each claims a mandate to advance his agenda. The remaining question is what steps each must take to achieve his goals.The answer is clear, and it is surprising. To implement his preferred policies, the first president faces the full gauntlet of checks and balances — from the formal requirements of bicameralism and presentment to the modern congressional vetogates. And yet the president aiming to govern by inaction faces virtually none. Instead, to get the federal government out of a particular issue, the second president needs only to ensure that existing laws are not implemented. Critically, he can achieve this goal without the help of Congress or the courts; he can simply direct his executive agencies accordingly.It wasn't supposed to be this way. James Madison famously articulated a functional account of our governmental structure that would use overlapping authority to prevent any single branch from unilaterally making policy. No doubt Madison and the other Federalists had in mind runaway action; after all, the principal concern in Madison's day was a Congress run amok. But the core principle at play admits of no such restriction. In the modern administrative state, the president's refusal to enforce duly enacted statutes — what we call "presidential inaction" — will often dictate national policy but will receive virtually none of Madison's checks and balances. This asymmetry between action and inaction cannot be justified if we are to remain faithful to the notion that interbranch competition is the core virtue of our constitutional regime.Yet the stakes are even greater than a need to update our theory of the separation of powers. Unchecked inaction fuels an imbalanced political structure that endows the modern executive with more power to change the scope of government than the Framers — or even the architects of the New Deal — ever imagined. This imbalance amounts to a thumb on the scale, allowing presidents to abandon unilaterally the governmental functions to which they are opposed. In other words, it creates a structural bias against government intervention. The separation of powers is, of course, intended to create friction, to make it difficult to pass legislation. We consider this a feature of our system, not a bug. But once legislation is enacted, the president is obligated to enforce it. Put simply, if the president does not want to enforce a law, he must advocate for its repeal. He may not simply ignore it.The relative institutional capacities of the various players make the solution clear: our approach would call on Congress to assume the role of robust adversary to the president, a role it can serve far better than the courts. Moreover, examining interbranch relations with inaction in mind would offer new insights on old problems, from statutory interpretation to federalism.


Forest land-use changes have long been suggested to profoundly affect soil microbial communities. However, how forest type conversion influences soil microbial properties remains unclear in Tibetan boreal forests. The aim of this study was to explore variations of soil microbial profiles in the surface organic layer and subsurface mineral soil among three contrasting forests (natural coniferous forest, NF; secondary birch forest, SF and spruce plantation, PT). Soil microbial biomass, activity and community structure of the two layers were investigated by chloroform fumigation, substrate respiration and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), respectively. In the organic layer, both NF and SF exhibited higher soil nutrient levels (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus), microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, microbial respiration, PLFA contents as compared to PT. However, the measured parameters in the mineral soils often did not differ following forest type conversion. Irrespective of forest types, the microbial indexes generally were greater in the organic layer than in the mineral soil. PLFAs biomarkers were significantly correlated with soil substrate pools. Taken together, forest land-use change remarkably altered microbial community in the organic layer but often did not affect them in the mineral soil. The microbial responses to forest land-use change depend on soil layer, with organic horizons being more sensitive to forest conversion.


It is a complex optimization system to elevator group control system(EGCS) with multi-objective,stochastic and nonlinear characteristics.It is hard to describe EGCS with exact mathematic model and to increase the capability of the system with traditional control method.The fuzzy control technology and neural network technology are combined in this paper and a dispatching method applied to various passenger traffic conditions is proposed.The comprehensive evaluation function of traffic signal is established and the right heavy of every evaluation factor(waiting time,riding time,energy consume,crowd degree) is studied by the neural network,so the elevator is dispatched optimally.The result of simulation shows that this method realizes reasonable elevator dispatching under various passenger traffic conditions and indicates the validity of this method.


Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) is a promising approach to produce a near net-shape product of intricate geometry with cost-effective production. To date, numerous studies have been done on implementing MIM to manufacture products for biomedical applications by employing Titanium and its alloy as a main subject.
Titanium and its alloys are renowned materials with their biocompatibility, good mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance. This study was aimed to fabricate porous Ti-6A1-4V structure through MIM technique using palm stearin (PS) binder
system. Titanium alloy powder (Ti-6A1-4V) was used to mix with sodium chloride (NaCl) as a space holder and binder components that consists of palm stearin (PS) as a primary binder and polyethylene (PE) as a backbone binder. Four different powder
loadings were prepared in this study; 63, 64, 65 and 66 vol.% based on critical powder volume percentage (CPVP) experiment. The homogeneity and flowability of the feedstock were evaluated via torque rheometry data, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and rheological characterization. Then, all feedstocks were injected in a cylindrical bar and tensile bar mould except 66 vol.% feedstock due to unstable rheological behaviour. All moulded specimens were then immersed in heptane and distilled water to remove PS and NaCl respectively. Thermal debinding
process took place to remove PE in a high vacuum furnace before it was immediately sintered in the same atmosphere. Temperature of thermal debinding and sintering was set to 510°C and 1200°C where heating rate of thermal debinding and sintering was set to 0.5°C/min and 10°C/min respectively with 1 hour of soaking time. All tensile bar specimens were successfully sintered. However, sintering of cylindrical bar mould specimens was unsuccessful due to inappropriate sample geometry and inhomogeneity of moulded specimens. The characterization of physical properties,mechanical properties and microstructure of the as-sintered parts was performed The average porosity percentage for 63, 64 and 65 vol.% was 43.18, 37.02 and 35.15% and most of
the pores were interconnected each other. As expected, high powder loading specimens (65 vol.%) has higher viscosity, strength, density and hardness compared to low powder loading specimens (64 vol.% and 63 vol.%). The elastic modulus of compressive strength and tensile strength for 65 vol.% specimens was 3.362 ± 2.62 GPa and 9.35 ± 2.62 GPa respectively. The (a+P) phase was observed under optical microscope for all sintered specimens has verified that the as-sintered specimens have similar phase with Ti-6A1-4V phase. Overall, porous Ti-6A1-4V structure was successfully fabricated via MIM technique using PS as the binder system and NaCl as the space holder.


Equipment is described for mirror and open tube direct laryngoscopic photography. It consists of specially constructed reflex camera systems that provide adequate exposure and depth of the desired field, sharpness of focus, correct color and effective composition for meaningful illustrations. The separate cameras for still and motion pictures consist of units that contain the light source, lenses, optic reflex systems and film chambers. The mirrors for indirect laryngoscopy and the open tube direct laryngoscopes are attached by rigid, easily released clamps for quick interchange. It is stressed that the laryngologist himself must be the photographer. The pictures are adjuncts to case recording, are supportive evidence of investigative work and may be used as chronologic sequences in study of physiology and pathology and in pre‐ and postoperative evaluation.


The nano-antimony particles with different shape, size and stability are prepared by electrochemical method under the dilute hydrochloric acid electrolyte including the surface dispersant OP-10 and different current densities. The influences of current density on the shape and size of nanometer antimony particles prepared by electrochemical method are analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results show that nano-antimony powder can be prepared by electrochemical method, and the antimony powder possesses the crystal structure with orthorhombic hexahedron. The current density has a significant impact on the agglomeration, shape and size of antimony powder. The size and shape of antimony powder are determined by the nucleation rate of nano-antimony and combination capacity of antimony ions and OP-10 surface dispersing agents affected by current density. When the current density is 25mA/cm2, the average particle size is 12nm or so, the shape is spherical, and the nano-antimony particles are well dispersed and no agglomeration.


Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction is a syndrome of massive dilation of the colon without mechanical obstruction that develops in hospitalized patients with serious underlying medical and surgical conditions. Increasing age, cecal diameter, delay in decompression, and status of the bowel significantly influence mortality, which is approximately 40% when ischemia or perforation is present. Evaluation of the markedly distended colon in the intensive care unit setting involves excluding mechanical obstruction and other causes of toxic megacolon such as Clostridium difficile infection, and assessing for signs of ischemia and perforation. The risk of colonic perforation in acute colonic pseudo-obstruction increases when cecal diameter exceeds 12 cm and when the distention has been present for greater than 6 days. Appropriate management includes supportive therapy and selective use of neostigmine and colonoscopy for decompression. Early recognition and management are critical in minimizing complications.


A time series analysis can help to observe the behavior of the system and specify the system faults. In addition, it also helps to explain the various energy flows in the system and further aid in reducing the thermodynamic losses. The intelligent supervisory LabVIEW software can monitor the incoming data from the system by using Arduino microcontroller and calculates the important parameters. Energy, exergy, and anergy analysis present in this paper to investigate the system performance as well as its components. To accomplish this, a 4-ton vertical split air conditioner based on vapor compression refrigeration cycle charged with refrigerant R-22 was modified for experimental analysis. The results showed that during 5400 secs of experimental study, the system shut down once by the software for 5 min. The volumetric and isentropic efficiencies of the compressor were 79.85 % and 64.48 % respectively. The maximum entropy generation was due to the compressor of 3.4 W/K while the maximum anergy was due to the condenser of 1.39 kW. The exergy efficiencies of the compressor, condenser, and the evaporator were 73.57, 40.18, and 47.45 % respectively. The system and Carnot COP were 2.53 and 4.9 respectively. The exergy efficiency of the air conditioning system was 48.7 %.


High energy physics experiments in KEK/Japan rush into over kHz trigger stage. Thus, we need a successor of the data acquisition(DAQ) system that replaces the CAMAC or FASTBUS systems. To meet these needs, we have developed a widely usable high-density DAQ system which includes a crate, base-board, daughter cards for front-end A/D or T/D conversion, and back-end communication base-board for data transfer and timing control. The size of the crate is for the 9U Euro-cards with the standard VME32 bus and extension connectors for power supply. The base-board comprises of a local bus with the sequencer connected to the front-end daughter cards via event buffering FIFOs, and the standard PMC (PCI mezzanine card) bus to be set a PMC processor unit to reduce data size from the front-end daughter cards. A data transfer module, which is connected to the event building system, and a trigger control unit, which communicates with the central timing controller are installed on the back-end communication card connected to the rear end of the base-board. We describe the design of this DAQ system and evaluate the performance of it.


Considering that international development cooperation is a political field whose main philosophical tenets (the belief in progress, hope as endeavor or policy imperative, the development goal) bring about relationships of asymmetry, hierarchy and dependence, this article presents and discusses the results of an empirical research conducted in Duque de Caxias between September 2010 and January 2012 in order to answer two major questions: what do practices of international agencies currently active in Duque de Caxias reveal in political and institutional terms? What does the local context of this municipality situated in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro illustrate about the trends analyzed by the more critical literature on the role of development cooperation agencies? Building upon the work of critical analyses of international agencies' political role (such as B. Cooke, W. Easterley, A. Escobar, T. Hayter or G. Rist), this qualitative research describes and analyzes modes of action of these agencies, be they bilateral or multilateral governmental organizations, private foundations, charitable organizations or voluntary associations in the definition and implementation of development strategies in Duque de Caxias. This article concludes that international agencies seldom act at the city level, limiting themselves to participation in the design of specific development projects and exercise of their power to influence public policy agendas at the local level.


In modern era transistor size is becoming too small, currently it is 20 nanometer and still to decrease in near future. Thus, silicon chips are more capable to accommodate large number of logical nodes on it and also for making complex integrated circuit (IC). As the complexity of the circuit increases partial scan becomes more vulnerable for low test coverage and high computational requirement. Presently there are no specific methods or guidelines which exactly instruct the conversion of scannable flops to non scannable flops. So Increasing complexity of IC"s has forced the industry to abandon partial scan, which necessitates a computationally demanding and unaffordable sequential ATPG, and rather to adopt full scan despite its costs. Full scan provides high test coverage but it has several draw backs like it increases the cost of scan, increases the area overhead, decreases design performance, increases power consumption of circuit, increases delay in the circuit. In this paper a modified Testcube analysis algorithm which enables the tester to use partial scan with high test coverage is proposed. The Proposed modified Testcube analysis algorithm specifies a method to select certain number of flops which can be excluded from the scan process and to reduce the area complexity of the design. The selection of flop which can be converted to non scannable flop is based on the justification of block of that flop. The justification block is decided by the finding the maximum length path
between the flop and its associated driving flops. After getting the justification block, its relative dependency graph is generated for each scan chain and the flops which are having minimum dependency in the graph, which are selected as convertible flops.


Background Warfarin (Coumadin) is the most commonly used vitamin K antagonist, a drug with a narrow therapeutic range. One suspension exists but is available for adults only and with special authorisation in some countries. The absence of a paediatric formulation means the pharmacist has to produce a magistral preparation. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the stability of warfarin oral suspension in Syrspend in order to establish a shelf-life for the preparation after manufacturing. Material and methods 6 oral suspensions were prepared, using coumadine 5 mg tablets and Syrspend SF-PH4, packaged in amber vials, to protect from light, and stored at room temperature (3 batches) or at +2°C and +8°C (3 batches). Several parameters were studied on different days (0, 1, 3, 6, 10, 14, 23 and 44 (n=7)): physical stability (visual inspection, osmolality measurements) and chemical stability (pH measurement, concentrations were analysed by liquid chromatography-high resolution-UV detection (HPLC-UV) with an AT3 column, 5 µm, 4.6×150 mm). Degradation products were revealed with acid and alcalin hydrolysis (degradation over 1 hour and 16 hours). Microbiological stability was tested using colony counts on media platings. Results After 44 days, no variation in pH or osmolality was observed. Once again, the microbiological cultures were negative. Visual inspection showed viscosity increased after 10 days. Also, concentrations were the same until 44 days and no degradation products were observed in the 6 batches. Conclusion This study showed that 1 mg/mL warfarin oral suspension in Syrspend at room temperature, was stable for at least 44 days, so we can fix the shelf-life at 44 days. A study is in progress to determine stability at 60 days. No conflict of interest


We conducted small-scale explosion experiments to determine the azimuth angle characteristics of the blast wave from an underground magazine model inside a cover model and discuss its difference in cases with and without a dike model. The magazine comprised a cylindrical steel pipe with one end closed by a fixing jig, and the ratio of the length to the inner diameter was 3. The overpressures of the blast wave were measured using piezoelectric pressure sensors that were placed in twelve locations on the steel plate. The magazine and the cover models were set on a rotary table that changed the azimuth angles of the magazine exit and the pressure sensors between 0 and 180°in intervals of 10°. A series of explosion experiments provided the azimuth angle characteristics of the blast wave from the exit. The increment of the azimuth angle induces a reduction in the peak overpressure. In the present study, we observed two additional phenomena that changed blast wave strength. One was the local geometrical irregularity of the cover model that enhanced the blast wave behind the magazine. The other was the reflection and the diffraction of the blast wave at the dike that enhanced and attenuated the blast wave. We propose an empirical formula that includes the above effects, which can properly estimate the azimuth angle characteristics of a blast wave. The results demonstrate the applicability of the azimuth angle characteristics around an underground magazine.


This study was designed to determine if hyperglucagonemia approximating that believed to be present in the portal vein of poorly controlled diabetics can exert metabollcally deleterious effects in insulin-treated diabetics. Three juvenile-type diabetics and one maturity-onset-type patient were given glucagon intravenously at a dose of 6 ng./kg./min. for 24 hours while receiving a continuous infusion of Insulin. This raised their plasma IRG levels from an average of 122 ± 15 pg./ml. on the control day to 594 ± 60 pg./ml. Mean plasma glucose concentration, measured at two-hour intervals around the clock, averaged 200 ± 20 mg./dl. on the control day and increased significantly in all four patients to 293 ± 18 mg./dl. (p < 0.05) during glucagon administration; fasting glucose rose from 138 ± 10 mg./dl. to 201 ± 17 (p < 0.05). Glucose excretion rose significantly from the control value of 36 ± 14 gm. per 24 hours to 152 ± 19 gm. per 24 hours (p < 0.05). The excretion of both urea nitrogen and ketones also increased significantly (p < 0.05) during glucagon administration. The three juvenile-diabetic patients also received a glucagon infusion at a rate of only 3 ng./kg./min., and in each evidence of deterioration in metabolic control was observed. In every experiment, termination of the glucagon infusion was followed by a recession in the metabolic abnormalities. These data indicate that exogenous hyperglucagonemia of the magnitude believed to be present in the portai vein of uncontrolled diabetics can cause metabolic deterioration in diabetics receiving continuous insulin treatment.


The present study is concerned with how to develop improved quality yogurt in terms of texture, flavor, food value and low cost. Natural flora and traditional flavor in yogurt of indigenous varieties have been continuously changing due to the introduction of imported commercial starter cultures. Because of the necessity to preserve our natural starter cultures and to increase the availability of them for industrial use, these cultures must be isolated from artisanal yogurts, genetically characterized and investigated regarding their desirable properties for commercial use in yogurt production. The aim of this project was to select and isolate the better strains of Lactobacillus (starters) from the locally available yogurt (both branded and non-branded) found in Dhaka, Bangladesh to optimize the yogurt production with an improved quality. Total of 19 different yogurt samples were purchased from different places for this study. Each isolated organism was used individually to produce yogurt and later better starter cultures were selected and combined to find any new or improved quality yogurt. Changes of pH and total titratable acidity were monitored and the viability of probiotic bacteria was evaluated during and after refrigerated storage. One of the most important sensorial attributes for yogurt is texture, which was assessed by sensory analysis. Therefore, chemical, physical, microbial and organoleptic analyses for samples were conducted at predetermined days. It was found yogurt isolates have potential to be used in dairy industry in terms of their high technological and organoleptic characteristics.


To provide asymmetric propagation of light, we propose a graded index photonic crystal (GRIN PC) based waveguide configuration that is formed by introducing line and point defects as well as intentional perturbations inside the structure. The designed system utilizes isotropic materials and is purely reciprocal, linear, and time-independent, since neither magneto-optical materials are used nor time-reversal symmetry is broken. The numerical results show that the proposed scheme based on the spatial-inversion symmetry breaking has different forward (with a peak value of 49.8%) and backward transmissions (4.11% at most) as well as relatively small round-trip transmission (at most 7.11%) in a large operational bandwidth of 52.6 nm. The signal contrast ratio of the designed configuration is above 0.80 in the telecom wavelengths of 1523.5–1576.1 nm. An experimental measurement is also conducted in the microwave regime: A strong asymmetric propagation characteristic is observed within the frequency interval of 12.8 GHz–13.3 GHz. The numerical and experimental results confirm the asymmetric transmission behavior of the proposed GRIN PC waveguide.


International expansion of forest certification programs has occurred over the last three decades. Both public and private organizations have shown increased interest in becoming certified by one or more forest certification bodies, to assure the public that forest resources are managed adequately in sustaining forest health and socio-economic viability. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) program is globally used as a benchmark to implement forest certification at the national and regional levels. The Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) are also used throughout the United States. In Europe, individual countries such as Bulgaria and Turkey have also developed national forest certification programs. The SFI, ATFS and Bulgarian programs are further endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The results of a qualitative analysis comparing the FSC forest certification program with the SFI, the ATFS, and the two European national programs (Bulgarian and Turkish) suggest that differences in these programs are not necessarily related to their language, but to the level of detail and prescriptiveness of each program. We find that the FSC is much more detailed and prescriptive in nearly all aspects considered for forest certification. In particular, we find that most of the elements considered in the FSC Principle 6 (Environmental Impact) are either only superficial, or not addressed at all, in the other four programs. Furthermore, the other programs appear to be less comprehensive and detailed in the substance of the FSC monitoring and assessment principles. In a few areas, the Turkish program requires more quantitative indicators for assessing forest management than the other programs. Though a comparison of the legal framework related to forest management in each of the studied countries was briefly introduced, our study focuses on the certification schemes themselves; it may contribute to policy discussions in the future development and implementation of other certification programs.


This paper extends a recently-developed path planning method to account for plume impingement, which is a key concern for on-orbit rendezvous and formation flying spacecraft. The approach designs fueloptimal trajectories for multiple vehicles using a combination of linear and integer programming. The vehicles are required to move from an initial dynamic state to a final state without colliding with each other or firing the thrusters in a way that would hit another vehicle. This problem is written as a linear program with mixed integer/linear constraints that prohibit collisions and plume impingements. A key benefit of this approach is that the problem can be readily solved using the AMPL language and CPLEX optimization software with a Matlab interface. Examples are given of this method applied to satellite cluster reconfiguration, ISS remote camera maneuvering and ground vehicle guidance. l


The wage system reform of public sectors has always been an important part of the income distribution system reform in China, and also a hot issue concerned by the whole society. At present, governments all over the world have realized the strategic significance of wage level for the construction of public officials and the improvement of government organization function. The 19th National Congress of the Party opened the curtain of a new round of the comprehensive reform in China. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in the Report of the 19th National Congress: "Adhere to the principle of distribution according to work, improve the system and mechanism of distribution according to factors, and promote more reasonable and orderly distribution of income." In this context, based on China's national conditions, how to scientifically evaluate and promote the wage system reform, especially the reform of low wage level in public sectors, to adapt to the development of China's market economy system, has become the top priority of the new round of reform.Based on the detailed micro data, this paper uses the scientific analysis framework to verify the fact that the wage level of public sectors in China is relatively low, and analyzes the reasons in depth, giving the ideas of the future wage reform of public sectors in China. Specifically, we use the 2010 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS)to build a model of income determination. After controlling a series of individual and regional characteristics, we find that compared with state-owned sectors, private sectors or public institutions, the wage level of public sectors is 10%-16% lower. The research shows that the wage difference between public sectors and other sectors cannot be fully explained by the "compensation effect" of insurance, subsidy, other income, job satisfaction, social status and other factors. We further regard public institutions as the ideal control group of public sectors, and find that the hypothesis of family division of labor and low consumption cannot be verified. Under the assumption of labor market clearing, we estimate the reasonable adjustment range of the wage reform in public sectors. This paper provides a new framework for the study of the wage reform in public sectors, and reveals the new characteristics of inter-sector income distribution, which is conducive to further promoting the market-oriented reform of wage level.


This paper presents an investigation into the offshore dynamics of shelf sediments transported northward along the East coast of Australia. Dominant southeast winds and waves force a net northerly littoral drift in the surf zone, forming sediment sinks within estuary mouths, sand islands and the dune system. During severe storms and strong East Australian Current eddy events, sediments can also be transported further offshore and deposited on the inner shelf.

Coastal managers of Gold Coast City, a popular tourist location within a dynamic sediment transport system, have undertaken various engineering and management strategies to help stabilise the impacts of coastal processes on development. Encroachment upon the dune system to accommodate infrastructure such as roads, boardwalks and enhanced sea views has reduced the sand reserve needed during extreme events plus construction of walls and groynes has necessitated regular dredging programmes to remove sediment from the entrances. The dredged material is currently used to provide nourishment for depleted beaches but could be stored on the inner shelf region ready for remedial use following extreme events.

Sediment dynamics studies generally focus within the surf zone leaving the inner continental shelf area from the outer surf zone to the 25-30m depth edge of the photic seabed, not as well understood. By measuring parameters such as fluid velocity, depth, bottom roughness and grain size, empirical sediment transport relationships are being established to support theoretical approaches.

To validate theoretical approaches to local conditions, Griffith University has deployed an offshore observatory, moored at a depth of 30m, to investigate the specific conditions of this inner shelf region of the East Australian coastline. This developing structure currently comprises an ADCP measuring discrete vertical cell velocities and back scatter; a thermistor string measuring temperature throughout the water column coupled to sediment traps capturing suspended sediment deposition. Located 10m above the seabed is a Seapoint turbidity sonde, cleaned by a ZebraTech wiper assembly, attached to an RBR 420 CTD plus a string of 10 HOBO lux meters record irradiance readings from the seabed to the surface. A side-scan sonar survey sonogram has provided seabed morphological detail verified by diver observations, Van Veen grab sampling and a novel procedure providing measurements of ripple slope and direction. The paper concludes with an analysis of the data including an overview of GAM (Generalized Additive Model) analyses used to explore the functional relationships between various measured covariates.


We study evolution of gravitational perturbations of black strings. It is well known that for all wave numbers less than some threshold value, the black string is unstable against the scalar type of gravitational perturbations, which is named the Gregory-Laflamme instability. Using numerical methods, we find the quasinormal modes and time-domain profiles of the black string perturbations in the stable sector and also show the appearance of the Gregory-Laflamme instability in the time domain. The dependence of the black string quasinormal spectrum and late-time tails on such parameters as the wave vector and the number of extra dimensions is discussed. There is numerical evidence that at the threshold point of instability, the static solution of the wave equation is dominant. For wave numbers slightly larger than the threshold value, in the region of stability, we see tiny oscillations with very small damping rate. While, for wave numbers slightly smaller than the threshold value, in the region of the Gregory-Laflamme instability, we observe tiny oscillations with very small growth rate. We also find the level crossing of imaginary part of quasinormal modes between the fundamental mode and the first overtone mode, which accounts for the peculiar time domain profiles.


A synthetic noise function is a key component of most computer graphics rendering systems. This pseudo-random noise function is used to create a wide variety of natural looking textures that are applied to objects in the scene. To be useful, the generated noise should be repeatable while exhibiting no discernible periodicity, anisotropy, or aliasing. However, noise with these qualities is computationally expensive and results in a significant fraction of the run time for scenes with rich visual complexity. We propose modifications to the standard algorithm for computing synthetic noise that improve the visual quality of the noise, and a parallel hardware implementation of this improved noise function that allows the use of reduced precision arithmetic during the noise computation. The result is a special-purpose function unit for producing synthetic noise that computes high-quality noise values approximately two orders of magnitude faster than software techniques. The circuit, using a commercial CMOS cell library in a 65nm process, would run at 1GHz and consume 325μm x 325μm of chip area.


The recent financial crisis and related liquidity issues have illuminated an urgent need for a better understanding of the effects of limited liquidity on all aspects of the financial system. This paper considers such effects on the Black-Scholes-Merton financial model, which for the most part result in highly nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). We investigate in detail a model studied by Schonbucher and Wilmott (2000) which incorporates the price impact of option hedging strategies. First, we consider a first-order feedback model, which leads to the exceptional case of a linear PDE. Numerical results, and more particularly an asymptotic approach close to option expiry, reveal subtle differences from the Black-Scholes-Merton model. Second, we go on to consider a full-feedback model in which price impact is fully incorporated into the model. Here, standard numerical techniques lead to spurious results in even the simplest cases. An asymptotic approach, valid close to expiry, is mounted, and a robust numerical procedure, valid for all times, is developed, revealing two distinct classes of behavior. The first may be attributed to the infinite second derivative associated with standard option payoff conditions, for which it is necessary to admit solutions with discontinuous first derivatives; perhaps even more disturbingly, negative option values are a frequent occurrence. The second failure (applicable to smoothed payoff functions) is caused by a singularity in the coefficient of the diffusion term in the option-pricing equation. Our conclusion is that several classes of model in the literature involving permanent price impact irretrievably break down (i.e., there is insufficient "financial modeling" in the pricing equation). Our analysis should provide the information necessary to avoid such pitfalls in the future.


We present UnrealEgo, i.e., a new large-scale naturalistic dataset for egocentric 3D human pose estimation. UnrealEgo is based on an advanced concept of eyeglasses equipped with two fisheye cameras that can be used in unconstrained environments. We design their virtual prototype and attach them to 3D human models for stereo view capture. We next generate a large corpus of human motions. As a consequence, UnrealEgo is the first dataset to provide in-the-wild stereo images with the largest variety of motions among existing egocentric datasets. Furthermore, we propose a new benchmark method with a simple but effective idea of devising a 2D keypoint estimation module for stereo inputs to improve 3D human pose estimation. The extensive experiments show that our approach outperforms the previous state-of-the-art methods qualitatively and quantitatively. UnrealEgo and our source codes are available on our project web page.


The distinction in biology between homology and analogy is examined for possible application to studies in behavioural pharmacology. It is argued that the concept of homology is central to understanding the 'construct validity' of animal models of human cognition. It is suggested that we capitalize on known correspondences across species in brain structure and development which may mediate homologous behavioural functions. Manipulation of specific receptors in defined areas may be achieved by local and systemic administration of drugs with relatively specific actions; this will complement an alternative criterion of construct validity, based on clinical treatments. This argument will be illustrated by a critique of successful extrapolations across species that are sometimes initiated by work in animals and sometimes by work in humans, especially in the clinical setting. The examples used will include analyses of spatial working memory, spatial attention and attentional set-shifting, studied in rats, monkeys and humans.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a group-based walking program on physical activity and mediators of activity in middle-aged and older adults. Fifty-six community residents (mean age = 60.3 years) participated in either a walking program (WP: n = 39) or health information program (IP: n = 17) for 2 months. The WP included: 1) instruction in walking technique; 2) participating in group walks; and 3) practicing behavioral skills. The IP consisted of: 1) information about the importance of diet and physical activity; 2) participating in easy exercise; and 3) practicing behavioral skills. After the programs, participants were provided a daily self monitoring and goal setting sheet to be completed over a 4-month period. Letters were sent to participants four times during the follow-up period. Physical activity and mediators of activity were assessed at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months. For the WP participants, daily step count and moderate and vigorous physical activity significantly increased during the 6-month period. There was a significant group-by-time interaction for physical activity, but no interaction for mediators of activity. These results suggest that the group-based walking program played an important role in increasing daily physical activity.


In this paper, in an attempt to improve power grid resilience, a machine learning model is proposed to predictively estimate the component states in response to extreme events. The proposed model is based on a multi-dimensional Support Vector Machine (SVM) considering the associated resilience index, i.e., the infrastructure quality level and the time duration that each component can withstand the event, as well as predicted path and intensity of the upcoming extreme event. The outcome of the proposed model is the classified component state data to two categories of outage and operational, which can be further used to schedule system resources in a predictive manner with the objective of maximizing its resilience. The proposed model is validated using Ä-fold cross-validation and model benchmarking techniques. The performance of the model is tested through numerical simulations and based on a well-defined and commonly-used performance measure.


Abstract. Water management is challenged by hydrological and socio-economic change and hence often forced to make costly and enduring decisions under uncertainty. Thus, thinking beyond current acknowledged and known limits is important to consider these changes and the dynamic of socio-hydrological interactions. For example, reservoir management aiming at flood reduction and mitigation has to cope with many different aspects of uncertainty. The question is to what extent can, do and should these uncertainties have implications on planning and decision-making? If practice recognises uncertainties they frequently use risk based decision approaches to acknowledge and handle them by e.g. relating them to other decision relevant factors, while science is mostly preoccupied in reducing these uncertainties. Both views are of relevance and a risk focused approach is needed to bridge the different perspectives covering all significant aspects of uncertainty. Based on a review of various characteristics and perceptions of uncertainty, this paper proposes a new analytical framework where the various aspects of uncertainty are condensed and a risk perspective is added. It thus goes beyond a pure typology and provides an overview of neuralgic points and their location and appearance during the decision-making process. Moreover this paper supports a structured and evaluated knowledge assessment and knowledge transfer for informed decision-making and points out potential fields of action and uncertainty reduction. Reservoir management targeting at flood prevention is used as an illustration to present the analytical framework, which is also amended by the needs and demands of practitioners, using first results of expert interviews.


With the rising cost of tuition, college students have difficult decisions to make between school, work, housing, food, utilities, medical bills, to name a few. For example, according to the Huffington Post, there are over 58,000 homeless college students in the United States (Ashtari, 2014). Colleges have a task of keep their students safe, which is reiterated in their student codes and university policies. Yet, one of the aspects rarely taken into consideration is the students' access to food, which is a safety concern. While most colleges offer meal plans, there are issues with the upfront expense of meal plans and guessing how much food one will eat the entire semester. In addition, students who are hungry or worrying about where their next meal is going to come from have worse academic outcomes (Jyoti et al. 2005). Colleges need to have resources to assist students both in and out of the classroom. Hunger Jacks, a student organization at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), partnered up with Student Government and Sprout at SFA Community Gardens to address these concerns resulting in two resources being developed on campus: Food for Thought food pantry and Fresh Food Fridays. Growth in college Food Pantries


The paper uses a procedure called data envelopment analysis (DEA) to compare internal against external (outsource) efficiency in the delivery of finance function activities. The approach allows a direct comparison between the in‐house efficiency of UK small, medium and large companies in managing their accounting activities both with UK outsource contractors and also against the rather larger and more numerous contractors observed in Italy. The paper finds that, through comparative advantages, outsourcing presents a more efficient solution for the management of very small firm accounting than internal provision. Furthermore, there is evidence that substantial scale benefits continue to be available to outsource contractors, while inefficiency on internal provision is mainly technical. The paper concludes that outsourcing provision is likely to offer worthwhile savings to small firms, allowing them to shed competitive weaknesses and operate at efficient or best practice levels. At the same time, by converting an internal fixed cost, fixed capacity activity into a flexible, variable cost activity, SMEs have the potential to transform a previously unmanageable activity into an efficient or best practice activity that can grow or contract with the business.


Do phenomenological master equations with a memory kernel always describe a non-Markovian quantum dynamics characterized by reverse flow of information? Is the integration over the past states of the system an unmistakable signature of non-Markovianity? We show by a counterexample that this is not always the case. We consider two commonly used phenomenological integro-differential master equations describing the dynamics of a spin 1/2 in a thermal bath. By using a recently introduced measure to quantify non-Markovianity [Breuer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 210401 (2009)] we demonstrate that as far as the equations retain their physical sense, the key feature of non-Markovian behavior does not appear in the considered memory kernel master equations. Namely, there is no reverse flow of information from the environment to the open system. Therefore, the assumption that the integration over a memory kernel always leads to a non-Markovian dynamics turns out to be vulnerable to phenomenological approximations. Instead, the considered phenomenological equations are able to describe time-dependent and unidirectional information flow from the system to the reservoir associated with time-dependent Markovian processes.


We present the first comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the rest-frame UV spectroscopic properties of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2–4. We match samples at different redshifts in UV luminosity and stellar mass, and perform systematic measurements of spectral features and stellar population modeling. By creating composite spectra grouped according to Lyα equivalent width (EW) and various galaxy properties, we study the evolutionary trends among Lyα, low- and high-ionization interstellar (LIS and HIS) absorption features, and integrated galaxy properties. We also examine the redshift evolution of Lyα and LIS absorption kinematics, and fine-structure emission EWs. The connections among the strengths of Lyα, LIS lines, and dust extinction are redshift independent, as is the decoupling of the Lyα and HIS line strengths, and the bulk outflow kinematics as traced by the LIS lines. Stronger Lyα emission is observed at higher redshift at fixed UV luminosity, stellar mass, SFR, and age. Much of this variation in the average Lyα strength with redshift, and the variation in Lyα strength at fixed redshift, can be explained in terms of variations in the neutral gas covering fraction and/or dust content in the ISM and CGM. However, based on the connection between Lyα and C iii] emission strengths, we additionally find evidence for variations in the intrinsic production rate of Lyα photons at the highest Lyα EWs. The challenge now is to understand the observed evolution of the neutral gas covering fraction and dust extinction within a coherent model for galaxy formation, and make robust predictions for the escape of ionizing radiation at z > 6.


In the next few years, a considerable innovation concerning the design of the future 5G mobile networks will be a concrete step towards enabling effective high throughput and low latency services. Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Self Organizing Network (SON) are considered the enabling technologies to achieve these goals. In this paper, assuming a Control-Data Separation Architecture (CDSA), we propose a flexible SDN/NFV-based SON testbed, for future 5G mobile networks. The main contribution of our work is to cover the need for a CDSA based testbed, enabling the investigation of the NG-SON capabilities for practical implementations. We implement two different testbed setups, a real one and a virtualized one, both based on the FlexRAN and OpenAir-Interface software tools. First, we implement a specific case study, i.e., the RAN entities activation/deactivation procedures. Next, we carry out time measurements, concerning the aforementioned procedures, in order to prove proper testbed functioning. Finally, we validate the C-SON and D-SON capabilities of our testbed, considering the features of the results.


Kakani Katija is a Principal Engineer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, USA, where she designs and builds instrumentation to study marine invertebrate ecomechanics. She received her Bachelor's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington, USA, before moving to the California Institute of Technology, USA, for her Master's degree in Aeronautics with Morteza Gharib and PhD in Bioengineering in the laboratory of John Dabiri, completed in 2010. Katija was recognised as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2011 and has given presentations at TEDYouth and TEDWomen.


Purpose - – The purpose of this study is to investigate the environmental disclosure (ED) quality of public-listed companies (PLCs) in environmentally sensitive industries (ESI) in Malaysia in 2005 and 2009 (two years before and two years after the mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) requirement of Bursa Malaysia (BM)). BM (The Stock Exchange of Malaysia) has made CSR, including ED in annual reports mandatory since 2007. This study compares environmental reporting (ER) before and after the 2007 mandatory reporting requirement to determine if this command and control mechanism has had any effect on the quality of ED. Design/methodology/approach - – The quality of ED was measured using a disclosure quality index adapted from various prior studies. The index consists of a total of 46 disclosure items grouped into 9 categories. Content analysis was utilized to extract data from the annual reports of 164 PLCs in ESI. Findings - – Overall, the quality of ED improved in 2009 from that of 2005. More importantly, companies disclosed more quantitative environmental information in 2009 than in 2005. However, the average quality of ED was still low in 2009 compared to the overall potential score. Results provide some support for legitimacy as well as institutional theories. Research limitations/implications - – The sample of the study consisted of listed companies in ESI only; the results cannot be generalized to other companies in non-environmentally sensitive sectors. Practical implications - – Prior studies that used data before the mandatory CSR requirement by BM found ED in annual reports mainly declarative in nature, generally low on quality and with little quantifiable data. The results of the present study provide evidence of the positive impact of mandatory environmental reporting on ED quality. Originality/value - – The use of a multi-theoretical perspective may offer a more meaningful explanation of ER behavior in Malaysia. The results of the study would provide the impetus for regulatory agencies in developing countries to perhaps consider legislating ER. The findings provide some evidence to support the influence of legitimacy and institutional factors behind improved ED of Malaysian PLCs. This outcome exhibits a positive influence on the government efforts in promoting sustainability. Finally, the study contributes to present a more up-to-date account of environmental commitment undertaken by Malaysian corporations through their environmental reporting, after the CSR mandatory listing requirement took effect in 2007.


The adaptation of commercially available ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for use in wastewater matrices was demonstrated using multivariate analysis and optimization with the Microsoft Excel Solver tool. The electrodes were characterized in pure analyte solutions, and their parameters were estimated using multivariate analysis and Solver optimization. The ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite ions were measured in model systems that were designed to simulate wastewater. The accuracy of the measurements (95.3% - 101.0%) was satisfactory for the determination of ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite in complex matrices. The adapted ISEs were then successfully used for bioprocess (synthetic wastewater treatment) dynamics and efficiency studies in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB) by monitoring the concentrations of the substrates and intermediates in the samples collected from the bioreactor. The simultaneous determination of ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite in the samples through the use of adapted ISEs considerably shortened the time required for ion determination.


Background Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSPs) are chaperone-like proteins involved in the prevention of the irreversible aggregation of misfolded proteins. Although many studies have already been conducted on sHSPs, the molecular mechanisms and structural properties of these proteins remain unclear. Here, we propose a better understanding of the architecture, organization and properties of the sHSP family through structural and functional annotations. We focused on the Alpha Crystallin Domain (ACD), a sandwich fold that is the hallmark of the sHSP family. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed a new approach for detecting sHSPs and delineating ACDs based on an iterative Hidden Markov Model algorithm using a multiple alignment profile generated from structural data on ACD. Using this procedure on the UniProt databank, we found 4478 sequences identified as sHSPs, showing a very good coverage with the corresponding PROSITE and Pfam profiles. ACD was then delimited and structurally annotated. We showed that taxonomic-based groups of sHSPs (animals, plants, bacteria) have unique features regarding the length of their ACD and, more specifically, the length of a large loop within ACD. We detailed highly conserved residues and patterns specific to the whole family or to some groups of sHSPs. For 96% of studied sHSPs, we identified in the C-terminal region a conserved I/V/L-X-I/V/L motif that acts as an anchor in the oligomerization process. The fragment defined from the end of ACD to the end of this motif has a mean length of 14 residues and was named the C-terminal Anchoring Module (CAM). Conclusions/Significance This work annotates structural components of ACD and quantifies properties of several thousand sHSPs. It gives a more accurate overview of the architecture of sHSP monomers.


In this paper, we analyze a Nyström based approach to efficient large scale kernel principal component analysis (PCA). The latter is a natural nonlinear extension of classical PCA based on considering a nonlinear feature map or the corresponding kernel. Like other kernel approaches, kernel PCA enjoys good mathematical and statistical properties but, numerically, it scales poorly with the sample size. Our analysis shows that Nyström sampling greatly improves computational efficiency without incurring any loss of statistical accuracy. While similar effects have been observed in supervised learning, this is the first such result for PCA. Our theoretical findings are based on a combination of analytic and concentration of measure techniques. Our study is more broadly motivated by the question of understanding the interplay between statistical and computational requirements for learning.


Parents of children with cystic fibrosis have been reported to have a high prevalence of increased airway reactivity, but these studies were done in a select young, healthy, symptomless population. In the present study respiratory symptoms were examined in 315 unselected parents of children with cystic fibrosis and 162 parents of children with congenital heart disease (controls). The cardinal symptom of airway reactivity, wheezing, was somewhat more prevalent in cystic fibrosis parents than in controls, but for most subgroups this increased prevalence did not reach statistical significance. Among those who had never smoked, 38% of obligate heterozygotes for cystic fibrosis but only 25% of the controls reported wheezing (p less than 0.05). The cystic fibrosis parents who had never smoked but reported wheezing had lower FEV1 and FEF25-75, expressed as a percentage of the predicted value, than control parents; and an appreciable portion of the variance in pulmonary function was contributed by the interaction of heterozygosity for cystic fibrosis with wheezing. For cystic fibrosis parents, but not controls, the complaint of wheezing significantly contributed to the prediction of pulmonary function (FEV1 and FEF25-75). In addition, parents of children with cystic fibrosis reported having lung disease before the age of 16 more than twice as frequently as control parents. Other respiratory complaints, including dyspnoea, cough, bronchitis, and hay fever, were as common in controls as in cystic fibrosis heterozygotes. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that heterozygosity for cystic fibrosis is associated with increased airway reactivity and its symptoms, and that the cystic fibrosis heterozygotes who manifest airway reactivity and its symptoms may be at risk for poor pulmonary function.


Within the contemporary theoretical terrain (this fin-de-siecle) there is a clear problematisation, even outright rejection, of the notion of progress, in particular its Enlightenment forms. Yet the problem of progress itself continues to surface. This paper investigates the possibilities of approaching (or reproaching) a Weberian account of progress. Whether it is possible to think anew, to re-interrogate, the concept of progress through the Weberian eye.

In Roscher and Knies Weber explicitly rejects the notion of progress. We argue that this dismissal is only of a particular account, one which does not erase the concept itself . Therefore we produce a minimal account of the term 'progress' that enables the re-opening of lines of theoretical thought. Through this account utilise Weberian elements as interstitial moments with which to achieve an initial move into treating progress: the concept of personality; the question of fragmentation, the 'moral achievement' and limits of science, and the question of ethics. Although these moments do not provide a complete account of progress, or indeed one without significant problems, the questioning of progress, in the fin de siecle, acquires an initiating step through Weber.


This study presents a method to protect the zonal distribution system proposed for future ships when fault occurs. By utilising a bus interface unit, the energy storage and grid interface within it provide one benefit that an independent fault protection scheme can be achieved. The new protection scheme is based on active impedance estimation. This technique actively imposes small transient disturbances onto the system at a point of measurement to excite the system in real time and estimate the system impedance at that point. The continuous wavelet transform is employed to achieve accurate impedance estimation over a broad frequency range from a small amount and very noisy data. The performance of this proposed technique is investigated both by simulation and experiment. The scheme exploits the increased use of power electronic devices to provide a useful complement to traditional protection strategies, which can also provide the necessary back up protection during extreme protection failure, without the need for communication channels.


This chapter focuses on both the activities of the telecoms' innovators (i.e. actors of the innovation) and the emergence of some "service communities" which are interesting facets of virtual communities. These innovators are part of a remote and inter-professional network which forms a "design community". They are involved in the telecom operators' design process (opportunities research, service design, development, deployment and market launch). During the first stage, this community has to describe customers' services situations, discover lacks and opportunities and find some ideas of adapted solutions. Theoretical and professional difficulties have been noted during this key step. The main problem is related to the concept of service which is a multidimensional and still poorly understood object. Based on the service literature and the emergent field of Service Science, we propose a theoretical framework and a semi-formal semantic method to describe, co-model (through a mereotopological ontology of assembled and interconnected scenes) and simulate (through an animation of each scenario) the targeted Services Systems. These Services Systems are configurations of dynamic/processual entities that reveal not only the service field of experiences but also the actors' performances within different spatiotemporal situations.


The primary step in cellular signaling by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is the interaction of the agonist-activated transmembrane receptor with an intracellular G-protein. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms requires the structural determination of receptor G-protein complexes that are not yet achieved. The crystal structure of the bovine photoreceptor rhodopsin, a prototypical GPCR, was solved recently and the structures of different states of engineered G-proteins were reported. Posttranslational hydrophobic modifications of G-proteins are in most cases removed for crystallization but play functional roles for interactions among G-protein subunits with receptors, as well as membranes. Bovine rhodopsin is reconstituted into lipidic cubic phases to assess their potential for crystallization of receptor G-protein complexes under conditions that may preserve the structural and functional roles of hydrophobic protein modifications. Three-dimensional bilayers of a bicontinuous lipidic cubic phase are successfully employed for crystallization of membrane and soluble proteins. UV-visible absorption and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform IR difference spectroscopy reveal that light activation of cubic phase reconstituted rhodopsin results in the generation of a metarhodopsin II-like state. Via diffusion along aqueous channels, transducin couples efficiently to this photoproduct as evidenced by the nucleotide-dependent increase of transducin fluorescence. Thus, rhodopsin transducin interactions do not crucially depend on the presence of sn1 and sn2 acyl chains, phospholipid head groups, or membrane planarity. Because lipidic cubic phases preserve the essential functional and structural properties of native rhodopsin and transducin, they appear suitable for the detergent-free crystallization of receptor G-protein complexes carrying a normal pattern of hydrophobic modifications.


The theoretical part of the dissertation is focused on characterization of Echinacea plant from both botanical and chemical point of view. Emphasis is laid on the important substances contained in it and its properties with consideration of both chemical and pharmacological aspects. The aim of the whole dissertation is the practical part; it consists in analysing suitable groups of Echinacea plant using chromatographic methods. The analysis is focused on the methods of area and column chromatography and in particular on the methods that are suitable for operational monitoring during industrial processing. The results obtained are assessed using the methods available from both qualitative and quantitative point of view. The results are also processed statistically and evaluated generally in the conclusion.


The near-normal incidence reflectances for a ternary system composed of 75% H2SO4, 10% HNO3, and 15% H2O and for a 10% aqueous solution of HNO3 have been measured at ambient temperature over the spectral range of 5000 to 500 cm−1. A Kramers–Kronig phase-shift analysis of the measured spectral reflectance has been used to determine the real and imaginary components of the index of refraction for each sample. The ternary-system spectrum has been compared with the spectrum of 10% HNO3 and also with the spectrum of 75% H2SO4 obtained by Palmer and Williams. [
Appl. Opt.14,
208 (
1975)]. These results may prove useful for studies concerning aerosol formation of this ternary system in the stratosphere.


The IEA ECBCS Annex 36 deals with the energy retrofit of educational buildings. Researchers from 10 participating countries from Europe and the US are collecting information on retrofit measures and case studies and are developing an energy concept adviser for technical retrofit measures. This internet-based computer tool for decision-makers is the main outcome of the annex. One of the most important inputs to the tool is the collection and assessment of case studies, which is also presented in a specific report. 25 case studies from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, UK and the US are included into the collection. For each case study the report consists of a description of the state before the retrofit (geometry, construction and HVAC-system), the used retrofit measures, the resulted energy savings, the renovation costs and the experiences or lessons learned during the retrofit and the user feedback afterwards. The buildings are divided into different building types. A summary including a matrix on the used retrofit technologies per building and an overview on the reached energy savings are given. The paper for the AIVC BETEC 2003 gives an overview on all buildings and specifies on the used technologies with focus on energy and ventilation.


The drive for increased productivity, reduced production time and cost, reduced defective parts and relaxed machine design constraints, pushes for real-time control and optimization for machining operations. This vision can be realized if the current CNC controllers can be adaptable, portable, interoperable and intelligent in responding quickly and efficiently in the product lifecycle domain. In this study, the development of a realization CNC controller enabled machine condition monitoring architecture based on STEP-NC data model to support an automated and intelligent machining environment is introduced. The controller allows canonical machine commands to be executed with a fuzzy feed-rate optimization modul to serve the purpose of allowing in-process optimization to be automatically incorporated during on-going machining operation. This research has shown that it is more prolific to utilize high-level data structure as well as a universal interface for machine execution.


In the present work, surface-coated Cu nanoparticles with FCC structure and an average size of 40 nm were prepared by reducing reaction and surface modification technique. The morphology and phase structure of the nano-copper were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The ball-on-disc tester and ring-on-block tester were performed to study the tribological properties of surface-coated Cu nanoparticles as oil additive. The tests were carried out under the lubrication of 50CC oil alone and oil containing surface-coated nano-copper additives. The morphologies and elementary distributions of the worn surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), respectively. Results indicate that surface-coated nano-copper additives can significantly improve the wear resistance and load-carrying abilities of 50CC oil, as well as reduce friction coefficient. A soft copper protective film is formed on the worn surface lubricated with oil containing nano-copper additives, which separates the worn surfaces, avoids their direct contact and reduces friction and adhesive wear. Besides, the grooves and small valleys on the worn surfaces are found to be partly filled and repaired by nano-copper, as makes the worn surface repaired and smoother.


Abstract The primary objectives of this study were to assess engineering students' and professional engineers' perceptions of cultural diversity in undergraduate engineering course curriculum, gender and ethnicity-specific access to the engineering field, and the professional engineering work environment in the United States. The sample consisted of 132 undergraduate engineering students and 90 professional engineers residing in the southern part of the U.S. The participants completed two survey questionnaires. Findings suggest that both the students and engineers responded similarly about the importance of having cultural diversity courses in the engineering program. However, students perceived to a greater degree than engineers did that all qualified students have equal access to an engineering education in the country. Students noted more than engineers that the existing curriculum accentuates cultural diversity and engineering programs need to recruit more minority students. Compared to their professional counterparts, students showed a stronger belief that engineers must maintain a high level of work ethics, tended to experience high levels of job satisfaction, and were well paid.


Data mining is the process of discovering explicit knowledge from large amounts of data stored in database, data warehouse or other repositories. There have been many studies about models of data mining such as association rule, sequential pattern and so on. Collaborative filtering is one of data mining models. In this paper, we propose two approaches to solving the mining process of collaborative filtering. Finally, collaborative filtering mining is applied to Knowledge Management system. Key Word: Data Mining, Collaborative filtering, Knowledge Management


Buildings in general are large contributors of global greenhouse emissions and environmental deterioration. Climate adaptation of existing and new buildings is crucial in reducing their impact on climate change. In order to achieve this, efficient performance evaluation and operational management of buildings is required for future proofing buildings and other built environment assets. In particular, owner occupied buildings, including educational buildings offer unique opportunities. To meet legislative requirements and offer sustainable built environments, universities are now striving to be 'Green Star Education' enterprises or of an equivalent standard. This paper reports on the performance evaluation of two Green Star rated educational buildings in Victoria, Australia providing a best practice model based on the learnings from the respective case study buildings. Evaluation of the building case studies were undertaken using a mixed method research approach. Post occupancy evaluations (POE) were carried out in each of the two buildings to measure occupant satisfaction, complemented by internal stakeholder interviews and energy performance data. Analysis of the data highlights the importance of creating a link between building performance measurement and performance management of buildings. The paper recommends strategies to assist facility managers to analyse the gap between the actual and expected building performance for better and more efficient management of buildings.


This document compares three versions of the same home visiting model, the well-known Jamaica model, which was gradually scaled-up from an efficacy trial (proof of concept) in Jamaica, to a pilot in Colombia, to an at-scale program in Peru. It first describes the design, implementation and impacts of these three programs. Then, it analyzes the threats to scalability in each of these experiences and discusses how they could have affected program outcomes, with a focus on three of the elements of the economic model of scaling in Al-Ubaydli, et al. (Forthcoming): appropriate statistical inference, properties of the population, and properties of the situation. The document reflects on the lessons learned to mitigate the threats to scalability and on how research and evaluation can be better aligned to facilitate and support the scaling-up process of early child development interventions. It points out those attributes that interventions must maintain to ensure effectiveness at scale. Similarly, political support is also identified as indispensable.


A new composite electrocatalyst, well-dispersed TiO2/active carbon (AC), has been assessed with regard to its applicability for oxygen reduction in air electrodes. TiO2/AC powders were prepared by one-step vapor hydrolysis of TiCl4 with active carbon. The structure and composition of the powders were analyzed by means of XRD and FTIR, and the results showed that anatase titanium dioxide of particle size 16.5 nm was produced after calcination at 400 °C. The influences of the preparative parameters of the air electrode on its discharge performance were studied by polarization curve measurements. The terminal voltage of the air battery was maintained at above 1.05 V while the current density of the air electrodes reached 150 mA cm-2. These results show that the composite catalyst has high electrochemical activity for the oxygen reduction reaction.


miR-18 belongs to the Oncomir-1 or miR-17~92 cluster that is intimately associated with the occurrence and progression of different types of cancer. However, the physiological roles of the Oncomir-1 cluster and its individual miRNAs are largely unknown. Here, we describe a novel function for miR-18 in mouse. We show that miR-18 directly targets heat shock factor 2 (HSF2), a transcription factor that influences a wide range of developmental processes including embryogenesis and gametogenesis. Furthermore, we show that miR-18 is highly abundant in testis, displaying distinct cell-type-specific expression during the epithelial cycle that constitutes spermatogenesis. Expression of HSF2 and of miR-18 exhibit an inverse correlation during spermatogenesis, indicating that, in germ cells, HSF2 is downregulated by miR-18. To investigate the in vivo function of miR-18 we developed a novel method, T-GIST, and demonstrate that inhibition of miR-18 in intact seminiferous tubules leads to increased HSF2 protein levels and altered expression of HSF2 target genes. Our results reveal that miR-18 regulates HSF2 activity in spermatogenesis and link miR-18 to HSF2-mediated physiological processes such as male germ cell maturation.


A group membership protocol enables processes in a distributed system to agree on a group of processes that are currently operational. Membership protocols are a core component of many distributed systems and have proved to be fundamental for maintaining availability and consistency in distributed applications. We present a membership protocol for asynchronous distributed systems that tolerates the malicious corruption of group members. Our protocol ensures that correct members control and consistently observe changes to the group membership, provided that in each instance of the group membership, fewer than one-third of the members are corrupted or fail benignly. The protocol has many potential applications in secure systems and, in particular, is a central component of a toolkit for constructing secure and fault-tolerant distributed services that we have implemented.


Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R injury) is a common cause of acute renal failure. Recovery from I/R injury requires renal tubular regeneration. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been shown to be capable of differentiating into hepatocytes, cardiac myocytes, gastrointestinal epithelial cells, and vascular endothelial cells during tissue repair. The current study tested the hypothesis that murine HSC can contribute to the regeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells after I/R injury. HSC isolated from male Rosa26 mice that express beta-galactosidase constitutively were transplanted into female nontransgenic mice after unilateral renal I/R injury. Four weeks after HSC transplantation, beta-galactosidase-positive cells were detected in renal tubules of the recipients by X-Gal staining. PCR analysis of the male-specific Sry gene and Y chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of male-derived cells in the kidneys of female recipients. Antibody co-staining showed that beta-galactosidase was primarily expressed in renal proximal tubules. This is the first report to show that HSC can differentiate into renal tubular cells after I/R injury. Because of their availability, HSC may be useful for cell replacement therapy of acute renal failure.


Tomato 'pathogenesis-related' Pl(pl4) protein was synthesized in vitro, mRNAs were isolated from leaves showing characteristic symptoms of viroid infection, followed by chromatography on oligo(dT)-cellulose and the poly(A) + fraction was translated with a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. No significant differences were found between the levels of [3SS]methionine incorporation directed by mRNA preparations from healthy and viroid-infected leaves. Only mRNA from infected leaves incorporated label into a protein that could be immunoprecipitated with rabbit IgG specific for tomato P 1 (p 14) protein. Analysis by SDS-PAGE of the immunoprecipitated protein from the in vitro translation system revealed that P 1 (p 14) was translated as a precursor protein of 2K to 3K larger than the Pl(pl4) that accumulated in vivo. This protein was converted to the mature form when translation was carried out in the presence of canine pancreatic microsomal membranes. By using Protein A-gold immunocytochemistry we have detected Pl(pl4) concentrated in dense inclusion bodies within the vacuole as well as in association with electron-dense material present in the intracellular spaces. The presence of the additional polypeptide sequence in the newly synthesized protein indicates that Pl(pl4) undergoes post-translational processing. The additional sequence is probably the signal peptide that directs its transport through the endoplasmic reticulum into the vacuolar compartment of tomato leaf cells and/or the intercellular space.


Many popular big data analytics systems today make liberal use of user-defined functions (UDFs) in their programming interface and are written in languages based on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This combination creates a barrier when we want to integrate processing engines written in a language that compiles down to machine code with a JVM-based big data analytics ecosystem. In this paper, we investigate efficient ways of executing UDFs written in Java inside a data processing engine written in C++. While it is possible to call Java code from machine code via the Java Native Interface (JNI), a naive implementation that applies the UDF one row at a time incurs a significant overhead, up to an order of magnitude. Instead, we can significantly reduce the costs of JNI calls and data copies between Java and machine code, if we execute UDFs on batches of rows, and reuse input/output buffers when possible. Our evaluation of these techniques using different scalar UDFs, in a prototype system that combines Spark and a columnar data processing engine written in C++, shows that such a combination does not slow down the execution of SparkSQL queries containing such UDFs. In fact, we find that the execution of Java UDFs inside an embedded JVM in our C++ engine is 1.12X to 1.53X faster than executing in Spark alone. Our analysis also shows that compiling Java UDFs directly into machine code is not always beneficial over strided execution in the JVM.