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Particular Application (particular + application)
Selected AbstractsPerformance evaluation of an autonomic network-aware metascheduler for GridsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 13 2009A. Caminero Abstract Grid technologies have enabled the aggregation of geographically distributed resources in the context of a particular application. The network remains an important requirement for any Grid application, as entities involved in a Grid system (such as users, services, and data) need to communicate with each other over a network. The performance of the network must therefore be considered when carrying out tasks such as scheduling, migration or monitoring of jobs. Surprisingly, many existing quality of service efforts ignore the network and focus instead on processor workload and disk access time. Making use of the network in an efficient and fault-tolerant manner is challenging. In a previous contribution, we proposed an autonomic network-aware scheduling architecture that is capable of adapting its behavior to the current status of the environment. Now, we present a performance evaluation in which our proposal is compared with a conventional scheduling strategy. We present simulation results that show the benefits of our approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Closed-form solution for seismic response of adjacent buildings with linear quadratic Gaussian controllersEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 2 2002Y. L. Xu Abstract Closed-form solution for seismic response of adjacent buildings connected by hydraulic actuators with linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controllers is presented in this paper. The equations of motion of actively controlled adjacent buildings against earthquake are first established. The complex modal superposition method is then used to determine dynamic characteristics, including modal damping ratio, of actively controlled adjacent buildings. The closed-form solution for seismic response of the system is finally derived in terms of the complex dynamic characteristics, the pseudo-excitation method and the residue theorem. By using the closed-form solution, extensive parametric studies can be carried out for the system of many degrees of freedom. The beneficial parameters of LQG controllers for achieving the maximum response reduction of both buildings using reasonable control forces can be identified. The effectiveness of LQG controllers for this particular application is evaluated in this study. The results show that for the adjacent buildings of different dynamic properties, if the parameters of LQG controllers are selected appropriately, the modal damping ratios of the system can be significantly increased and the seismic responses of both buildings can be considerably reduced. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Foucault, Educational Research and the Issue of AutonomyEDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY, Issue 3 2005Mark Olssen Abstract This article seeks to demonstrate a particular application of Foucault's philosophical approach to a particular issue in education: that of personal autonomy. The paper surveys and extends the approach taken by James Marshall in his book Michel Foucault: Personal autonomy and education. After surveying Marshall's writing on the issue I extend Marshall's approach, critically analysing the work of Rob Reich and Meira Levinson, two contemporary philosophers who advocate models of personal autonomy as the basis for a liberal education. [source] Multi-Criteria Material Selection in Engineering Design,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 1-2 2004P. Sirisalee Material selection in real-world problems normally entails considering several, usually conflicting, design criteria/objectives. Thus, a designer has to strike a balance between these objectives to find the best compromise solution for the particular application. A novel design support tool, the exchange constant chart, has been developed in order to assist designers selecting materials in such multi-criteria situations. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the use of this tool. [source] How do hydraulic vibrators work?GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 1 2010A look inside the black box ABSTRACT In order to have realistic expectations of what output is achievable from a seismic vibrator, an understanding of the machine's limitations is essential. This tutorial is intended to provide some basics on how hydraulic vibrators function and the constraints that arise from their design. With these constraints in mind, informed choices can be made to match machine specifications to a particular application or sweeps can be designed to compensate for performance limits. [source] Estimating Aquifer Transmissivity from Specific Capacity Using MATLABGROUND WATER, Issue 4 2005Stephen G. McLin Historically, specific capacity information has been used to calculate aquifer transmissivity when pumping test data are unavailable. This paper presents a simple computer program written in the MATLAB programming language that estimates transmissivity from specific capacity data while correcting for aquifer partial penetration and well efficiency. The program graphically plots transmissivity as a function of these factors so that the user can visually estimate their relative importance in a particular application. The program is compatible with any computer operating system running MATLAB, including Windows, Macintosh OS, Linux, and Unix. Two simple examples illustrate program usage. [source] Latent class models for utilisation of health careHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2006*Article first published online: 3 MAR 200, Teresa Bago d'Uva Abstract This paper explores different approaches to econometric modelling of count measures of health care utilisation, with an emphasis on latent class models. A new model is proposed that combines the features of the two most common approaches: the hurdle model and the finite mixture negative binomial. Additionally, the panel structure of the data is taken into account. The proposed finite mixture hurdle model is shown to fit the data substantially better than the existing models for a particular application to data from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. The estimation results indicate a higher price effect for low users of health care. It is furthermore found that this results mainly from the difference of the price effects on the probability to visit a doctor, while the price effect on the conditional number of visits does not differ significantly between high and low users. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimum selection (design) of thermoelectric modules for large capacity heat pump applicationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 14 2004S. B. Riffat Abstract Thermoelectric modules should be selected or designed to meet the specific cooling/heating requirements of a particular application and in most cases, the cooling/heating capacity and the working temperatures (hot and cold side temperature of thermoelectric devices) are known. Computer modelling can be used to assist the selection process by determining the relationships between the cooling/heating requirements and optimum thermoelectric parameters thermoelectric modules suited to large capacity thermoelectric heat pump applications. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fluorescent proteins for live cell imaging: Opportunities, limitations, and challengesIUBMB LIFE, Issue 11 2009Jörg Wiedenmann Abstract The green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria can be used as a genetically encoded fluorescence marker due to its autocatalytic formation of the chromophore. In recent years, numerous GFP-like proteins with emission colors ranging from cyan to red were discovered in marine organisms. Their diverse molecular properties enabled novel approaches in live cell imaging but also impose certain limitations on their applicability as markers. In this review, we give an overview of key structural and functional properties of fluorescent proteins that should be considered when selecting a marker protein for a particular application and also discuss challenges that lie ahead in the further optimization of the glowing probes. © 2009 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 61(11): 1029,1042, 2009 [source] Nondestructive characterization of ferrofluids by wide-angle synchrotron light diffraction: crystalline structure and size distribution of colloidal nanoparticlesJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2008Alexei Vorobiev The combination of magnetic and nonmagnetic interactions between the colloidal particles in ferrofluids results in various local inter-particle correlations that, in turn, change the macroscopic properties of the whole system. Therefore, characterization of the particle ensemble is a crucial point, allowing optimization of a ferrofluid for a particular application. Here it is shown how the crystal structure of the particles can be easily obtained in a fast synchrotron light diffraction experiment without any special treatment of the ferrofluid sample. Moreover, from the same diffraction patterns, such important parameters as particle mean size and dispersion are retrieved; these are compared with the corresponding parameters obtained from electron microscopy data. A particular problem of magnetite,maghemite transformation in nanoparticles stabilized by the surfactant shell is pointed out. [source] Bilinear modelling of batch processes.JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 5 2008Part I: theoretical discussion Abstract When studying the principal component analysis (PCA) or partial least squares (PLS) modelling of batch process data, one realizes that there is a wide range of approaches. In many cases, new modelling approaches are presented just because they work properly for a particular application, for example, on-line monitoring and a given number of processes. A clear understanding of why these approaches perform successfully and which are the advantages and disadvantages in front of the others is seldom supplied. Why does modelling after batch-wise unfolding capture changing dynamics? What are the consequences of variable-wise unfolding? Is there any best unfolding method? When should several models for a single process be used? In this paper, it is shown how these and other related questions can be answered by properly analyzing the dynamic covariance structures of the various approaches. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gene therapy used for tissue engineering applicationsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Mieke Heyde This review highlights the advances at the interface between tissue engineering and gene therapy. There are a large number of reports on gene therapy in tissue engineering, and these cover a huge range of different engineered tissues, different vectors, scaffolds and methodology. The review considers separately in-vitro and in-vivo gene transfer methods. The in-vivo gene transfer method is described first, using either viral or non-viral vectors to repair various tissues with and without the use of scaffolds. The use of a scaffold can overcome some of the challenges associated with delivery by direct injection. The ex-vivo method is described in the second half of the review. Attempts have been made to use this therapy for bone, cartilage, wound, urothelial, nerve tissue regeneration and for treating diabetes using viral or non-viral vectors. Again porous polymers can be used as scaffolds for cell transplantation. There are as yet few comparisons between these many different variables to show which is the best for any particular application. With few exceptions, all of the results were positive in showing some gene expression and some consequent effect on tissue growth and remodelling. Some of the principal advantages and disadvantages of various methods are discussed. [source] Some Additional Comments on the Sources and Measurement of the Benefits of Small Business Assistance ProgramsJOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002James J. Chrisman This article continues a longstanding debate between the authors and Dr. William C. Wood on the usefulness of a particular application of cost-benefit analysis to evaluate small business assistance programs. We provide further discussions of the measurement of primary and secondary benefits with specific reference to the illustrative cases Wood presented in his 1999 article. We then review Wood's suggestions for improvements to small business program evaluations and discuss the progress made in recent evaluations of small business assistance programs. Finally, we reiterate the importance of innovation as an additional source of "secondary" benefits to the economy. [source] Reduction of bias in static closed chamber measurement of ,13C in soil CO2 effluxRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 2 2010K. E. Anders Ohlsson The 13C/12C ratio of soil CO2 efflux (,e) is an important parameter in studies of ecosystem C dynamics, where the accuracy of estimated C flux rates depends on the measurement uncertainty of ,e. The static closed chamber method is frequently used in the determination of ,e, where the soil CO2 efflux is accumulated in the headspace of a chamber placed on top of the soil surface. However, it has recently been shown that the estimate of ,e obtained by using this method could be significantly biased, which potentially diminish the usefulness of ,e for field applications. Here, analytical and numerical models were used to express the bias in ,e as mathematical functions of three system parameters: chamber height (H), chamber radius (Rc), and soil air-filled porosity (,). These expressions allow optimization of chamber size to yield a bias, which is at a level suitable for each particular application of the method. The numerical model was further used to quantify the effects on the ,e bias from (i) various designs for sealing of the chamber to ground, and (ii) inclusion of the commonly used purging step for reduction of the initial headspace CO2 concentration. The present modeling work provided insights into the effects on the ,e bias from retardation and partial chamber bypass of the soil CO2 efflux. The results presented here supported the continued use of the static closed chamber method for the determination of ,e, with improved control of the bias component of its measurement uncertainty. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Workers compensation and occupational health and safety in the Australian agricultural industryAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2009Robert Guthrie Abstract Objectives:,The objective of this paper is to review the available workers compensation and occupational health and safety data and the legal framework in relation to the agricultural industry to explore whether any factors highlight the need to pay special attention to the particular circumstances of those engaged in the industry. Design:,This paper explores some of the special features of the agricultural industry, looking first at agricultural worker fatalities and injuries as a matter of ongoing concern for all participants in this industry, government, as well as occupational health and workers compensation authorities. The paper analyses how occupational health and workers compensation laws may have special application to this industry. Finally, the paper considers some workers compensation provisions that have particular application to the agricultural industry. Conclusions:,Our survey of the available data and literature leads to the conclusion that the dangerous nature of agricultural work and the special legal and economic framework in which that work is undertaken identify the agricultural industry as presenting Australian Governments and specialist authorities with particular challenges in relation to improving workplace safety and reducing workplace injury. [source] Synthesis of Sugar-Based Silica Gels by Copper-Catalysed Azide,Alkyne Cycloaddition via a Single-Step Azido-Activated Silica Intermediate and the Use of the Gels in Hydrophilic Interaction ChromatographyCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 19 2010Lisa Moni Dr. Abstract Novel sugar-based silica gels were prepared by exploiting the copper-catalysed azide,alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of two different sugar alkynes, namely, ethynyl C -galactoside 1 and propargyl O -lactoside 2, with new single-step azido-activated silica gels. The fully characterised stationary phases were generally used for hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC), with particular application in the stereoselective separation of monosaccharides. Dynamic HILIC (DHILIC) experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of mutarotation on the chromatographic peak shapes of two interconverting sugar anomers. The potential of such materials was shown in the separation of other highly polar compounds, including amino acids and flavonoids. [source] Abductive Diagnosis Using Time-Objects: Criteria for the Evaluation of SolutionsCOMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 1 2001Elpida T. Keravnou Diagnostic problem solving aims to account for, or explain, a malfunction of a system (human or other). Any plausible potential diagnostic solution must satisfy some minimum criteria relevant to the application. Often there will be several plausible solutions, and further criteria will be required to select the "best" explanation. Expert diagnosticians may employ different, complex criteria at different stages of their reasoning. These criteria may be combinations of some more primitive criteria, which therefore should be represented separately and explicitly to permit their flexible and transparent combined usage. In diagnostic reasoning there is a tight coupling between the formation of potential solutions and their evaluation. This is the essence of abductive reasoning. This article presents an abductive framework for diagnostic problem solving. Time-objects, an association of a property and an existence, are used as the representation formalism and a number of primitive, general evaluation criteria into which time has been integrated are defined. Each criterion provides an intuitive yardstick for evaluating the space of potential solutions. The criteria can be combined as appropriate for particular applications to define plausible and best explanations. The central principle is that when time is diagnostically significant, it should be modeled explicitly to enable a more accurate formulation and evaluation of diagnostic solutions. The integration of time and primitive evaluation criteria is illustrated through the Skeletal Dysplasias Diagnostician (SDD) system, a diagnostic expert system for a real-life medical domain. SDD's notions of plausible and best explanation are reviewed so as to show the difficulties in formalizing such notions. Although we illustrate our work by medical problems, it has been motivated by consideration of problems in a number of other domains (fermentation monitoring, air and ground traffic control, power distribution) and is intended to be of wide applicability. [source] Impact of Assessments of Validity Generalization and Situational Specificity on the Science and Practice of Personnel SelectionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SELECTION AND ASSESSMENT, Issue 4 2000Kevin R. Murphy The application of meta-analysis, in particular validity generalization (VG) analysis, to the cumulative literature on the validity of selection tests has fundamentally changed the science and practice of personnel selection. VG analyses suggest that the validities of standardized tests and other structured assessments are both higher and more consistent across jobs and organizations than was previously believed. As a result, selection researchers and practitioners can draw on the research literature to make reasonably accurate forecasts about the validity and usefulness of different tests in particular applications. Distinctions between tests of validity generalization and tests of situational specificity are described, and difficulties in demonstrating that validity is constant across the different settings where tests are used are outlined. [source] Magnetic resonance microscopy analysis of transport in a novel Tape-Cast porous ceramicAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009Tyler R. Brosten Abstract Freeze-tape-cast porous ceramics allow for tailored pore structures. The impact on transport dynamics of pore structures which vary as a function of spatial depth within a ceramic is an important consideration in designing pore structures for particular applications. In this article, the application of nuclear magnetic resonance microscopy and 1H NMR techniques to characterize the transport in a novel tape-cast ceramic is presented. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Modern MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometryJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 3 2009Marvin L. Vestal Abstract This paper focuses on development of time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry in response to the invention of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Before this breakthrough ionization technique for nonvolatile molecules, TOF was generally considered as a useful tool for exotic studies of ion properties but was not widely applied to analytical problems. Improved TOF instruments and software that allow the full potential power of MALDI to be applied to difficult biological applications are described. A theoretical approach to the design and optimization of MALDI-TOF instruments for particular applications is presented. Experimental data are provided that are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions of resolving power and mass accuracy. Data on sensitivity and dynamic range using kilohertz laser rates are also summarized. These results indicate that combinations of high-performance MALDI-TOF and TOF-TOF with off-line high-capacity separations may ultimately provide throughput and dynamic range several orders of magnitude greater than those currently available with electrospray LC-MS and MS-MS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effect of molecular weight and end capping on poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) ultrasound contrast agentsPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 9 2008J.R. Eisenbrey Ultrasound contrast agents (CA) consist of stabilized gas bubbles that, when injected intravenously, provide an acoustic impedance mismatch, producing additional contrast to a diagnostic ultrasound scan. These agents must be smaller than 8 ,m in order to pass safely through the capillaries, contain gas for an impedance mismatch and should be stable enough to survive the duration of the imaging session. A double emulsion technique has previously been optimized within our laboratory to create CA with 50:50 poly (lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA). Although a great deal of research has focused on the effects of molecular weight and end capping on solid PLGA particles, very little has been done to examine the effects of these parameters on hollow CAs formed in a double emulsion. Non-end capped PLGA was found to provide maximum enhancement at a molecular weight of 66.0 kDa, giving an ultrasound enhancement of roughly 18.5 dB. The enhancement demonstrated by CA formed using the end-capped PLGA rose to a maximum enhancement of 19 dB at the highest commercially available molecular weight of 82.4 kDa. A strong correlation was seen between ultrasound enhancement, stability under ultrasonic conditions, surface morphology and zeta potential. This study shows the influence of polymer characteristics on the resulting properties of CA and the ability to tailor CAs to particular applications by varying the polymer choice. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] On describing multivariate skewed distributions: A directional approachTHE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF STATISTICS, Issue 3 2006José T. A. S. Ferreira Abstract Most multivariate measures of skewness in the literature measure the overall skewness of a distribution. These measures were designed for testing the hypothesis of distributional symmetry; their relevance for describing skewed distributions is less obvious. In this article, the authors consider the problem of characterizing the skewness of multivariate distributions. They define directional skewness as the skewness along a direction and analyze two parametric classes of skewed distributions using measures based on directional skewness. The analysis brings further insight into the classes, allowing for a more informed selection of classes of distributions for particular applications. The authors use the concept of directional skewness twice in the context of Bayesian linear regression under skewed error: first in the elicitation of a prior on the parameters of the error distribution, and then in the analysis of the skewness of the posterior distribution of the regression residuals. Décrire I'asyrnétrie de lois rnultivariées: une approche directionnelle La plupart des mesures d'asymétrie multivariées existantes donnent une idée de l'asymétrie globale d'une loi à plusieurs dimensions. Ces mesures ont été conçues pour tester l'hypothèse de symétrie distributionnelle; leur pertinence en tant qu'outil de description de l'asymétrie est moins claire. Dans cet article, les auteurs cherchent à caractériser l'asymétrie de lois multivariées. Ils définissent une notion d'asymétrie propre à une direction et étudient deux classes paramétriques de lois asymétriques à l'aide de mesures fondées sur ce concept. Leur analyse fournit des renseignements utiles sur les propriétés de ces classes de lois, permettant ainsi un choix plus éclairé dans des applications spécifiques. Les auteurs font double emploi de leur concept d'asymétrie directionnelle dans un contexte de régression linéaire bayésien-ne: d'abord pour l'élicitation d'une loi a priori sur les paramètres de la loi du terme d'erreur, puis pour l'analyse de l'asymétrie de la loi a posteriori des résidus du modèle. [source] Modeling memory and perceptionCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2003Richard M. Shiffrin Abstract I present a framework for modeling memory, retrieval, perception, and their interactions. Recent versions of the models were inspired by Bayesian induction: We chose models that make optimal decisions conditioned on a memory/perceptual system with inherently noisy storage and retrieval. The resultant models are, fortunately, largely consistent with my models dating back to the 1960s, and are therefore natural successors. My recent articles have presented simplified models in order to focus on particular applications. This article takes a larger perspective and places the individual models in a more global framework. I will discuss (1) the storage of episodic traces, the accumulation of these into knowledge (e.g., lexical/semantic traces in the case of words), and the changes in knowledge caused by learning; (2) the retrieval of information from episodic memory and from general knowledge; (3) decisions concerning storage, retrieval, and responding. Examples of applications include episodic recognition and cued and free recall, perceptual identification (naming, yes,no and forced-choice), lexical decision, and long-term and short-term priming. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||