Object-oriented DBMS requirements

The requirements on an object-oriented DBMS for management of information in a large, complex enterprise are presented. These requirements aid in the achievement of an environment characterized by data sharing, open architectures, application and data portability, and assurance of data integrity. They were defined from the point of view of a user of the DBMS; therefore they describe the expected functionality of the DBMS and do not specify the method of implementation to achieve this functionality. They encompass requirements on the data model, query and data manipulation languages, the system architecure, interfaces to the system, change management, and transaction management.     

粉尘薄膜爆轰

与普通爆轰不同，粉尘薄膜爆轰波前氧化剂与燃料处于分离状态．由于激波作用下壁面燃料的注入才于壁面附近形成燃烧的粉尘云，燃烧释放的热使激波自持形成粉尘薄膜爆轰。本文在长2、8m，横截面20mm×20mm的方型水平激波管中对此类爆轰进行了实验研究．并根据作者建立的模型对其二维结构进行了数值模拟。     

异构数据的管理方法及异构数据源的集成研究

工程应用中软件工具的多样性和设计活动的分散性形成了大量异构数据。本文分析了传统的异构数据管理方法的不足，提出使用数据库系统的文件系统结合的管理方法。针对此方法下所形成的异构数据源问题，给出了基于J2EE规范的数据访问对象抽象工厂解决方案。     

Layered Video and Differentiated Coding for Adaptive QoS in Mixed Wired-Satellite Networks

Mobile networks are becoming nothing but a way to allow ubiquitous access to multimedia services. To allow efficient use of resources, new systems provide flexible bandwidth and different error protection techniques to match channel behavior. As the backbone network is increasingly becoming based on packet techniques and in particular on IP and related transport protocols, end to end service quality must be analyzed considering both the fixed and the mobile part. Source scalability may help in coping with a mixed and heterogeneous environment. In this work we present some results of a transmission chain comprising a scalable MPEG-2 coder, an IP network and a radio access exploiting the availability of satellites. It is shown that for a given target rate, differentiated coding can be exploited to achieve decodability and good quality at a channel SNR much lower that single layer streams. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesizing Energy-Efficient Embedded Systems with LOPOCOS

In this paper, we introduce the LOPOCOS (Low Power Co-synthesis) system, a prototype CAD tool for system level co-design. LOPOCOS targets the design of energy-efficient embedded systems implemented as heterogeneous distributed architectures. In particular, it is designed to solve the specific problems involved in architectures that include dynamic voltage scalable (DVS) processors. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how LOPOCOS can support the system designer in identifying energy-efficient hardware/software implementations for the desired embedded systems. Hence, highlighting the necessary optimization steps during design space exploration for DVS enable architectures. The optimization steps carried out in LOPOCOS involve component allocation and task/communication mapping as well as scheduling and dynamic voltage scaling. LOPOCOS has the following key features, which contribute to this energy efficiency. During the voltage scaling valuable power profile information of task execution is taken into account, hence, the accuracy of the energy estimation is improved. A combined optimization for scheduling and communication mapping based on genetic algorithm, optimizes simultaneously execution order and communication mapping towards the utilization of the DVS processors and timing behaviour. Furthermore, a separation of task and communication mapping allows a more effective implementation of both task and communication mapping optimizationsteps. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of LOPOCOS. We report up to 38% higher energy reductions compared to previous co-synthesis techniques for DVS systems. The investigations include a real-life example of an optical flow detection algorithm.     

Drying Characteristics of Barley Grain Dried in a Spouted-Bed and Combined IR-Convection Dryers

A study was performed to determine the drying characteristics and quality of barley grain dried in a laboratory scale spouted-bed dryer at 30, 35, 40, and 45°C and an inlet air velocity of 23 m/s^-1, and in an IR-convection dryer under an infrared radiation intensity of 0.048, 0.061, 0.073, and 0.107 W cm^-2 at an air velocity of 0.5 m/s^-1. The results show that the first, relatively short, phase of a sharp decrease in the drying rate was followed by the phase of a slow decrease. The time of barley drying depended on temperature of inlet air in a spouted-bed dryer and on radiation intensities in an IR-convection dryer. Barley drying at 45°C in a spouted-bed dryer was accompanied by the lowest total energy consumption. The average specific energy consumption was lower and the average efficiency of drying was higher for drying in a spouted-bed dryer. The effective diffusivities were in the range 2.20-4.52 × 10^-11 m² s^-1 and 3.04-4.79 × 10^-11 m²/s^-1 for barley dried in a spouted-bed and in an IR-convection dryer, respectively. There were no significant differences in kernel germination energy and capacity between the two drying methods tested.     

Relative importance of evaluation criteria for enterprise systems: a conjoint study

Abstract.  While a large body of research exists on the development and implementation of software, organizations are increasingly acquiring enterprise software packages [e.g. enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems] instead of custom developing their own software applications. To be competitive in the marketplace, software package development firms must manage the three-pronged trade-off between cost, quality and functionality. Surprisingly, prior research has made little attempt to investigate the characteristics of packaged software that influence management information system (MIS) managers' likelihood of recommending purchase. As a result, both the criteria by which MIS managers evaluate prospective packaged systems and the attributes that lead to commercially competitive ERP software products are poorly understood. This paper examines this understudied issue through a conjoint study. We focus on ERP systems, which are among the largest and most complex packaged systems that are purchased by organizations. In a conjoint study, 1008 evaluation decisions based on hypothetical ERP software package profiles were completed by managers in 126 organizations. The study represents the first empirical investigation of the relative importance that managers ascribe to various factors that are believed to be important in evaluating packaged software. The results provide important insights for both organizations that acquire such systems and those that develop them. The results show that functionality, reliability, cost, ease of use and ease of customization are judged to be important criteria, while ease of implementation and vendor reputation were not found to be significant. Functionality and reliability were found to be the most heavily weighted factors. We conclude the paper with a detailed discussion of the results and their implications for software acquisition and development practice.     

Preparation of monodisperse poly(vinyl alcohol) microspheres by heterogeneous surface saponification and iodine complex formation

Monodisperse poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) microspheres with high molecular weight obtained by suspension polymerization of vinyl acetate were saponified in alkaline aqueous solution to keep their spherical structure. The saponification was restricted on the surface of the PVAc microspheres and obtained particles had skin/core structure. Various poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) microspheres with different diameters and degrees of saponification (DSs) were obtained. The conversion of PVAc to PVA during the heterogeneous surface saponification time were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and after 72 h hydrogel type PVA microspheres completely saponified were obtained. The crystal melting temperatures of the microspheres obtained by the saponification were measured a constant value of 238°C irrespective of varying DS, and the peaks became enlarged as reaction time. Iodine complexes were formed in saponified microspheres with DS of 41% and 99% by immersing them in I₂/KI aqueous solution and decomposed by the reduction of I₂ in the complexes to 2I^? using sodium sulfite to confirm whether the skin formed through the saponification was composed of PVA with high VA content. Obviously, characteristic blue color developments owing to I₅^?‐PVA complexes were observed in both saponified regions and a red in the PVAc core. Consequently, it was concluded that the PVA skins formed by heterogeneous surface saponification had high DSs. Such complexes endowed polymeric microspheres a good radiopacity which would be useful in clinical treatment of vascular diseases and were examined by X‐ray irradiation image. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Hybrid photocatalytic membranes embedding decatungstate for heterogeneous photooxygenation

The incorporation of decatungstate in polymeric membranes provides new heterogeneous photocatalysts for the oxidation of organic substrates under oxygen atmosphere at 25 °C. Photocatalytic membranes have been prepared yielding polymeric films with a high thermal, chemical and mechanical stability (PVDF, PDMS, Hyflon). Surface spectroscopy techniques including transmittance and reflectance UV-Vis and FT-IR have been used to assess the photocatalyst integrity within the polymeric support. Catalyst screening has been performed under both homogeneous and heterogeneous photooxygenation conditions. The photocatalyst activity has been evaluated in terms of the substrate conversion, turnover numbers, and recycling experiments. A membrane induced selectivity behavior has been evidenced by comparison with homogeneous oxidations.     

Effect of the particle size ratio on the conductivity of conductor-insulator powder composites: Numerical simulation

A theoretical method for determining the percolation limit and effective conductivity of composites based on polydisperse mixtures of insulator and conductor powders is proposed. The effect of the particle size ratio between the insulator and conductor on the percolation limit and effective conductivity is studied. Numerical simulation of the microstructure, effective properties, and percolation limit in composites is discussed. __________ Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, Vol. 46, No. 1–2(453), pp. 31–40, 2007.