Allocating fixed-priority periodic tasks on multiprocessor systems

In this paper, we study the problem of allocating a set of periodic tasks on a multiprocessor system such that tasks are scheduled to meet their deadlines on individual processors by the Rate-Monotonic scheduling algorithm. A new schedulability condition is developed for the Rate-Monotonic scheduling that allows us to develop more efficient on-line allocation algorithms. Two on-line allocation algorithms—RM-FF and RM-BF are presented, and shown that their worst-case performance, over the optimal allocation, is upper bounded by 2.33 and lower bounded by 2.28. Then RM-FF and RM-BF are further improved to form two new algorithms: Refined-RM-FF (RRM-FF) and Refined-RM-BF (RRM-BF), both of which have a worst-case performance bound of 2. We also show that when the maximum allowable utilization of a task is small, the worst-case performance of all the new algorithms can be significantly improved. The worst-case performance bounds of RRM-FF and RRM-BF are currently the best bounds in the class of on-line scheduling algorithms proposed to solve the same scheduling problem. Simulation studies show that the average-case performance of the newly proposed algorithms is significantly superior to those in the existing literature.     

Functional dependencies among Boolean dependencies

In this paper, we consider functional dependencies among Boolean dependencies (BDs, for short). Armstrong relations are defined for BDs (called BD-Armstrong relations). For BDs, two necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of BD-Armstrong relations are given. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of Armstrong relations for functional dependencies (FDs, for short) is given, which in some sense is more convenient than the condition given in [3]. We give an algorithm that solves the problem of deciding if two BDs imply the same set of functional dependencies. If the BDs are given in perfect disjunctive normal form, then the algorithm requires only polynomial time. Although Mannila and Räihä have shown that for some relations exponential time is needed for computing any cover of the set of FDs defined in this relation, as a consequence, we show that the problem of deciding if two relations satisfy the same set of FDs can be solved in polynomial time. Another consequence is a new correspondence of the families of functional dependencies to the families of Sperner systems. By this correspondence, the estimate of the number of databases given previously in [6] is improved. It is shown that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the closure of the FDs that hold in a BD and its so-calledbasic cover. As applications of basic covers, we obtain a representation of a key, the family of minimal keys and a representation of canonical covers.This research was supported by the Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research, Grant Nos. OTKA 2575, 2149.     

Neuronal laterality in Parkinson''s disease with unilateral symptom by in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA19.9, and CA72.4 in the serum and gastric juice of patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Serum and gastric juice tumor markers CEA, CA19.9, and CA72.4 were measured in 59 patients who had gastric adenocarcinomas and were undergoing curative gastrectomy. The same markers were measured in 47 patients with benign gastric disorders and in 40 healthy subjects. The correlation between the serum and gastric juice levels of tumor markers and several clinicopathological factors were evaluated by univariate analysis. The significance of the tumor markers as prognostic factors was assessed both by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The positivity rates of serum CEA, CA19.9, and CA72.4 were 57.6%, 38.9%, and 18.6% respectively. The positivity rates of gastric juice CEA, CA19.9, and CA72.4 were 62.7%, 30.5%, and 23.7% respectively. The combination of serum and gastric juice markers gave a positivity of 81.3%. There was no correlation between serum and gastric juice level of each tumor marker. Positivity of gastric juice markers did not correlate with prognosis. A significant difference in prognosis was observed between patients positive and negative for serum CEA and CA19.9. Multivariate analysis also revealed that serum CEA and CA19.9 levels were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of both serum and gastric juice tumor markers continue to have only limited diagnostic usefulness in gastric cancer patients. CEA and CA19.9 in the preoperative sera are good prognostic factors, whereas the presence of tumor markers in the gastric juice does not play any prognostic role.     

Unsteady combustion of solid propellants subject to dynamic external radiant heating

A theoretical and experimental investigation is conducted on the effect of a dynamic external radiant heat flux on the combustion of energetic materials. These studies have illustrated the need for including the effect of the mean radiant heat flux and in-depth absorption. Also, a method for obtaining the linear frequency response function over a range of frequencies from a single test using series of radiant pulses is demonstrated. Experimental results have been obtained for an AP/HTPB propellant.Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Published in Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 31–36, May–June, 1993.     

Comparison of contact sensor localization abilities during manipulation

This paper presents an experimental comparison of tactile array versus force-torque sensing for localizing contact during manipulation. The manipulation tasks involved rotating objects and translating objects using a planar two fingered manipulator. A pin and a box were selected as limiting cases of point and line contact against a cylindrical robot finger tip. Practical implementations of the two sensor types are compared theoretically and experimentally, and three different localization algorithms for the tactile array sensor are considered. Force-torque contact sensing results suffered from difficulties in calibration, transient forces, and low grasp force. Tactile array sensing was immune to these problems and the effect of shear loading was only noticeable for a simple centroid algorithm. The results show that with care, both of these sensing schemes can determine the contact location within a millimeter during real manipulation tasks.     

On the Decision Table with Maximal Number of Reducts

Searching for reducts is a basic problem for many rough set methods like rule induction, classification, etc., Many of them can not be realized in exact way because of existing possibly exponential number of (relative) reducts in decision tables. In this paper we investigate properties of the most malicious decision tables, i.e., tables with maximal number of reducts. We show that in such systems, the number of objects must be also exponential. The presented method is based on Boolean reasoning approach.     

Dependence of electrical properties on the crystallographic orientation of CBr4-doped GaAs epilayers grown on GaAs substrates by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Carbon incorporation into GaAs epilayers has been performed by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using CBr4. The electrical properties of CBr₄-doped GaAs epilayers grown on the GaAs substrates with various surface crystallographic orientations between (100) and (111)A were investigated. The electrical properties of the epilayers showed a strong crystallographic orientation dependence. On increasing the surface offset angle, the hole concentration of CBr4-doped GaAs epilayers rapidly decreased with a hump at (311)A. The lower hole concentration at the high offset angle can be explained by its higher desorption rate than that of the (100) surface. This hole concentration dependence on the offset angle was not changed in spite of the growth temperature and the V/III ratio variation given in this work. The above behaviors indicate that the surface kinetics plays an important role in the C incorporation into the non-planar GaAs epilayers.     

Simultaneous UV embossing method for fabricating two parallel organic layers with different hydrophilicity

We developed a simultaneous UV embossing method to fabricate bank-shaped, two parallel layers with different surface properties in a one-step processing using the mold having loop-shaped protrusions. In conjunction with ink-jet technology, the molded pattern could be used as barrier ribs for particular flat panel displays. We choose the layer materials so that the bottom ink-philic one absorb jetted ink and the top ink-phobic one expel jetted ink. Therefore, the structure prevents ink from staining the barrier ribs’ surface and from mixing between adjacent pixels. The structure could be an effective barrier ribs for manufacturing of color filter of a liquid crystal display or light emitting layer of an electroluminescent display with high throughput.