Virtual Memory Behavior of Some Sorting Algorithms

Experimnental results are given about the performance of six sorting algorithms in a virtual memory based on the working set principle. With one exception, the algorithms are general internal sorting algorithms and not especially tuned for virtual memory. Algorithms are compared in terms of their time requirements, space requirements, and space-time integrals. The relative performances of the algorithms vary from one measure to the other. Especially in terms of a space-time integral, quicksort turns out to be the best algorithm, also in a working set virtual memory environment.     

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of poly(ethy1ene glycol)

Catalytic thermometric titration is used for the determination of the phenol and resorcinol components of resins formed by the sodium hydroxide- and ammonia-catalysed condensations of phenol, resorcinol and mixtures of phenol and resorcinol, with formaldehyde.     

Mental causal models of incidents communicated in licensee event reports in a process industry

The present investigation describes some mental causal models used in incident reports. Some of the models (e.g., single-cause models) are simpler than others (e.g., causal-tree models). The models are also associated with different ways of explaining an incident or accident and with different recommendations for increasing the safety of a system. In study 1, incident reports from Swedish nuclear power plants known to use human or organisational factors were analysed. The analysis showed that the most frequent model was a simple single-cause model. Two-step models and more complex models were less frequent. Study 2 analysed all licensee event reports (including those reports not related to human organisational factors) from four reactors assessed by regulators during the year. The results showed that single-cause and two-step accident models were more frequent than more complex models. The analyses also revealed that different detection modes were related to different models.     

Using natural class hierarchies in multi-class visual classification

We address the problem of computationally efficient visual classification of objects, and propose a system for solving multi-class problems in domains that have inherent hierarchic structure, such as subclass-superclass-relationships based on visual similarity. Class relationships are used at runtime to select the computationally simplest feature space that allows classification at high level of confidence for each example view. Classification accuracies can then be further improved using rank-order voting over multiple views. Our experimental results show that our system compares favorably to previously published results using a demanding benchmark. The results support the hypothesis that class hierarchies based on visual similarities are feasible and useful in controlling the accuracy vs. speed tradeoffs in classification.     

Pipeline materials modify the effectiveness of disinfectants in drinking water distribution systems

We studied how pipe material can modify the effectiveness of UV- and chlorine disinfection in drinking water and biofilms. This study was done with two pipe materials: copper and composite plastic (polyethylene, PE) in a pilot scale water distribution network. UV-disinfection decreased viable bacterial numbers in the pilot waterworks and outlet water of pipes on average by 79%, but in biofilms its disinfecting effect was minor. Chlorine decreased effectively the microbial numbers in water and biofilms of PE pipes. In outlet water from copper pipes, the effect of chlorination was weaker; microbial numbers increased back to the level before chlorination within a few days. In the biofilms present in the copper pipes, chlorine decreased microbial numbers only in front of the pipeline. One reason for weaker efficiency of chlorine in copper pipes was that its concentration declined more rapidly in the copper pipes than in the PE pipes. These results means that copper pipes may require a higher chlorine dosage than plastic pipes to achieve effective disinfection of the pipes.     

Primary Fermentation with Immobilized Yeast: Some Effects of Carrier Materials on the Flavour of the Beer

Three carrier materials (porous glass beads, DEAE‐cellulose, diatomaceous earth) for immobilized primary fermentation of beer were tested on a 1.6 litre scale. The influence of the carrier materials on flavour compounds in the green beer was analysed. The nature of the carrier affected the concentrations of some flavour compounds in a yeast strain specific manner. The findings suggest that the most appropriate material for immobilized primary fermentation of beer depends on the yeast strain used and the beer characteristics desired.     

UbiComp 2006 Workshops, Part 2

This article presents summaries of five of the UbiComp 2006 Workshops: System Support for Ubiquitous Computing, Pervasive Image Capture and Sharing, Usable Ubiquitous Computing in Next-Generation Conference Rooms, Nurturing Technologies in the Domestic Environment, and UbiHealth. The other summaries appeared in the January--March 2007 issue.     

Tankyrase Inhibition Attenuates Cardiac Dilatation and Dysfunction in Ischemic Heart Failure

Hyperactive poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) promote ischemic heart failure (IHF) after myocardial infarction (MI). However, the role of tankyrases (TNKSs), members of the PARP family, in pathogenesis of IHF remains unknown. We investigated the expression and activation of TNKSs in myocardium of IHF patients and MI rats. We explored the cardioprotective effect of TNKS inhibition in an isoproterenol-induced zebrafish HF model. In IHF patients, we observed elevated TNKS2 and DICER and concomitant upregulation of miR-34a-5p and miR-21-5p in non-infarcted myocardium. In a rat MI model, we found augmented TNKS2 and DICER in the border and infarct areas at the early stage of post-MI. We also observed consistently increased TNKS1 in the border and infarct areas and destabilized AXIN in the infarct area from 4 weeks onward, which in turn triggered Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In an isoproterenol-induced HF zebrafish model, inhibition of TNKS activity with XAV939, a TNKSs-specific inhibitor, protected against ventricular dilatation and cardiac dysfunction and abrogated overactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and dysregulation of miR-34a-5p induced by isoproterenol. Our study unravels a potential role of TNKSs in the pathogenesis of IHF by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and possibly modulating miRNAs and highlights the pharmacotherapeutic potential of TNKS inhibition for prevention of IHF.     

Ultrasound evaluation of mechanical injury of bovine knee articular cartilage under arthroscopic control

A local cartilage injury can trigger development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA). Surgical methods have been developed for repairing cartilage injuries. Objective and sensitive methods are needed for planning an optimal surgery as well as for monitoring the surgical outcome. In this laboratory study, the feasibility of an arthroscopic ultrasound technique for diagnosing cartilage injuries was investigated. In bovine knees (n = 7) articular cartilage in the central patella and femoral sulcus was mechanically degraded with a steel brush modified for use under arthroscopic control. Subsequently, mechanically degraded and intact adjacent tissue was imaged with a high frequency (40 MHz) intravascular ultrasound device operated under arthroscopic guidance. After opening the knee joint, mechanical indentation measurements were also conducted with an arthroscopic device at each predefined anatomical site. Finally, cylindrical osteochondral samples were extracted from the measurement sites and prepared for histological analysis. Quantitative parameters, i.e., reflection coefficient (R), integrated reflection coefficient (IRC), apparent integrated backscattering (AIB), and ultrasound roughness index (URI) were calculated from the ultrasound signals. The reproducibilities (sCV %) of the measurements of ultrasound parameters were variable (3.7% to 26.1%). Reflection and roughness parameters were significantly different between mechanically degraded and adjacent intact tissue (p < 0.05). Surface fibrillation of mechanically degraded tissue could be visualized in ultrasound images. Furthermore, R and IRC correlated significantly with the indentation stiffness. The present results are encouraging; however, further technical development of the arthroscopic ultrasound technique is needed for evaluation of the integrity of human articular cartilage in vivo.     

Success factors of energy management in energy‐intensive industries: Development priority of energy performance measurement

Economic, environmental and social pressures have increased the need for business organisations to control and manage their energy performance on a continual basis. Responding to these pressures follows a learning curve that is influenced by changing drivers and barriers. Consequently, different energy management factors have different development priorities over time. This paper explores the development priority of one factor, namely, energy performance measurement, in the energy‐intensive industrial sector, which is the most advanced industrial sector in its energy management learning curve. In addition, the paper identifies the research and development needs of energy performance measurement that are required to further improve energy performance. The results are based on interviews carried out with managers and operators in three energy‐intensive industrial sectors in Finland. Energy performance measurement is found to be the third development priority in energy management, behind resource and commitment issues. This represents a paradox as resources and commitment are prerequisites for energy performance measurement to be developed, whereas energy performance measurement influences the very same issues by enforcing changed behaviour. Several deficiencies are identified in energy performance measurement in the temporal, systemic and organisational dimensions. Research should be continued towards the implementation of energy performance measurement as a process, the integration of energy performance metrics into overall management and the development of metrics for different industrial sectors, companies and operating cultures. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.