Servers in SCADA applications

Data acquisition and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems have evolved from mainframe-based systems to multilevel tiered systems to flat client-server architecture. This paper examines the necessity for this evolution and the technology that spurred it on. A rod mill is discussed as a case study     

On the Computational Complexity of Consumer Decision Rules

A consumer entering a new bookstore can face more than 250,000alternatives. The efficiency of compensatory and noncompensatory decisionrulesfor finding a preferred item depends on the efficiency of their associatedinformation operators. At best, item-by-item information operators lead tolinear computational complexity; set information operators, on the other hand,can lead to constant complexity. We perform an experiment demonstrating thatsubjects are approximately rational in selecting between sublinear and linearrules. Many markets are organized by attributes that enable consumers toemploya set-selection-by-aspect rule using set information operations. In cyberspacedecision rules are encoded as decision aids.     

The interaction of dietary fibers and cholesterol upon the plasma lipids and lipoproteins, sterol balance, and bowel function in human subjects

To identify any metabolic effects of dietary fiber upon cholesterol metabolism in man, six adult volunteer subjects were fed eucaloric cholesterol-free formula diets, with and without added dietary fiber for two 4-wk periods. A large quantity of dietary fiber was fed, some 60 g of plant cell wall material (or 16 g of crude fiber) derived from corn, beans, bran, pectin, and purified cellulose. This provided about five times the fiber intake of the typical American diet. The addition of fiber to the cholesterol-free diet did not change either the plasma cholesterol level (171+/-21 mg/dl, SEM, to 167+/-18) or the triglyceride (103+/-39 to 93+/-27 mg/dl). The excretion of both endogenous neutral steroids and bile acids were unchanged with fiber (505+/-41 to 636+/-75 mg/day and 194+/-23 to 266+/-47 mg/day, respectively.) However, total fecal steroid excretion was increased 699+/-29 to 902+/-64 mg/day, P < 0.025). With fiber, intestinal transit time was decreased (59+/-9 to 35+/-8 h, P < 0.005), and both the wet and dry stool weights were greatly increased.A second group of six subjects was fed similar diets containing 1,000 mg cholesterol derived from egg yolk. The addition of fiber to the 1,000-mg cholesterol diet did not alter either plasma cholesterol level (233+/-26 to 223+/-36 mg/dl) or triglyceride (102+/-19 to 83+/-11 mg/dl). The excretion of endogenous neutral steroids (618+/-84 to 571+/-59 mg/day), of bile acids (423+/-122 to 401+/-89 mg/day), and of total fecal steroids (1,041+/-175 to 972+/-111 mg/day) were unchanged by fiber. The absorption of dietary cholesterol was not altered when fiber was added to the 1,000-mg cholesterol diet (44.0+/-3.3 to 42.9+/-2.5%). A two-way analysis of variance utilizing both groups of subjects indicated a significant (P < 0.001) effect of dietary cholesterol upon the plasma cholesterol concentration. We concluded that a large quantity of dietary fiber from diverse sources had little or no effect upon the plasma lipids and sterol balance in man in spite of the fact that intestinal transit time and stool bulk changed greatly.     

Observability problem for bearings-only tracking

The state-observability problem for bearings-only tracking of a constant velocity target by a moving observer in two spatial dimensions is analysed. Specifically, we establish general necessary and sufficient conditions for observability and characterize the class of observer motions for which the state remains unobservable. In the course of the analysis, previously developed observability criteria are identified as special cases of our results.     

Enzymatic Writing to Soft Films: Potential to Filter,Store, and Analyze Biologically Relevant Chemical Information

Sensor‐based chemical analyses commonly enlist either the molecular recognition capabilities of biology (e.g., enzyme biosensors) or advanced information processing algorithms (e.g., the electronic nose). Here, a hybrid approach is proposed in which an enzyme is used to “filter” chemical information and write this information to a film which then serves as a permanent storage medium that can be ‘read’ repeatedly, interactively, and by multiple sensor modalities. This approach is demonstrated by analyzing common dietary phenols that are reported to offer health benefits. Specifically, the enzyme tyrosinase is used to convert these phenols into reactive quinones that graft (i.e., write) to a chitosan film. Grafting can be detected by optical, mechanical, and electrochemical sensors. Importantly, grafting confers redox activity to the films and this redox activity can be probed interactively by advanced electrochemical methods that allow the intrinsic redox reactivities to be compared, redox interactions to be identified, and biologically relevant redox activities to be examined. The transfer of chemical and biological information to a film is envisioned to provide broader access to the extensive capabilities offered by sensor technologies and signal processing methodologies.     

Complex and dynamic population structures: synthesis, open questions, and future directions

The population structure of an evolutionary algorithm influences the dissemination and mixing of advantageous alleles, and therefore affects search performance. Much recent attention has focused on the analysis of complex population structures, characterized by heterogeneous connectivity distributions, non-trivial clustering properties, and degree–degree correlations. Here, we synthesize the results of these recent studies, discuss their limitations, and highlight several open questions regarding (1) unsolved theoretical issues and (2) the practical utility of complex population structures for evolutionary search. In addition, we will discuss an alternative complex population structure that is known to significantly influence dynamical processes, but has yet to be explored for evolutionary optimization. We then shift our attention toward dynamic population structures, which have received markedly less attention than their static counterparts. We will discuss the strengths and limitations of extant techniques and present open theoretical and experimental questions and directions for future research. In particular, we will focus on the prospects of “active linking,” wherein edges are dynamically rewired according to the genotypic or phenotypic properties of individuals, or according to the success of prior inter-individual interactions.     

Modular and Versatile Spatial Functionalization of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds through Fiber‐Initiated Controlled Radical Polymerization

Native tissues are typically heterogeneous and hierarchically organized, and generating scaffolds that can mimic these properties is critical for tissue engineering applications. By uniquely combining controlled radical polymerization (CRP), end‐functionalization of polymers, and advanced electrospinning techniques, a modular and versatile approach is introduced to generate scaffolds with spatially organized functionality. Poly‐ε‐caprolactone is end functionalized with either a polymerization‐initiating group or a cell‐binding peptide motif cyclic Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐Ser (cRGDS), and are each sequentially electrospun to produce zonally discrete bilayers within a continuous fiber scaffold. The polymerization‐initiating group is then used to graft an antifouling polymer bottlebrush based on poly(ethylene glycol) from the fiber surface using CRP exclusively within one bilayer of the scaffold. The ability to include additional multifunctionality during CRP is showcased by integrating a biotinylated monomer unit into the polymerization step allowing postmodification of the scaffold with streptavidin‐coupled moieties. These combined processing techniques result in an effective bilayered and dual‐functionality scaffold with a cell‐adhesive surface and an opposing antifouling non‐cell‐adhesive surface in zonally specific regions across the thickness of the scaffold, demonstrated through fluorescent labelling and cell adhesion studies. This modular and versatile approach combines strategies to produce scaffolds with tailorable properties for many applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

Diporphyrin tweezer for multichannel spectroscopic analysis of enantiomeric excess

Chiral 1,1’-binaphthyl-linked diporphyrin ‘tweezers’ (R)-1/(S)-1 and the corresponding zinc(II) complexes (R)-2/(S)-2 were prepared as chiral host molecules, and their utility for chiral analyses (especially enantiomeric excess (ee) determinations) were evaluated. Tris(1-n-dodecyl)porphyrins were used for the first time as the interacting units. Host capabilities of the diporphyrin tweezers were investigated by titrations with (R,R)- and (S,S)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine (CHDA). The host molecules could be used as multichannel probes of ee by using UV-vis, circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence emission and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) methods. Chiral configurations could also be differentiated using CD or ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. All three optical techniques give good resolution of ee with reasonable sensitivity considering the low concentrations used (ca. 10⁻⁶ mol·L⁻¹). The ee determination of CHDA enantiomers using NMR spectroscopy is also possible because of the reasonably well separated resonances in the case of (R,R)- and (S,S)-CHDA. Non-metallated (R)-1/(S)-1 hosts could not be used to detect chiral information in a strongly acidic chiral guest. This work demonstrates the utility of 1,1’-binapthyl-linked chiral hosts for chiral analysis of ditopically interacting enantiomers.     

Highly effective adsorption of heavy metal ions by a thiol-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate clay

A thiol-functionalized layered magnesium phyllosilicate material (called Mg-MTMS), prepared by a direct and cost-effective co-condensation synthesis, has been investigated as a high-capacity adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Structural characterization by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, solid-state 13C and 29Si NMR spectroscopies, and elemental analyses confirms the smectite-type structure and the high organic moiety content of this material. Mg-MTMS was found to be highly effective for the adsorption of Hg(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) ions, exhibiting unprecedented metal ion uptake capacities of 603, 365, and 210 mg of metal/g of adsorbent, respectively. Mg-MTMS shows an equivalent affinity for the three metal ions, removing them from mixed metal solutions with an equal ion uptake capacity (approximately 400 mg of metal/g of adsorbent). Metal-loaded Mg-MTMS can be regenerated by acid treatment without altering the adsorbent properties. The high effectiveness of Mg-MTMS for the capture of metal ions is attributed to both the high concentration of complexing thiol groups (6.4 mmol of SH/g of Mg-MTMS) and the expansion capability of the framework, which facilitates the accessibility of the binding sites.     

Microstructure Development in Reactive-Templated Grain Growth of Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3-Based Ceramics: Template and Formulation Effects

"Reactive-templated grain growth" (RTGG) processing of Bi_1/2Na_1/2TiO₃ (BNT)-based ceramics is reported. Molten salt synthesis was used to prepare platelike (∼0.2 μm × 5 μm × 5 μm) Ruddlesden–Popper (Sr₃Ti₂O₇ (ST)) and Aurivillius (BaBi₂Nb₂O₉ (BBN)) phases which were used as "templates" in studies of RTGG with BNT-based matrixes. A "citrate-gel" route was designed to produce intimately mixed, fine-grain matrixes for these studies. The analytical techniques used were powder X-ray diffraction and microstructural examination of dry-pressed and fired compacts. For mixtures templated with BBN, single-phase perovskite readily formed, and an initially heterogeneous microstructure evolved toward a dense assemblage of anisometric, micrometer-scale grains. Perovskite formation was more sluggish in the mixtures templated with ST, and the final sintered microstructure featured larger, porous grains in an equiaxed, micrometer-scale matrix. A qualitative model, which examined the excess constituents in the matrix after formation of stoichiometric ABO₃ perovskite, is proposed to explain the observations. The model predicted an excess of Na₂O and TiO₂ in the matrix in the case of BBN templates and only excess TiO₂ in the case of ST templates. The results indicate that careful examination of matrix and template chemistry could be important in the selection of systems for RTGG processing.