Prescheduling policy for real-time concurrency control: A performance evaluation

A new priority management policy, aprescheduling policy, is proposed. This policy can be applied on any conventional concurrency control protocol to schedule a real-time transaction. Costly preemption is avoided by the prescheduling policy, and parsing dataset of a transaction is not needed. Three widely used conventional concurrency control protocols (dynamic two-phase locking, basic timestamp ordering, and optimistic) are incorporated with the prescheduling policy to form three real-time concurrency control protocols. Performance of the three protocols is evaluated from three different viewpoints: database management systems, protocols, and transaction. From a database management system viewpoint, we show the prescheduling policy can improve the performance of protocols by raising thevalid ratio and reducingrestart counts. In general, two-phase locking with the prescheduling policy performs the best in most cases and yields the best choice for concurrency control in a real-time application. Deciding factors that affect performance of each protocol are identified from protocol viewpoint. Some suggestions are given for writing a timely transaction from the aspect of transaction viewpoint.     

Dynamic oxide voltage relaxation spectroscopy

A new method for trap characterization of oxidized silicon is described. The Dynamic Oxide Voltage Relaxation Spectroscopy (DOVRS) is an improved version of the formerly proposed Oxide Voltage Relaxation Spectroscopy (OVRS) technique which applies a periodic long duration constant current for tunneling injection. It has been demonstrated that the new technique can be used not only to separate and identify the oxide trap from interface trap, but also to separate and determine the centroid from the oxide trap density generated in the MOS system by the tunneling current stress. In the pulse constant current mode, the OVRS measurement can be completed instead of using the double current-voltage technique. Thus the new method results in more accurate and quicker measurements of the oxide trap centroid. Analytical expressions for computing the paramaters of the interface and oxide traps are derived. The effect of the channel carrier mobility on the spectroscopy is also considered. Two types of oxide and two types of interface traps were observed at a pulse constant Fowler-Nordheim current stress by the new method of DOVRS     

Expert system application for the loading capability assessment oftransmission lines

This paper describes the application of an expert system for the evaluation of the short-term thermal rating and temperature rise of overhead conductors. The expert system has been developed using a database and Leonardo expert system shell which is gaining popularity among commercial tools for developing expert system applications. The expert system has been found to compare well when evaluated against site tests. A practical application is given to demonstrate the usefulness of the expert system developed     

A case of macrocystic cervical neurinoma diagnosed by MRI with Gd-DTPA

The authors report a rare case of a large cystic cervical neurinoma. A 45-year-old female was admitted to our clinic because of motor weakness of the right upper extremity, numbness of the right fingers and right posterior cervical pain. Metrizamide CT myelography demonstrated the outline of a low density mass. MRI showed a mass revealing low signal intensity on T1-weighted image, high signal intensity on T2-weighted image and marginal enhancement on contrast image with Gd-DTPA. The mass which was diagnosed as cystic tumor, was located in the intradural extramedullary space between C4 to C5 segments. After C4 through C5 laminectomy, the tumor was found to originate from the C5 anterior motor root. The tumor consisted mostly of a cystic part with a very thin solid compartment beneath the capsule. Postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. Although spinal neurinoma is one of the most common spinal tumors, an almost completely degenerated large cystic spinal neurinoma is extremely rare. MRI with Gd-DTPA was useful for the diagnosis of the cystic neurinoma by clearly enhancing the margin of the tumor.     

Usefulness and limitations of thyrotropin measurements as a first-line test for follow-up of Graves'' patients

Although the good appearance and biocompatibility of dental porcelains, failures are still of considerable concern because of the limited properties to all ceramic system. Physical properties that might be considered ideal include high strength, resistance to abrasion, and resistance to the hostile oral environment. Porcelain has been considered by many of its physical characteristic are similar to those of enamel. In 1983 a new modality of treatment, the etched porcelain restoration was introduced by Simonsen and Calamia. Numerous investigations have shown the strength of the etched porcelain bonded to composite resin and also the clinical success of this porcelain to be used as laminated veneers and etched inlays and onlays.     

Prediction of outcome in omphalocele and gastroschisis by intraoperative measurement of intravesical pressure

A simple and accurate measurement of intraabdominal pressure is essential to predict a successful closure of defects in omphalocele and gastroschisis. Intravesical pressure (IVP) is a close estimation of intraabdominal pressure and can be measured safely by placing a catheter in the urinary bladder during surgery. Three neonates with gastroschisis and four with omphalocele were studied. Pressure-related complications such as ascites leakage, ventral hernia, impaired venous return of the lower extremities, and oliguria developed only in the patients with IVP > 20 mmHg after fascial closure. Prolonged hospitalization, ventilation support and intensive care were required for these patients.     

Low-temperature growth of silicon-boron layer as solid diffusionsource for polysilicon contacted p+-n shallow junction

A new material, Si-B, is proposed as a solid diffusion source for fabrication of poly-Si contacted p⁺-n shallow junctions. The junction depth of the Si-B source diode has been measured and compared with that of a BF₂⁺-implanted poly-Si source diode. It was found that the Si-B source diode had a much shallower junction and was less sensitive to thermal budget than the BF₂⁺ source diode. This was attributed to the smaller surface concentration and diffusivity of boron in the silicon in Si-B source diodes. Regarding electrical characteristics of diodes with a junction depth over 500 Å, a forward ideality factor of better than 1.01 over 8 decades and a reverse-current density lower than 0.5 nA/cm² at -5 V were obtained. As the junction depth shrank to 300 Å, the ideality factor and reverse current density of diodes increased slightly to 1.05 and 1.16 nA/cm², respectively. These results demonstrated that a uniform ultrashallow p⁺-n junction can be obtained by using a thin Si-B layer as a diffusion source     

High-power 980-nm AlGaAs/InGaAs strained quantum-well laser grown by OMVPE

High-power lattice-strained AlGaAs/InGaAs graded index separate-confinement heterostructure (GRINSCH) quantum-well lasers emitting at a 980-nm wavelength have been grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) and fabricated with a self-aligned ridge-waveguide structure. Using a 3- mu m-wide and 750- mu m-long AR-HR coated laser, 30 mV of optical power was coupled into optical fibers with 28.6% efficiency. A dominating single-lobe far-field radiation pattern was obtained from a wedge-shaped ridge-waveguide laser for output power as high as 240 mW with a maximum output power of 310 mW.<>     

The synthesis and characterization of novel 2-nitrobenzyl sulfonate photo-generators of acid

Methodology was developed for the synthesis of novel 2-substituted o-nitrobenzyl chromophores, which were derivatized as the tosylate esters. The thermal stabilities of these new tosylates fell within the range predicted from an empirical model. Lithographic sensitivities of deep UV resists made from these new esters and poly(4-(tert-butoxycarbonyloxy)styrene-sulfone) ranged from 45 to 90 mJ/cm².