Toward Automatic Concurrent Debugging Via Minimal Program Mutant Generation with AspectJ

Debugging is one of the most time-consuming activities in program design. Work on automatic debugging has received a great deal of attention and there are a number of symposiums dedicated to this field. Automatic debugging is usually invoked when a test fails in one situation, but succeeds in another. For example, a test fails in one version of the program (or scheduler), but succeeds in another. Automatic debugging searches for the smallest difference that causes the failure. This is very useful when working to identify and fix the root cause of the bug.A new testing method instruments concurrent programs with schedule-modifying instructions to reveal concurrent bugs. This method is designed to increase the probability of concurrent bugs (such as races, deadlocks) appearing. This paper discusses integrating this new testing technology with automatic debugging. Instead of just showing that a bug exists, we can pinpoint its location by finding the minimal set of instrumentations that reveal the bug.In addition to explaining a methodology for this integration, we show an AspectJ-based implementation. We discuss the implementation in detail as it both demonstrates the advantage of the adaptability of open source tools and how our specific change can be used for other testing tools.     

The effects of divided attention on encoding processes in memory: Mapping the locus of interference.

Despite the detrimental effects of divided attention at encoding on later memory performance, results described in the literature do not unequivocally specify which processes are interrupted during encoding by participants' occupation with a concurrent task. Using a processing analysis framework where the encoding process is viewed as a multiphase mental activity, the current research investigated this issue using a new differential temporal interference paradigm where the study phase of single words was interrupted at different temporal segments. In two experiments, we used performance on both memory and online choice reaction time tasks to assess whether such differential interference would produce different degrees of reduction in participants' later memory performance, as well as changes in the attentional resources required to execute each of the encoding phases. Measures of memory and concurrent task performance in the two experiments converged on similar patterns, showing that all phases of encoding are affected by the concurrent task. However, the initial encoding phase, which is tentatively associated with the initial registration of information, seems especially vulnerable to interference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey on resource allocation in high performance distributed computing systems

An efficient resource allocation is a fundamental requirement in high performance computing (HPC) systems. Many projects are dedicated to large-scale distributed computing systems that have designed and developed resource allocation mechanisms with a variety of architectures and services. In our study, through analysis, a comprehensive survey for describing resource allocation in various HPCs is reported. The aim of the work is to aggregate under a joint framework, the existing solutions for HPC to provide a thorough analysis and characteristics of the resource management and allocation strategies. Resource allocation mechanisms and strategies play a vital role towards the performance improvement of all the HPCs classifications. Therefore, a comprehensive discussion of widely used resource allocation strategies deployed in HPC environment is required, which is one of the motivations of this survey. Moreover, we have classified the HPC systems into three broad categories, namely: (a) cluster, (b) grid, and (c) cloud systems and define the characteristics of each class by extracting sets of common attributes. All of the aforementioned systems are cataloged into pure software and hybrid/hardware solutions. The system classification is used to identify approaches followed by the implementation of existing resource allocation strategies that are widely presented in the literature.     

Thermodynamic and NMR investigations on the adsorption mechanism of puerarin with oligo‐β‐cyclodextrin‐coupled polystyrene‐based matrix

BACKGROUND: Adsorption of puerarin on native resin polystyrene (PS) and oligo‐β‐cyclodextrin‐coupled matrix (PS‐CDP) was studied for interactions between the adsorbents and the adsorbates. The sorption mechanism on PS‐CDP was investigated using the isosteric heat approach and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. RESULTS: The equilibrium adsorption data of puerarin on the two matrices PS and PS‐CDP (polystyrene‐based matrix before and after coupling by oligo‐β‐cyclodextrin) in the temperature range 288–318 K were well fitted to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. The energetic heterogeneity of the media was observed based on the result that the values of isosteric enthalpy were quantitatively correlated with the fractional loading of puerarin adsorption. The more heterogeneous surface of PS‐CDP compared with PS was attributed to the complexation between puerarin and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD). NMR studies validated the formation of an inclusion complex puerarin/β‐CD. CONCLUSION: Thermodynamic and NMR studies confirmed that multi‐interaction cooperatively governed the isolation of puerarin from aqueous solution on PS‐CDP matrix. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Use of dairy proteins in lean poultry meat batters – a comparative study

The use of dry whole milk, skimmed milk, caseinate, regular and modified whey, at 2% level (w/w) and with 2% additional protein level was studied in a chicken breast meat system with 51% water addition. At the 2% (w/w) level, all dairy proteins significantly reduced cooking loss compared with the control, with caseinate showing the best results. When compared on an equal protein level (2% total protein), the best performing ingredients were the whole milk and modified whey. A similar observation was made in their effect on the products’ hardness and fracturability. A cost analysis revealed that modified whey provided the most economical ingredient even when used in quantities three times greater than that of as caseinate. Microscopy results showed the formation of larger fine‐protein‐matrix regions in the treatments that provided higher fracturability values.     

Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller for Harmonics Mitigation Using Particle Swarm Optimization

An excessive use of non-linear devices in industry results in current harmonics that degrades the power quality with an unfavorable effect on power system performance. In this research, a novel control technique-based Hybrid-Active Power-Filter (HAPF) is implemented for reactive power compensation and harmonic current component for balanced load by improving the Power-Factor (PF) and Total–Hormonic Distortion (THD) and the performance of a system. This work proposed a soft-computing technique based on Particle Swarm-Optimization (PSO) and Adaptive Fuzzy technique to avoid the phase delays caused by conventional control methods. Moreover, the control algorithms are implemented for an instantaneous reactive and active current (I_d-I_q) and power theory (Pq0) in SIMULINK. To prevent the degradation effect of disturbances on the system's performance, PS0-PI is applied in the inner loop which generate a required dc link-voltage. Additionally, a comparative analysis of both techniques has been presented to evaluate and validate the performance under balanced load conditions. The presented result concludes that the Adaptive Fuzzy PI controller performs better due to the non-linearity and robustness of the system. Therefore, the gains taken from a tuning of the PSO based PI controller optimized with Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) are optimal that will detect reactive power and harmonics much faster and accurately. The proposed hybrid technique minimizes distortion by selecting appropriate switching pulses for VSI (Voltage Source Inverter), and thus the simulation has been taken in SIMULINK/MATLAB. The proposed technique gives better tracking performance and robustness for reactive power compensation and harmonics mitigation. As a result of the comparison, it can be concluded that the PSO-based Adaptive Fuzzy PI system produces accurate results with the lower THD and a power factor closer to unity than other techniques.     

Standford B型主动脉夹层覆膜支架腔内修复术围手术期并发症分析

目的总结覆膜支架腔内修复术治疗Standford B型主动脉夹层的经验,分析围手术期并发症的发生率及处理方法。方法２００５年１月至２０１０年１月,１２７例B型主动脉夹层患者接受覆膜支架腔内修复术治疗。B型夹层１１２例,B型主动脉穿透性溃疡１５例。术前、术后１０d行６４排CTA检查,证实手术效果。统计分析围手术期病死率、主要并发症发生率,探讨死亡及发生主要并发症的可能原因。结果手术成功率１００％,围手术期死亡３例,病死率为２．４％,主要并发症发生率为１３．４％（１７／１２７）,包括截瘫１例,逆行性A型夹层１例,脑梗死致意识障碍２例,支架相关并发症９例,严重内漏４例。结论覆膜支架腔内修复术治疗B型主动脉夹层安全、有效,但主要并发症的发生不容忽视。     

Uncertainty modeling and robust minimax LQR control of multivariable nonlinear systems with application to hypersonic flight

For a class of multi‐input and multi‐output nonlinear uncertainty systems, a novel approach to design a nonlinear controller using minimax linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control is proposed. The proposed method combines a feedback linearization method with the robust minimax LQR approach in the presence of time‐varying uncertain parameters. The uncertainties, which are assumed to satisfy a certain integral quadratic constraint condition, do not necessarily satisfy a generalized matching condition. The procedure consists of feedback linearization of the nominal model and linearization of the remaining nonlinear uncertain terms with respect to each individual uncertainty at a local operating point. This two‐stage linearization process, followed by a robust minimax LQR control design, provides a robustly stable closed loop system. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an application study is provided for a flight control problem of an air‐breathing hypersonic flight vehicle (AHFV), where the outputs to be controlled are the longitudinal velocity and altitude, and the control variables are the throttle setting and elevator deflection. The proposed method is used to derive a linearized uncertainty model for the longitudinal motion dynamics of the AHFV first, and then a robust minimax LQR controller is designed, which is based on this uncertainty model. The controller is synthesized considering seven uncertain aerodynamic and inertial parameters. The stability and performance of the synthesized controller is evaluated numerically via single scenario simulations for particular cruise conditions as well as a Monte‐Carlo type simulation based on numerous cases. It is observed that the control scheme proposed in this paper performs better, especially from the aspect of robustness to large ranges of uncertainties, than some controller design schemes previously published in the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

On colloid-chemical properties of some polymer composites

The influence of the vibrowave action on the properties of some disperse systems used in the textile industry has been considered. It has been noted that excitation of nonlinear oscillation in the audio band under resonant conditions leads to an increase in the degree of dispersion of distributed systems and an increase in their colloid stability. __________ Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 79, No. 1, pp. 133–138, January–February, 2006.