τ‐AIMD for asynchronous receiver feedback

In this work we first describe an asynchronous‐feedback model which corresponds to the diverse roundtrip times (RTTs) of competing flows within the same communication channel. We show that even when the feedback of the receivers/network is asynchronous, the duration of a congestion epoch represents ‘common knowledge’ for the competing flows. Based on this property, we propose a diverse linear increase scheme in proportion to the RTT of each flow and we adjust periodically the windows of the competing flows accordingly, in order to enhance fairness of asynchronous‐feedback environments. We name this scheme τ‐AIMD and show that fairness of flows in asynchronous systems is improved since the increase‐rate diversity of long and short RTT flows is largely canceled. We use the max–min notion of fairness to show that τ‐AIMD can constitute the foundation for other window‐based, end‐to‐end algorithms that target a good balance between efficiency and fairness. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Causes of initial visual loss following blunt ocular injuries: an experimental study

We have investigated in anaesthetised pigs the electrical responses of the retina to light after blunt injuries to the eye. Retinograms, cortical visual evoked responses and intraocular pressures were recorded before and after non-perforating mechanical trauma of sufficient severity to produce traumatic retinal opacification. After injury, applanation pressures rose up to 34 mm. Hg above normal, reaching peak values 4 to 12 minutes after trauma and returning to pre-trauma levels after about 45 minutes. These pressure changes were not responsible for the immediate abolition of the B wave of the retinogram or of the cortical visual evoked responses which occurred after trauma, but increases of intraocular pressure modified the recovery pattern of the visual evoked response.     

A load-balanced parallel sorting algorithm for shared-nothing architectures

With the popularity of parallel database machines based on the shared-nothing architecture, it has become important to find external sorting algorithms which lead to a load-balanced computation, i.e., balanced execution, communication and output. If during the course of the sorting algorithm each processor is equally loaded, parallelism is fully exploited. Similarly, balanced communication will not congest the network traffic. Since sorting can be used to support a number of other relational operations (joins, duplicate elimination, building indexes etc.) data skew produced by sorting can further lead to execution skew at later stages of these operations. In this paper we present a load-balanced parallel sorting algorithm for shared-nothing architectures. It is a multiple-input multiple-output algorithm with four stages, based on a generalization of Batcher's odd-even merge. At each stage then keys are evenly distributed among thep processors (i.e., there is no final sequential merge phase) and the distribution of keys between stages ensures against network congestion. There is no assumption made on the key distribution and the algorithm performs equally well in the presence of duplicate keys. Hence our approach always guarantees its performance, as long asn is greater thanp ³, which is the case of interest for sorting large relations. In addition, processors can be added incrementally. Recommended by: Patrick Valduriez     

Single sampling plans for attributes satisfying an arbitrary set of constraints—A graphical approach

In this paper we present a solution to the problem of determining a single sampling plan, using Larson's Nomograph of the binomial distribution. The problem consists of deciding whether a lot of items will be accepted or rejected, by inspecting a sample of specified size n drawn from the lot. The lot is rejected if the number of bad iterms in the sample is greater than a specified threshold c, otherwise the lot is accepted. The classical procedure for determining a single sampling plan (n,c) is to specify the maximum acceptable probabilities of Type I and Type II errors. Next one expresses these errors in terms of n and c by using the binomial approximation to the hypergeometric distribution. Finally, the pair (n,c) is read at the intersection of the characteristic lines which correspond to the specified maximum error probabilities in the Nomograph. Here, we show that there is a region of plans in the Nomograph which satisfy the error constraints, rather than a single plan. Then we generalize the procedure to problems with an arbitrary number of constraints involving both error types.     

Dietary fibre from berry-processing waste and its impact on bread structure: a review

The structure and function of by-products of berry-processing industries are reviewed, with particular attention to dietary fibre (DF) and its effects in food products. The complex chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics of DF have been investigated and strategies for extraction of specific fractions that provide tailored technological and physiological functionality have been reviewed. The aim of this review is to describe in detail the structural composition and isolation methods of dietary fibre derived from berry by-products, and to explore their potential functionality in foods. The goal is to introduce DF from berry waste streams into the food chain, for which bread is a major vehicle. However, the appeal of bread lies in its aerated structure, for which DF is generally detrimental. The technological influence of DF on the formation and stabilization of the aerated structure of bread is therefore reviewed, in order to understand how to incorporate DF into bread while maintaining palatability. The aerated structure of bread is stabilized by two mechanisms: the gluten matrix and the liquid film surrounding bubbles. Incorporating DF successfully into bread requires understanding its interactions with both of these mechanisms. DF fractions from berries offer superior nutritional value compared to cereal fibre, potentially with less damage to bread structure, due to the higher proportion of soluble fibre. By-products from berry-processing industries could be used as a source of technologically and nutritionally distinctive DF to fabricate foods with enhanced nutritional value. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Soluble dietary fibres from sugarcane bagasse

Soluble dietary fibres from sugarcane bagasse were extracted under alkaline conditions and characterised. Precipitated fibres were dialysed, and the fibre composition was evaluated before and after the dialysis step. Compositional analysis indicated that the fibres both before and after dialysis consisted of 39% w/w total sugars, 16% w/w protein, 10% w/w Klason lignin and 30% w/w ash. Xylose was the main neutral sugar followed by arabinose with glucose, galactose and uronic acids also present in all samples. The structural properties were also spectroscopically examined, which confirmed the presence of arabinoxylans. Macromolecular characterisation revealed that molecular weight is reduced after dialysis, indicating that a range of dietary fibres with different macromolecular characteristics may be obtained depending on the specific processing steps. The present work shows that soluble arabinoxylans may be obtained from sugarcane agricultural wastes that may be used as a source of novel dietary fibres.     

Single-shot 3D hand pose estimation using radial basis function networks trained on synthetic data

Pattern Analysis and Applications - In this work, we present a novel framework to perform single-shot hand pose estimation using depth data as input. The method follows a coarse to fine strategy...     

Spontaneous Oleofoams from Water-in-Oil Emulsions

Spontaneously foaming oil systems have been formulated from water-in-oil emulsions by the controlled release and entrapment of gas in emulsified water droplets contained within the oil. The cascade of events leading to their formation is as follows: Two Span 60-emulsified populations of water droplets, one containing Na₂CO₃, the other 10% HCl and caseinate, were mixed in miglyol oil; the controlled coalescence of Na₂CO₃ droplets with the HCl ones served as a microreactor for the pH reduction and the subsequent release of CO₂ from Na₂CO₃; these gas microbubbles were arrested by sodium caseinate, stabilizing a microfoam within the water droplets; these droplets expanded under the rising gas pressure, spontaneously transforming the surrounding oil into a foamy oleogel containing water droplets.