ReliaCloud‐NS: A scalable web‐based simulation platform for evaluating the reliability of cloud computing systems

This paper discusses the implementation, architecture, and use of a graphical web‐based application called ReliaCloud‐NS that allows users to (1) evaluate the reliability of a cloud computing system (CCS) and (2) design a CCS to a specified reliability level for both public and private clouds. The software was designed with a RESTful application programming interface for performing nonsequential Monte Carlo simulations to perform reliability evaluations of a CCS. Simulation results are stored and presented to the user in the form of interactive charts and graphs from within a web browser. The software contains multiple types of CCS components, simulations, and virtual machine allocation schemes. ReliaCloud‐NS also contains a novel feature that evaluates CCS reliability across a range of varying virtual machine allocations and establishes and graphs a CCS reliability curve. This paper discusses the software architecture, the interactive web‐based interface, and the different types of simulations available in ReliaCloud‐NS and presents an overview of the results generated from a simulation.     

Markerless human articulated tracking using hierarchical particle swarm optimisation

In this paper, we address markerless full-body articulated human motion tracking from multi-view video sequences acquired in a studio environment. The tracking is formulated as a multi-dimensional non-linear optimisation and solved using particle swarm optimisation (PSO), a swarm-intelligence algorithm which has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to solve difficult non-linear optimisation problems. We show that a small number of particles achieves accuracy levels comparable with several recent algorithms. PSO initialises automatically, does not need a sequence-specific motion model and recovers from temporary tracking divergence through the use of a powerful hierarchical search algorithm (HPSO). We compare experimentally HPSO with particle filter (PF), annealed particle filter (APF) and partitioned sampling annealed particle filter (PSAPF) using the computational framework provided by Balan et al. HPSO accuracy and consistency are better than PF and compare favourably with those of APF and PSAPF, outperforming it in sequences with sudden and fast motion. We also report an extensive experimental study of HPSO over ranges of values of its parameters.     

Auto-Discovering Configurations for Service Management

Determining service configurations is essential for effective service management. In this paper we describe a model-driven approach for service configuration auto-discovery. We develop metrics for performance and scalability analysis of such auto-discovery mechanisms. Our approach addresses several problems in auto-discovery: specification of what services to discover, how to efficiently distribute service discovery, and how to match instances of services into related groups. We use object-oriented models for discovery specifications, a flexible bus-based architecture for distribution and communication, and a novel multi-phased, instance matching approach. We have applied our approach to typical e-commerce services, Enterprise Resource Planning applications, like SAP, and Microsoft Exchange services running on a mixture of Windows and Unix platforms. The main contribution of this work is the flexibility of our models, architecture and algorithms to address discovery of a multitude of services.     

VLSI scaling methods and low power CMOS buffer circuit

Device scaling is an important part of the very large scale integration(VLSI) design to boost up the success path of VLSI industry, which results in denser and faster integration of the devices. As technology node moves towards the very deep submicron region, leakage current and circuit reliability become the key issues. Both are increasing with the new technology generation and affecting the performance of the overall logic circuit. The VLSI designers must keep the balance in power dissipation and the circuit’s performance with scaling of the devices. In this paper, different scaling methods are studied first. These scaling methods are used to identify the effects of those scaling methods on the power dissipation and propagation delay of the CMOS buffer circuit. For mitigating the power dissipation in scaled devices, we have proposed a reliable leakage reduction low power transmission gate(LPTG) approach and tested it on complementary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS) buffer circuit. All simulation results are taken on HSPICE tool with Berkeley predictive technology model(BPTM) BSIM4 bulk CMOS files. The LPTG CMOS buffer reduces 95.16% power dissipation with 84.20% improvement in figure of merit at 32 nm technology node. Various process, voltage and temperature variations are analyzed for proving the robustness of the proposed approach. Leakage current uncertainty decreases from 0.91 to 0.43 in the CMOS buffer circuit that causes large circuit reliability.     

An experimental investigation on DI diesel engine with hydrogen fuel

The internal combustion engines have already become an indispensable and integral part of our present day life style, particularly in the transportation and agricultural sectors [Nagalingam B. Properties of hydrogen. In: Proceedings of the summer school of hydrogen energy, IIT Madras, 1984]. Unfortunately the survival of these engines has, of late, been threatened due to the problems of fuel crisis and environmental pollution. Therefore, to sustain the present growth rate of civilization, a nondepletable, clean fuel must be expeditiously sought. Hydrogen exactly caters to the specified needs. Hydrogen, even though “renewable” and “clean burning”, does give rise to some undesirable combustion problems in an engine operation, such as backfire, pre-ignition, knocking and rapid rate of pressure rise [Srinivasa Rao P. Utilization of hydrogen in a dual fueled engine. In: Proceedings of the summer school of hydrogen energy, IIT Madras, 1984; Siebers DL. Hydrogen combustion under diesel engine conditions. Hydrogen Energy 1998;23:363–71]. The present investigation compares the performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine with gaseous hydrogen as a fuel inducted by means of carburation technique and timed port injection technique (TPI) along with diesel as a source of ignition [Swain N, Design and testing of dedicated hydrogen-fueled engine. SAE 961077, 1996]. In the present study the specific energy consumption, NO_x emission and the exhaust gas temperature increased by 6%, 8% and 14%, respectively, and brake thermal efficiency and smoke level reduced by 5% and 8%, respectively, using carburation technique compared to baseline diesel. But in the TPI technique, the specific energy consumption, exhaust gas temperature and smoke level reduced by 15%, 45% and 18%, respectively. The brake thermal efficiency and NO_x increased by 17% and 34%, respectively, compared to baseline diesel. The emissions such as HC, CO, and CO₂ is very low in both carburation and TPI techniques compared baseline diesel.     

Solidification of thermoviscoelastic melts. Part 3: Effects of mold surface temperature differences on warpage and residual stresses

The solidification of a molten layer of amorphous thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part warpage in the injection-molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The model allows material to be added to fill the space created by the pressure applied during solidification so that this model can be used to assess packing-pressure effects in injection molding. Parametric results are presented on the effects of the mold temperatures and the packing pressure—the pressure applied during solidification to counteract the effects of volumetric shrinkage of the thermoplastic—on the in-plane and through-thickness shrinkages, on warpage, and on residual stresses in plaque-like geometries. The packing pressure is shown to have a significant effect on part warpage. While the results are presented in terms of normalized variables based on the properties of bisphenol-A polycarbonate, they can be interpreted for other amorphous thermoplastics, such as modified polyphenylene oxide, polyetherimide, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.     

Microwave joining and repair of composite materials

A novel technique that uses microwave power for joining and repair of thermoplastic and thermoset composites and ceramics is discussed. Enhanced microwave heating resulting from the use of conducting polymers and chiral microinclusions shows considerable promise for joining and repair of composites. The method is attractive because it produces clean and reliable interfacial joints, it is fast, it does not entail alteration of the bulk materials, and it does not result in volumetric heating. System details, including magnetron, waveguides, circulators, coupling iris, and the applicator for delivering microwave power, are described. Material requirements for the efficient absorption of microwave power are discussed. Microwave heating can be increased by doping the components to be joined or by the use of microwave adhesive films. Recent developments in electromagnetic chirality for microwave absorption are introduced and the design of composite materials for enhanced absorptivity is discussed. Results are presented for the welding and repair of thermoplastic, thermoset, and ceramic components.     

Investigation of NPB Analogs That Target Phosphorylation of BAD-Ser99 in Human Mammary Carcinoma Cells

The design and development of a small molecule named NPB [3-{(4(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl}{2-hydroxyphenyl)methyl}-N-cyclopentylbenzamide], which specifically inhibited the phosphorylation of BAD at Ser99 in human carcinoma cells has been previously reported. Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and effect on cancer cell viability of NPB analogs, and the single-crystal X-ray crystallographic studies of an example compound (4r), which was grown via slow-solvent evaporation technique is reported. Screening for loss of viability in mammary carcinoma cells revealed that compounds such as 2[(4(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl][naphthalen-1-yl]methyl)phenol (4e), 5[(4(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl][2-hydroxyphenyl)methyl)uran-2-carbaldehyde (4f), 3[(2-hydroxyphenyl][4(p-tolyl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)benzaldehyde (4i), and NPB inhibited the viability of MCF-7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 5.90, 3.11, 7.68, and 6.5 µM, respectively. The loss of cell viability was enhanced by the NPB analogs synthesized by adding newer rings such as naphthalene and furan-2-carbaldehyde in place of N-cyclopentyl-benzamide of NPB. Furthermore, these compounds decreased Ser99 phosphorylation of hBAD. Additional in silico density functional theory calculations suggested possibilities for other analogs of NPB that may be more suitable for further development.     

Waste Eggshell-Derived Calcium Oxide and Nanohydroxyapatite Biomaterials for the Preparation of LLDPE Polymer Nanocomposite and Their Thermomechanical Study

Waste eggshells were utilized to make calcium oxide (E-CaO) and hydroxyapatite (E-HAP). E-CaO obtained by heat treatment to eggshells was utilized for the synthesis of E-HAP. Melt compounding of E-CaO/E-HAP was performed with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) on a Brabender Plastograph and ground the obtained formulation for injection molding. Addition of E-CaO/E-HAP in the LLDPE significantly enhanced the flame retardant ability and thermal stability of resultant composites. In the comparative study, E-HAP nanopowder-containing polymer composite showed increment in thermal and mechanical properties than the composite prepared using E-CaO.