SoftUDC: a software-based data center for utility computing

Utility computing aims to aggregate server, network, and storage systems into a single, centrally managed pool of resources. SoftUDC, a virtual machine monitor, lets applications and administrative domains share physical resources while maintaining full functional isolation.     

A Further Comparison of Splitting Rules for Decision-Tree Induction

One approach to learning classification rules from examples is to build decision trees. A review and comparison paper by Mingers (Mingers, 1989) looked at the first stage of tree building, which uses a splitting rule to grow trees with a greedy recursive partitioning algorithm. That paper considered a number of different measures and experimentally examined their behavior on four domains. The main conclusion was that a random splitting rule does not significantly decrease classificational accuracy. This note suggests an alternative experimental method and presents additional results on further domains. Our results indicate that random splitting leads to increased error. These results are at variance with those presented by Mingers.     

New alkaloids from the indopacific sponge Stylissa carteri

Two samples of the marine sponge Stylissa carteri collected in Indonesia yielded two new bromopyrrole alkaloids: debromostevensine (1) and debromohymenin (2), as well as nine other known congeners (3-11). The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously established on the basis of their NMR and mass spectra.     

Compassion Practicum: A Capstone Design Experience at the United States Military Academy

A partnership has been developed linking the United States Military Academy and Special People in the Northeast, a non-profit agency for the mentally and physically handicapped children and adults based in Philadelphia. The present work documents a student design team's design and construction of a ticket-tearing device for a young man in the advanced stages of cerebral palsy and concludes with an evaluation of the entire process.     

Use of a non-rigid region in T4 lysozyme to design an adaptable metal-binding site

It is not easy to find candidate sites within a given proteinwhere the geometry of the polypeptide chain matches that ofmetal-binding sites in known protein structures. By choosinga location in T4 lysozyme that is inherently flexible, it waspossible to engineer a two-histidine site that binds differentdivalent cations. Crystallographic analysis shows that the geometryof binding of zinc is distorted tetrahedral while that of cobaltand nickel is octahedral. Insofar as spectroscopic data canbe measured, they indicate that similar modes of coordinationare retained in solution. The two substitutions, Thr21     

Experimental 1 kW c.w. helix travelling-wave tube for 5?10 Gc/s

A helix travelling-wave tube which was built to demonstrate the advantage of using beryllium-oxide ceramic as the supporting medium for wideband slow-wave structures is described. This experimental tube, designed to operate over the 5?10 Gc/s octave, has given a power output greater than 1 kW c.w.     

Effective Construction Site Management: A Review

The contribution of site management to the achievement of construction performance objectives is examined. Drawing upon existing empirical data and linking them with research findings in the social sciences, the writers argue that there is often insufficient attention paid towards the range of complex and interdependent variables that can influence construction site activity. As a consequence, the predictive capacity of such research is limited, and the recommendations often derived, particularly concerning appropriate managerial actions, often fail to account for significant variability in circumstances. The applicability of the concept of “leadership” to the construction site situation, and its relationship with key component variables are singled out for attention.