Distribution of polynuclear aromatic ring classes in the alberta basin bitumens and crude oils

The total polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content and relative distribution of the fused aromatic ring classes have been studied in four Cretaceous bitumens and crude oils of varying degree of geothermal maturation. A high performance liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) separation, selective for up to four fused aromatic rings, was used to separate the PAH ring systems. The effect of geothermal maturation was simulated by reductive treatment of the heavy Athabasca bitumen. The treatment produced PAH ring distribution similar to that in the light Medicine River oil, and diminished PAH content considerably. The 3- and 4-fused ring systems increased while hydrocarbons containing more than four fused rings decreased. Alkyl substitution was also reduced as a result of both the natural and simulated maturations. Separation efficiency was monitored by refractive index and u.v. detectors, g.c., m.s., ¹³C n.m.r. and spectrofluorometry.     

Traffic analysis of large TST networks

The traffic performance of time-space-time (TST) switching networks built from large time-switching stages used in digital switching systems is discussed. These switching networks exhibit steep load-service characteristics and present new numerical problems for traffic performance evaluation. The precise numerical calculation of switch blocking and the amount of search effort needed to find a network path are addressed. Computational efficiency and robustness are emphasized. The approach is based on a familiar model that uses state-dependent transitions in formulating the balance equations. A comparative study with traditional methods illustrates the numerical gains to be made for switching networks of arbitrary size     

Separation, characterization and analysis of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon ring classes in Lloydminster and Medicine River oils

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (h.p.l.c.) separation, having selectivity for the number of fused aromatic rings up to four, was used to separate polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) ring classes. Two crude oils: the heavy Lloydminster and the light Medicine River oils from the Alberta Basin were analysed. Three- and four-ring structures dominated the aromatic concentrates of both oils. The abundance of five and larger fused ring contents, and higher degree of alkyl substitution distinguish the Lloydminster polyaromatic content. The analytical potential of this approach was studied using refractive index and ultraviolet detectors, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, ¹³C n.m.r. and spectrofluorometry. The procedure proved to be useful for characterization of the complex PAH mixture in hydrocarbon materials.     

Interaction of call blocking and cell loss in an ATM network

The introduction of broadband ATM networks and services will raise new operational issues. An area of significant challenge to the network operators will be network dimensioning. ATM networks differ from today's STM networks in that they will have to provide acceptable performance with respect to not only call blocking, but also cell loss and cell delay. Consequently, it is important to understand the interaction of call blocking and cell loss/delay in ATM networks. The paper presents a method of exploiting the interaction of call blocking and cell loss performance in order to efficiently operate the ATM networks. Specifically, the paper demonstrates that when the network is dimensioned or engineered to meet an appropriate call blocking objective, the cell loss performance perceived by the accepted calls can be significantly better than the cell loss objective set for the connection admission control (CAC) to admit or deny a call     

Architecture and control of an adaptive high capacity flat network

This article discusses the design of a scalable high-performance multiservice network based on programmable transport. A meshed network with dynamically adjustable link capacities and nodes which provide data packing into “containers” for transport is proposed. A ring-based network, exchanging data containers among its nodes, is the preferred implementation due to its flexibility, maintainability, and high reliability. With lossless rings, the quality of service is controlled solely by the origin and destination nodes, without any interference from other data streams. Flexible programmable transport greatly improves the performance, simplifies the controls, and facilitates scalability. The concept is a departure from classical network thinking. By reducing the complexity of the network core, an economical, reliable, and manageable network with feature-rich edge nodes can be realized. An architecture with recursive ring-based structures provides a high degree of flexibility in bandwidth allocation and is compatible with current transport networks and future all-optical networks     

Review of The Core Program: A cognitive behavioural guide to depression.

Reviews the book, The Core Program: A cognitive behavioural guide to depression by Randy J. Paterson, Lynn E. Alden, and William J. Koch (Narrated by Randy J. Paterson). Depression is one of the most common mental health concerns, and efforts to alleviate its burden are truly commendable. Emerging from the Changeways Clinic in Vancouver, this book is one of such recent efforts. This program, developed by Paterson and his colleagues, is delivered in both audio and text formats, with the audio portion narrated by Paterson. The program guides the reader to listen to the audio segment then read through its complementary section in the manual, but it emphasises the importance of working through the examples and completion of the provided worksheets. Overall, the Core Program is a well-developed manual for the treatment of depression. It uses the knowledge derived from cutting-edge research in the field of cognitive science, as well as sound evidence-based practise methods, to provide a valuable tool in the fight against depression. It is replete with pertinent examples and homework assignments, and clearly reflects the authors’ collective expertise in the field of clinical psychology. This program is recommended for use by depressed and/or anxious clients during the course of formal therapy and under the supervision of a licensed practitioner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergence or coexistence.

Comments on N. P. Spanos and T. X. Barber's (see record 1975-00161-001) article on convergence in hypnosis research, arguing that state and nonstate theories of hypnosis coexist but do not converge. The state theory is grounded in Cartesian dualism, while the nonstate theory is basically monistic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)