Tiered Storage For LHC

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Hanushevsky, Andrew

2012-01-01

For more than a year, the ATLAS Western Tier 2 (WT2) at SLAC National Accelerator has been successfully operating a two tiered storage system based on Xrootd's flexible cross-cluster data placement framework, the File Residency Manager. The architecture allows WT2 to provide both, high performance storage at the higher tier to ATLAS analysis jobs, as well as large, low cost disk capacity at the lower tier. Data automatically moves between the two storage tiers based on the needs of analysis jobs and is completely transparent to the jobs.

Multi-tiered system of support incorporating the R.E.N.E.W. process and its relationship to perception of school safety and office discipline referrals

Science.gov (United States)

Flood, Molly M.

This study examined the relationship between the fidelity of multi-tier school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and staff perception of school safety and office discipline referrals. This research provided a case study on multi-tier supports and interventions, and the RENEW person-centered planning process in an alternative special education center following the implementation of a multi-tier SWPBIS model. Pennsylvania is one of several states looking to adopt an effective Tier III behavioral tool. The research described the results of an analysis of implementation fidelity on a multi-tiered school-wide positive behavior support model developed at a special education center operated by a public school system entity. This research explored the fidelity of SWPBIS implementation; analyzed the relationship of SWPBIS to school climate as measured by staff perceptions and reduction of office discipline referrals (ODR); explored tier III supports incorporating a process Rehabilitation and Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work (RENEW); and investigated the potential sustainability of the RENEW process as a multi-tier system of support. This study investigated staff perceptions on integrated supports between schools and communities and identified the degree of relationship to school risk factors, school protective factors, and office discipline referrals following the building of cooperative partnerships between Systems of Care and Local Education Agencies.

Handoff Rate and Coverage Analysis in Multi-tier Heterogeneous Networks

OpenAIRE

Sadr, Sanam; Adve, Raviraj S.

2015-01-01

This paper analyzes the impact of user mobility in multi-tier heterogeneous networks. We begin by obtaining the handoff rate for a mobile user in an irregular cellular network with the access point locations modeled as a homogeneous Poisson point process. The received signal-to-interference-ratio (SIR) distribution along with a chosen SIR threshold is then used to obtain the probability of coverage. To capture potential connection failures due to mobility, we assume that a fraction of handoff...

Nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Ho-Myung; Park, Jae Hoon; Gwak, Kyung Hyun [Hong Ik University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul, 121-791 (Korea, Republic of); Choe, Kun Hyung [Korea Gas Corporation, Incheon, 406-130 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-01-29

Thermodynamic study is performed on nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas. In order to substantially increase the capacity, a Brayton refrigeration cycle with nitrogen expander was recently added to the cold end of the reputable propane pre-cooled mixed-refrigerant (C3-MR) process. Similar modifications with a nitrogen expander cycle are extensively investigated on a variety of cycle configurations. The existing and modified cycles are simulated with commercial process software (Aspen HYSYS) based on selected specifications. The results are compared in terms of thermodynamic efficiency, liquefaction capacity, and estimated size of heat exchangers. The combination of C3-MR with partial regeneration and pre-cooling of nitrogen expander cycle is recommended to have a great potential for high efficiency and large capacity.

Nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ho-Myung; Park, Jae Hoon; Gwak, Kyung Hyun; Choe, Kun Hyung

2014-01-01

Thermodynamic study is performed on nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas. In order to substantially increase the capacity, a Brayton refrigeration cycle with nitrogen expander was recently added to the cold end of the reputable propane pre-cooled mixed-refrigerant (C3-MR) process. Similar modifications with a nitrogen expander cycle are extensively investigated on a variety of cycle configurations. The existing and modified cycles are simulated with commercial process software (Aspen HYSYS) based on selected specifications. The results are compared in terms of thermodynamic efficiency, liquefaction capacity, and estimated size of heat exchangers. The combination of C3-MR with partial regeneration and pre-cooling of nitrogen expander cycle is recommended to have a great potential for high efficiency and large capacity.

Nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Ho-Myung; Park, Jae Hoon; Gwak, Kyung Hyun; Choe, Kun Hyung

2014-01-01

Thermodynamic study is performed on nitrogen expander cycles for large capacity liquefaction of natural gas. In order to substantially increase the capacity, a Brayton refrigeration cycle with nitrogen expander was recently added to the cold end of the reputable propane pre-cooled mixed-refrigerant (C3-MR) process. Similar modifications with a nitrogen expander cycle are extensively investigated on a variety of cycle configurations. The existing and modified cycles are simulated with commercial process software (Aspen HYSYS) based on selected specifications. The results are compared in terms of thermodynamic efficiency, liquefaction capacity, and estimated size of heat exchangers. The combination of C3-MR with partial regeneration and pre-cooling of nitrogen expander cycle is recommended to have a great potential for high efficiency and large capacity

A computer program (FUGI) for design and operation of a conveyor type irradiator with multi-tier and multi-layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, Tatsuo; Aggarwal, K.S.

1976-10-01

A computer program (FUGI) was established to facilitate the determination of factors related to design and operation of a conveyor type irradiator with multi-tier and multi-layer. The factors determined by this program are as follows: (1) maximum dose, minimum dose and dose uniformity in irradiated material; (2) dose rate distribution on the path of irradiated material; (3) mass flow rate of irradiated material; (4) requisite activity of source; (5) requisite speed of conveyor; (6) utilization efficiency. This program partly uses the program FUDGE 4A for determination of dose rate in irradiated material in static state by Galanter and Krishnamurthy. (auth.)

A Multi-Tier Social-Ecological System Analysis of Protected Areas Co-Management in Belize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenrick W. Williams

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Co-management of protected areas has been recognized as a viable option to sustainably manage ecosystems. This collaborative approach actively engages civil society in the protected areas governance processes. Attempts at co-management, however, have not been uniformly successful; whereas the governance of some initiatives succeed and become strong and sustainable, others become weak or fail over time. In this paper, we provide a nuanced application of Ostrom’s multi-tier SES framework to carry out a systematic analysis of representative cases of co-management in Belize. This novel approach allows us to avoid the common problem of overstating the explanatory power of individual variables, while enabling us to tease out the interrelationships among critical process and contextual variables that may influence co-management outcomes. Our findings show that strong co-management is associated with a multiplicity of variables, including information sharing, conflict resolution, investments, self-organization, and networking. Contextual conditions inclusive of strong leadership, social capital, and high levels of dependence on resources for daily livelihoods seem to have influenced these processes over time. The presence of cross-scale and cross-level networks also seems to be important in influencing co-management outcomes. Our study contributes to the further development of Ostrom’s multi-tier SES framework by proposing the addition of five new third-tier variables. We advance some key lessons in the analysis of co-management outcomes and offer some policy recommendations to improve protected areas co-management policy and practice in Belize.

A multi-tiered approach for assessing the forestry and wood products industries' impact on the carbon balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Knauf, Marcus

2015-12-01

The forestry and wood products industries play a significant role in CO 2 emissions reduction by increasing carbon stocks in living forest biomass and wood products. Moreover, wood can substitute for fossil fuels. Different methods can be used to assess the impact of regional forestry and wood products industries on regional CO 2 emissions. This article considers three of those methods and combines them into a multi-tiered approach. The multi-tiered approach proposed in this article combines: 1) a Kyoto-Protocol-oriented method focused on changes in CO 2 emissions resulting from regional industrial production, 2) a consumer-oriented method focused on changes in CO 2 emissions resulting from regional consumption, and 3) a value-creation-oriented method focused on changes in CO 2 emissions resulting from forest management and wood usage strategies. North Rhine-Westphalia is both a typical German state and an example of a region where each of these three methods yields different results. It serves as a test case with which to illustrate the advantages of the proposed approach. This case study argues that the choice of assessment methods is essential when developing and evaluating a strategy for reducing CO 2 emissions. Emissions can be reduced through various social and economic processes. Since none of the assessment methods considered above is suitable for all of these processes, only a multi-tiered approach may ensure that strategy development results in an optimal emissions reduction strategy.

Experience building and operating the CMS Tier-1 computing centres

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, M.; Bakken, J.; Bonacorsi, D.; Brew, C.; Charlot, C.; Huang, Chih-Hao; Colling, D.; Dumitrescu, C.; Fagan, D.; Fassi, F.; Fisk, I.; Flix, J.; Giacchetti, L.; Gomez-Ceballos, G.; Gowdy, S.; Grandi, C.; Gutsche, O.; Hahn, K.; Holzman, B.; Jackson, J.; Kreuzer, P.; Kuo, C. M.; Mason, D.; Pukhaeva, N.; Qin, G.; Quast, G.; Rossman, P.; Sartirana, A.; Scheurer, A.; Schott, G.; Shih, J.; Tader, P.; Thompson, R.; Tiradani, A.; Trunov, A.

2010-04-01

The CMS Collaboration relies on 7 globally distributed Tier-1 computing centres located at large universities and national laboratories for a second custodial copy of the CMS RAW data and primary copy of the simulated data, data serving capacity to Tier-2 centres for analysis, and the bulk of the reprocessing and event selection capacity in the experiment. The Tier-1 sites have a challenging role in CMS because they are expected to ingest and archive data from both CERN and regional Tier-2 centres, while they export data to a global mesh of Tier-2s at rates comparable to the raw export data rate from CERN. The combined capacity of the Tier-1 centres is more than twice the resources located at CERN and efficiently utilizing this large distributed resources represents a challenge. In this article we will discuss the experience building, operating, and utilizing the CMS Tier-1 computing centres. We will summarize the facility challenges at the Tier-1s including the stable operations of CMS services, the ability to scale to large numbers of processing requests and large volumes of data, and the ability to provide custodial storage and high performance data serving. We will also present the operations experience utilizing the distributed Tier-1 centres from a distance: transferring data, submitting data serving requests, and submitting batch processing requests.

Experience building and operating the CMS Tier-1 computing centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert, M; Bakken, J; Huang, Chih-Hao; Dumitrescu, C; Fagan, D; Fisk, I; Giacchetti, L; Gutsche, O; Holzman, B; Bonacorsi, D; Grandi, C; Brew, C; Jackson, J; Charlot, C; Colling, D; Fassi, F; Flix, J; Gomez-Ceballos, G; Hahn, K; Gowdy, S

2010-01-01

The CMS Collaboration relies on 7 globally distributed Tier-1 computing centres located at large universities and national laboratories for a second custodial copy of the CMS RAW data and primary copy of the simulated data, data serving capacity to Tier-2 centres for analysis, and the bulk of the reprocessing and event selection capacity in the experiment. The Tier-1 sites have a challenging role in CMS because they are expected to ingest and archive data from both CERN and regional Tier-2 centres, while they export data to a global mesh of Tier-2s at rates comparable to the raw export data rate from CERN. The combined capacity of the Tier-1 centres is more than twice the resources located at CERN and efficiently utilizing this large distributed resources represents a challenge. In this article we will discuss the experience building, operating, and utilizing the CMS Tier-1 computing centres. We will summarize the facility challenges at the Tier-1s including the stable operations of CMS services, the ability to scale to large numbers of processing requests and large volumes of data, and the ability to provide custodial storage and high performance data serving. We will also present the operations experience utilizing the distributed Tier-1 centres from a distance: transferring data, submitting data serving requests, and submitting batch processing requests.

Energy Efficient Power Allocation in Multi-tier 5G Networks Using Enhanced Online Learning

KAUST Repository

Alqerm, Ismail

2017-07-25

The multi-tier heterogeneous structure of 5G with dense small cells deployment, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) communications operating in an underlay fashion is envisioned as a potential solution to satisfy the future demand for cellular services. However, efficient power allocation among dense secondary transmitters that maintains quality of service (QoS) for macro (primary) cell users and secondary cell users is a critical challenge for operating such radio. In this paper, we focus on the power allocation problem in the multi-tier 5G network structure using a non-cooperative methodology with energy efficiency consideration. Therefore, we propose a distributive intuition-based online learning scheme for power allocation in the downlink of the 5G systems, where each transmitter surmises other transmitters power allocation strategies without information exchange. The proposed learning model exploits a brief state representation to account for the problem of dimensionality in online learning and expedite the convergence. The convergence of the proposed scheme is proved and numerical results demonstrate its capability to achieve fast convergence with QoS guarantee and significant improvement in system energy efficiency.

Breaks Are Better: A Tier II Social Behavior Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, R. Justin; Anderson, Cynthia M.

2013-01-01

Multi-tiered systems of social behavioral support in schools provide varying levels of intervention matched to student need. Tier I (primary or universal) systems are for all students and are designed to promote pro-social behavior. Tier III (tertiary or intensive) supports are for students who engage in serious challenging behavior that has not…

Multi-tiered S-SOA, Parameter-Driven New Islamic Syariah Products of Holistic Islamic Banking System (HiCORE): Virtual Banking Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Halimah, B. Z.; Azlina, A.; Sembok, T. M.; Sufian, I.; Sharul Azman, M. N.; Azuraliza, A. B.; Zulaiha, A. O.; Nazlia, O.; Salwani, A.; Sanep, A.; Hailani, M. T.; Zaher, M. Z.; Azizah, J.; Nor Faezah, M. Y.; Choo, W. O.; Abdullah, Chew; Sopian, B.

The Holistic Islamic Banking System (HiCORE), a banking system suitable for virtual banking environment, created based on universityindustry collaboration initiative between Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Fuziq Software Sdn Bhd. HiCORE was modeled on a multitiered Simple - Services Oriented Architecture (S-SOA), using the parameterbased semantic approach. HiCORE's existence is timely as the financial world is looking for a new approach to creating banking and financial products that are interest free or based on the Islamic Syariah principles and jurisprudence. An interest free banking system has currently caught the interest of bankers and financiers all over the world. HiCORE's Parameter-based module houses the Customer-information file (CIF), Deposit and Financing components. The Parameter based module represents the third tier of the multi-tiered Simple SOA approach. This paper highlights the multi-tiered parameter- driven approach to the creation of new Islamiic products based on the 'dalil' (Quran), 'syarat' (rules) and 'rukun' (procedures) as required by the syariah principles and jurisprudence reflected by the semantic ontology embedded in the parameter module of the system.

Expanding OPEC production capacity: some legal and environmental aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sahlawi, M.A.

1992-01-01

There is general consensus that the global demand for oil will increase in the medium-to-long term. It is predicted that much of this additional demand will be for OPEC oil. Therefore, it will become necessary to expand OPEC production capacity to meet this perceived increase. In recent years, many OPEC countries have launched far-reaching and, in some cases, radical plans to expand their production capacity. However, given the various investment and political constraints faced by the 13 OPEC Members, each country differs markedly in its ability to boost production capacity sufficiently to meet self-imposed targets. In this paper, we examine the importance to the oil market of recent oil supply trends and possible future attempts to build OPEC production capacity, focussing in particular on the legal and environmental issues involved. A review is provided of the legal mechanisms currently evolving in OPEC Countries to encourage investment in their oil industries. In addition, we outline the impact of the environmental movement of OPEC's expansion programmes. (author)

Influence of the Applied Working Fluid and the Arrangement of the Steering Edges on Multi-Vane Expander Performance in Micro ORC System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Józef Rak

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Micro-power domestic organic Rankine cycle (ORC systems are nowadays of great interest. These systems are considered for combined heat and power (CHP generation in domestic and distributed applications. The main issues of ORC systems design is selection of the expander and the working fluid. Thanks to their positive features, multi-vane expanders are especially promising for application in micro-power ORC systems. These expanders are very simple in design, small in dimensions, inexpensive and feature low gas flow capacity and expansion ratio. The application of multi-vane expanders in ORC systems is innovative and currently limited to prototype applications. However, a literature review indicates the growing interest in these machines and the potential for practical implementation. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct detailed studies on the multi-vane expanders operation in ORC systems. In this paper the results of experimental and numerical investigations on the influence of the applied working fluid and the arrangement of the steering edges on multi-vane expander performance in micro ORC system are reported. The experiments were performed using the specially designed lab test-stand, i.e. the domestic ORC system. Numerical simulations were proceeded in ANSYS CFX software (ANSYS, Inc., Canonsburg, PA, USA and were focused on determining the expander performance under various flow conditions of different working fluids. Detailed numerical analysis of the arrangement of the machine steering edges showed existence of optimal mutual position of the inlet and outlet port for which the multi-vane expander achieves maximum internal work and internal efficiency.

Using Direct Behavior Rating--Single Item Scales to Assess Student Behavior within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Faith G.; Patwa, Shamim S.; Chafouleas, Sandra M.

2014-01-01

An increased emphasis on collecting and using data in schools has occurred, in part, because of the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). Commonly referred to as response to intervention in the academic domain and school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports in the behavioral domain, these initiatives have a…

Three-tier multi-granularity switching system based on PCE

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yubao; Sun, Hao; Liu, Yanfei

2017-10-01

With the growing demand for business communications, electrical signal processing optical path switching can't meet the demand. The multi-granularity switch system that can improve node routing and switching capabilities came into being. In the traditional network, each node is responsible for calculating the path; synchronize the whole network state, which will increase the burden on the network, so the concept of path calculation element (PCE) is proposed. The PCE is responsible for routing and allocating resources in the network1. In the traditional band-switched optical network, the wavelength is used as the basic routing unit, resulting in relatively low wavelength utilization. Due to the limitation of wavelength continuity, the routing design of the band technology becomes complicated, which directly affects the utilization of the system. In this paper, optical code granularity is adopted. There is no continuity of the optical code, and the number of optical codes is more flexible than the wavelength. For the introduction of optical code switching, we propose a Code Group Routing Entity (CGRE) algorithm. In short, the combination of three-tier multi-granularity optical switching system and PCE can simplify the network structure, reduce the node load, and enhance the network scalability and survivability. Realize the intelligentization of optical network.

Uplink Interference Analysis for Two-tier Cellular Networks with Diverse Users under Random Spatial Patterns

OpenAIRE

Bao, Wei; Liang, Ben

2013-01-01

Multi-tier architecture improves the spatial reuse of radio spectrum in cellular networks, but it introduces complicated heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of transmitters, which brings new challenges in interference analysis. In this work, we present a stochastic geometric model to evaluate the uplink interference in a two-tier network considering multi-type users and base stations. Each type of tier-1 users and tier-2 base stations are modeled as independent homogeneous Poisson point...

Welfare of organic laying hens kept at different indoor stocking densities in a multi-tier aviary system. I: egg laying, and use of veranda and outdoor area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steenfeldt, Sanna; Nielsen, Birte L.

2015-01-01

Multi-tier aviary systems are becoming more common in organic egg production. The area on the tiers can be included in the net area available to the hens (also referred to as usable area) when calculating maximum indoor stocking densities in organic systems within the EU. In this article, results...... on egg production, laying behaviour and use of veranda and outdoor area are reported for organic laying hens housed in a multi-tier system with permanent access to a veranda and kept at stocking densities (D) of 6, 9 and 12 hens/m2 available floor area, with concomitant increases in the number of hens...... per trough, drinker, perch and nest space. In a fourth treatment, access to the top tier was blocked reducing vertical, trough and perch access at the lowest stocking density (treatment D6x). In all other aspects than stocking density, the experiment followed the EU regulations on the keeping...

Implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS): Collaboration between School Psychologists and Administrators to Promote Systems-Level Change

Science.gov (United States)

Eagle, John W.; Dowd-Eagle, Shannon E.; Snyder, Andrew; Holtzman, Elizabeth Gibbons

2015-01-01

Current educational reform mandates the implementation of school-based models for early identification and intervention, progress monitoring, and data-based assessment of student progress. This article provides an overview of interdisciplinary collaboration for systems-level consultation within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.…

Multi-Capacity Load Cell Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seif. M. OSMAN

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Force measuring systems are usually used to calibrate force generated systems, it is not preferable to use load cells to measure forces less than 10 % of its nominal capacity. Several load cells are required to offer calibration facilities at sites to cover different ranges, this lead to difficulties in handling procedures, through the need for several carrying cases to carry this overweight in addition to the over cost of purchasing several load cells. This article concerns with introducing a new concept for designing a multi-capacity load cell as a new force standard in the field of measuring the force. This multi-capacity load cell will replace a set of load cells and reflects economically on the total cost and on easiness of handling procedures.

Security audits of multi-tier virtual infrastructures in public infrastructure clouds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bleikertz, Sören; Schunter, Matthias; Probst, Christian W.

2010-01-01

Cloud computing has gained remarkable popularity in the recent years by a wide spectrum of consumers, ranging from small start-ups to governments. However, its benefits in terms of flexibility, scalability, and low upfront investments, are shadowed by security challenges which inhibit its adoption....... Managed through a web-services interface, users can configure highly flexible but complex cloud computing environments. Furthermore, users misconfiguring such cloud services poses a severe security risk that can lead to security incidents, e.g., erroneous exposure of services due to faulty network...... security configurations. In this article we present a novel approach in the security assessment of the end-user configuration of multi-tier architectures deployed on infrastructure clouds such as Amazon EC2. In order to perform this assessment for the currently deployed configuration, we automated...

Report on Tier-0 Scaling Tests

CERN Multimedia

M. Branco; L. Goossens; A. Nairz

To get prepared for handling the enormous data rates and volumes during LHC operation, ATLAS is currently running so-called Tier-0 Scaling Tests, which were started beginning of November and will last until Christmas. These tests are carried out in the context of LCG (LHC Computing Grid) Service Challenge 3 (SC3), a joint exercise of CERN IT and the LHC experiments to test the infrastructure of computing, network, and data management, in particular for its architecture, scalabilty and readiness for LHC data taking. ATLAS has adopted a multi-Tier hierarchical model to organise the workflow, with dedicated tasks to be performed at the individual levels in the Tier hierarchy. The Tier-0 centre located at CERN will be responsible for performing a first-pass reconstruction of the data arriving from the Event Filter farm, thus producing Event Summary Data (ESDs), Analysis Object Data (AODs) and event Tags, for processing calibration and alignment information, for archiving both raw and reconstructed data, and for ...

The US-CMS Tier-1 Center Network Evolving toward 100Gbps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobyshev, A; DeMar, P

2011-01-01

Fermilab hosts the US Tier-1 Center for the LHC's Compact Muon Collider (CMS) experiment. The Tier-1s are the central points for the processing and movement of LHC data. They sink raw data from the Tier-0 at CERN, process and store it locally, and then distribute the processed data to Tier-2s for simulation studies and analysis. The Fermilab Tier-1 Center is the largest of the CMS Tier-1s, accounting for roughly 35% of the experiment's Tier-1 computing and storage capacity. Providing capacious, resilient network services, both in terms of local network infrastructure and off-site data movement capabilities, presents significant challenges. This article will describe the current architecture, status, and near term plans for network support of the US-CMS Tier-1 facility.

Tiered Approach to Resilience Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Linkov, Igor; Fox-Lent, Cate; Read, Laura; Allen, Craig R; Arnott, James C; Bellini, Emanuele; Coaffee, Jon; Florin, Marie-Valentine; Hatfield, Kirk; Hyde, Iain; Hynes, William; Jovanovic, Aleksandar; Kasperson, Roger; Katzenberger, John; Keys, Patrick W; Lambert, James H; Moss, Richard; Murdoch, Peter S; Palma-Oliveira, Jose; Pulwarty, Roger S; Sands, Dale; Thomas, Edward A; Tye, Mari R; Woods, David

2018-04-25

Regulatory agencies have long adopted a three-tier framework for risk assessment. We build on this structure to propose a tiered approach for resilience assessment that can be integrated into the existing regulatory processes. Comprehensive approaches to assessing resilience at appropriate and operational scales, reconciling analytical complexity as needed with stakeholder needs and resources available, and ultimately creating actionable recommendations to enhance resilience are still lacking. Our proposed framework consists of tiers by which analysts can select resilience assessment and decision support tools to inform associated management actions relative to the scope and urgency of the risk and the capacity of resource managers to improve system resilience. The resilience management framework proposed is not intended to supplant either risk management or the many existing efforts of resilience quantification method development, but instead provide a guide to selecting tools that are appropriate for the given analytic need. The goal of this tiered approach is to intentionally parallel the tiered approach used in regulatory contexts so that resilience assessment might be more easily and quickly integrated into existing structures and with existing policies. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Flexible Design for α-Duplex Communications in Multi-Tier Cellular Networks

KAUST Repository

AlAmmouri, Ahmad

2016-06-13

Backward compatibility is an essential ingredient for the success of new technologies. In the context of inband full-duplex (FD) communication, FD base stations (BSs) should support half-duplex (HD) users’ equipment (UEs) without sacrificing the foreseen FD gains. This paper presents flexible and tractable modeling framework for multi-tier cellular networks with FD BSs and FD/HD UEs. The presented model is based on stochastic geometry and accounts for the intrinsic vulnerability of uplink transmissions. The results show that FD UEs are not necessarily required to harvest rate gains from FD BSs. In particular, the results show that adding FD UEs to FD BSs offers a maximum of 5% rate gain over FD BSs and HD UEs case if multi-user diversity is exploited, which is a marginal gain compared to the burden required to implement FD transceivers at the UEs’ side. To this end, we shed light on practical scenarios where HD UEs operation with FD BSs outperforms the operation when both the BSs and UEs are FD and we find a closed form expression for the critical value of the self-interference attenuation power required for the FD UEs to outperform HD UEs.

Tenet: An Architecture for Tiered Embedded Networks

OpenAIRE

Ramesh Govindan; Eddie Kohler; Deborah Estrin; Fang Bian; Krishna Chintalapudi; Om Gnawali; Sumit Rangwala; Ramakrishna Gummadi; Thanos Stathopoulos

2005-01-01

Future large-scale sensor network deployments will be tiered, with the motes providing dense sensing and a higher tier of 32-bit master nodes with more powerful radios providing increased overall network capacity. In this paper, we describe a functional architecture for wireless sensor networks that leverages this structure to simplify the overall system. Our Tenet architecture has the nice property that the mote-layer software is generic and reusable, and all application functionality reside...

Social Interaction and Price Transmission in Multi-Tier Food Supply Chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Widyarini

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This research focuses on social interaction associated with price transmission in a multi-tier rice supply chain. A case study and qualitative methods are employed to examine a well-established supply network in Karawang District in Indonesia. Farmers and traders used their existing network in selling rice crops to traders and adopted a payment scheme for cash-and-carry transactions. Information on the market situation was obtained through personal interviews and observations including text messaging with farmer and trader informants. Evidence reveals that social relationships are vital in transmitting price information among networked actors to maintain the flow of rice, mitigate risk, and avoid losses due to poor quality of the rice product. Findings show that social interaction enables actors in an end-to-end rice supply chain to deal with the assurance of supply rationing.

Using Brief Experimental Analysis to Intensify Tier 3 Reading Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Coolong-Chaffin, Melissa; Wagner, Dana

2015-01-01

As implementation of multi-tiered systems of support becomes common practice across the nation, practitioners continue to need strategies for intensifying interventions and supports for the subset of students who fail to make adequate progress despite strong programs at Tiers 1 and 2. Experts recommend making several changes to the structure and…

Expanded spent fuel storage project at Yankee Atomic Electric Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, S.L.

1980-01-01

A detailed discussion on the project at the Yankee Rowe power reactor for expanding the capacity of the at-reactor storage pool by building double-tier storage racks. Various alternatives for providing additional capacity were examined by the operators. Away-from-reactor alternatives included shipment to existing privately owned facilities, a regional independent storage facility, and transshipments to other New England nuclear power plant pools. At-reactor alternatives evaluated included a new pool modification of the existing structure and finally, modification of the spent fuel pit. The establishment of a federal policy precluding transshipment of spent fuel prohibited the use of off-site alternatives. The addition of another pool was too expensive. The possibility of modifying an existing on-site structure required a new safety evaluation by the regulatory group with significant cost and time delays. Therefore, the final alternative - utilizing the existing spent fuel pool with some modification - was chosen due to cost, licensing possibility, no transport requirements, and the fact that the factors involved were mainly under the control of the operator. Modification of the pool was accomplished in phases. In the first phase, a dam was installed in the center of the pool (after the spent fuel was moved to one end). In the second phase, the empty end of the pool was drained and lined with stainless steel and the double-tier rack supports were added. In the third phase, the pool was refilled and the dam was removed. Then the spent fuel was moved into the completed end. In the fourth phase, the dam was replaced and the empty part of the pool was drained. The liner and double-tier rack supports were installed, the pool was refilled, and the dam was removed.The project demonstrated that the modification of existing spent fuel fuel pools for handling double-tier fuel racks is a viable solution for increasing the storage capacity at the reactor

Interference statistics and capacity analysis for uplink transmission in two-tier small cell networks: A geometric probability approach

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina

2014-07-01

This paper presents a novel framework to derive the statistics of the interference considering dedicated and shared spectrum access for uplink transmission in two-tier small cell networks such as the macrocell-femtocell networks. The framework exploits the distance distributions from geometric probability theory to characterize the uplink interference while considering a traditional grid-model set-up for macrocells along with the randomly deployed femtocells. The derived expressions capture the impact of path-loss, composite shadowing and fading, uniform and non-uniform traffic loads, spatial distribution of femtocells, and partial and full spectral reuse among femtocells. Considering dedicated spectrum access, first, we derive the statistics of co-tier interference incurred at both femtocell and macrocell base stations (BSs) from a single interferer by approximating generalized- K composite fading distribution with the tractable Gamma distribution. We then derive the distribution of the number of interferers considering partial spectral reuse and moment generating function (MGF) of the cumulative interference for both partial and full spectral reuse scenarios. Next, we derive the statistics of the cross-tier interference at both femtocell and macrocell BSs considering shared spectrum access. Finally, we utilize the derived expressions to analyze the capacity in both dedicated and shared spectrum access scenarios. The derived expressions are validated by the Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical results are generated to assess the feasibility of shared and dedicated spectrum access in femtocells under varying traffic load and spectral reuse scenarios. © 2014 IEEE.

Developing the Capacity to Implement Tier 2 and Tier 3 Supports: How Do We Support Our Faculty and Staff in Preparing for Sustainability?

Science.gov (United States)

Oakes, Wendy Peia; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Germer, Kathryn A.

2014-01-01

School-site and district-level leadership teams rely on the existing knowledge base to select, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices meeting students' multiple needs within the context of multitiered systems of support. The authors focus on the stages of implementation science as applied to Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports; the…

The ATLAS Tier-0 Overview and operational experience

CERN Document Server

Elsing, M; Nairz, A; Negri, G

2010-01-01

Within the ATLAS hierarchical, multi-tier computing infrastructure, the Tier-0 centre at CERN is mainly responsible for prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system, to archive the raw and derived data on tape, to register the data with the relevant catalogues and to distribute them to the associated Tier-1 centers. The Tier-0 is already fully functional. It has been successfully participating in all cosmic and commissioning data taking since May 2007, and was ramped up to its foreseen full size, performance and throughput for the cosmic (and short single-beam) run periods between July and October 2008. Data and work flows for collision data taking were exercised in several "Full Dress Rehearsals" (FDRs) in the course of 2008. The transition from an expert to a shifter-based system was successfully established in July 2008. This article will give an overview of the Tier-0 system, its data and work flows, and operations model. It will review the operational experience gained in cosmic, c...

Multi-Stage Transportation Problem With Capacity Limit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Brezina

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The classical transportation problem can be applied in a more general way in practice. Related problems as Multi-commodity transportation problem, Transportation problems with different kind of vehicles, Multi-stage transportation problems, Transportation problem with capacity limit is an extension of the classical transportation problem considering the additional special condition. For solving such problems many optimization techniques (dynamic programming, linear programming, special algorithms for transportation problem etc. and heuristics approaches (e.g. evolutionary techniques were developed. This article considers Multi-stage transportation problem with capacity limit that reflects limits of transported materials (commodity quantity. Discussed issues are: theoretical base, problem formulation as way as new proposed algorithm for that problem.

Status and Trends in Networking at LHC Tier1 Facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Bobyshev, A.; DeMar, P.; Grigaliunas, V.; Bigrow, J.; Hoeft, B.; Reymund, A.

2012-12-01

The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: • Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state • Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers • Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers • Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities • Network virtualization

Status and Trends in Networking at LHC Tier1 Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobyshev, A; DeMar, P; Grigaliunas, V; Bigrow, J; Hoeft, B; Reymund, A

2012-01-01

The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: • Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state • Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers • Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers • Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities • Network virtualization

Status and trends in networking at LHC Tier1 facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bobyshev, A. [Fermilab; DeMar, P. [Fermilab; Grigaliunas, V. [Fermilab; Bigrow, J. [Brookhaven; Hoeft, B. [KIT, Karlsruhe; Reymund, A. [KIT, Karlsruhe

2012-06-22

The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities Network virtualization

Welfare of organic laying hens kept at different indoor stocking densities in a multi-tier aviary system. II: live weight, health measures and perching.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenfeldt, S; Nielsen, B L

2015-09-01

Multi-tier aviary systems, where conveyor belts below the tiers remove the manure at regular intervals, are becoming more common in organic egg production. The area on the tiers can be included in the net area available to the hens (also referred to as usable area) when calculating maximum indoor stocking densities in organic systems within the EU. In this article, results on live weight, health measures and perching are reported for organic laying hens housed in a multi-tier system with permanent access to a veranda and kept at stocking densities (D) of 6, 9 and 12 hens/m2 available floor area, with concomitant increases in the number of hens per trough, drinker, perch and nest space. In a fourth treatment, access to the top tier was blocked reducing vertical, trough, and perch access at the lowest stocking density (D6x). In all other aspects than stocking density, the experiment followed the EU regulations on the keeping of organic laying hens. Hen live weight, mortality and foot health were not affected by the stocking densities used in the present study. Other variables (plumage condition, presence of breast redness and blisters, pecked tail feathers, and perch use) were indirectly affected by the increase in stocking density through the simultaneous reduction in access to other resources, mainly perches and troughs. The welfare of the hens was mostly affected by these associated constraints, despite all of them being within the allowed minimum requirements for organic production in the EU. Although the welfare consequences reported here were assessed to be moderate to minor, it is important to take into account concurrent constraints on access to other resources when higher stocking densities are used in organic production.

Multi-Hop Link Capacity of Multi-Route Multi-Hop MRC Diversity for a Virtual Cellular Network

Science.gov (United States)

Daou, Imane; Kudoh, Eisuke; Adachi, Fumiyuki

In virtual cellular network (VCN), proposed for high-speed mobile communications, the signal transmitted from a mobile terminal is received by some wireless ports distributed in each virtual cell and relayed to the central port that acts as a gateway to the core network. In this paper, we apply the multi-route MHMRC diversity in order to decrease the transmit power and increase the multi-hop link capacity. The transmit power, the interference power and the link capacity are evaluated for DS-CDMA multi-hop VCN by computer simulation. The multi-route MHMRC diversity can be applied to not only DS-CDMA but also other access schemes (i. e. MC-CDMA, OFDM, etc.).

Fuzzy multi-project rough-cut capacity planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Masmoudi, Malek; Hans, Elias W.; Leus, Roel; Hait, Alain; Sotskov, Yuri N.; Werner, Frank

2014-01-01

This chapter studies the incorporation of uncertainty into multi-project rough-cut capacity planning. We use fuzzy sets to model uncertainties, adhering to the so-called possibilistic approach. We refer to the resulting proactive planning environment as Fuzzy Rough Cut Capacity Planning (FRCCP).

Search-based Tier Assignment for Optimising Offline Availability in Multi-tier Web Applications

OpenAIRE

Philips, Laure; De Koster, Joeri; De Meuter, Wolfgang; De Roover, Coen

2017-01-01

Web programmers are often faced with several challenges in the development process of modern, rich internet applications. Technologies for the different tiers of the application have to be selected: a server-side language, a combination of JavaScript, HTML and CSS for the client, and a database technology. Meeting the expectations of contemporary web applications requires even more effort from the developer: many state of the art libraries must be mastered and glued together. This leads to an...

Multiple tier fuel cycle studies for waste transmutation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, R.N.; Taiwo, T.A.; Stillman, J.A.; Graziano, D.J.; Bennett, D.R.; Trellue, H.; Todosow, M.; Halsey, W.G.; Baxter, A.

2002-01-01

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Accelerator Applications Program, a systems study was conducted to evaluate the transmutation performance of advanced fuel cycle strategies. Three primary fuel cycle strategies were evaluated: dual-tier systems with plutonium separation, dual-tier systems without plutonium separation, and single-tier systems without plutonium separation. For each case, the system mass flow and TRU consumption were evaluated in detail. Furthermore, the loss of materials in fuel processing was tracked including the generation of new waste streams. Based on these results, the system performance was evaluated with respect to several key transmutation parameters including TRU inventory reduction, radiotoxicity, and support ratio. The importance of clean fuel processing (∼0.1% losses) and inclusion of a final tier fast spectrum system are demonstrated. With these two features, all scenarios capably reduce the TRU and plutonium waste content, significantly reducing the radiotoxicity; however, a significant infrastructure (at least 1/10 the total nuclear capacity) is required for the dedicated transmutation system

A new multi-component hierarchy and its integrable expanding model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Huanhe; Liang Xiangqian

2008-01-01

A set of multi-component matrix Lie algebra is constructed, it follows that a type of new loop algebra is presented and multi-component integrable hierarchy is obtained. Furthermore, the loop algebra is expanded into a larger one and a type of integrable coupling system is worked out. As reduction of the hierarchy, some well-known hierarchy such as DNLS, KN, CLL hierarchy are established

The architecture and operation of the CMS Tier-0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hufnagel, Dirk

2011-01-01

The Tier-0 processing system is the initial stage of the multi-tiered computing system of CMS. It takes care of the first processing steps of data at the LHC at CERN. The automated workflows running in the Tier-0 contain both low-latency processing chains for time-critical applications and bulk chains to archive the recorded data offsite the host laboratory. It is a mix between an online and offline system, because the data the CMS DAQ writes out initially is of a temporary nature. Most of the complexity in the design of this system comes from this unique combination of online and offline use cases and dependencies. In this talk, we want to present the software design of the CMS Tier-0 system and present an analysis of the 24/7 operation of the system in the 2009/2010 data taking periods.

Optimizing Libraries’ Content Findability Using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) With Multi-Tier Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Lahinta, A.; Haris, I.; Abdillah, T.

2017-03-01

The aim of this paper is to describe a developed application of Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) as a model for improving libraries’ digital content findability on the library web. The study applies XML text-based protocol tools in the collection of data about libraries’ visibility performance in the search results of the book. Model from the integrated Web Service Document Language (WSDL) and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) are applied to analyse SOAP as element within the system. The results showed that the developed application of SOAP with multi-tier architecture can help people simply access the website in the library server Gorontalo Province and support access to digital collections, subscription databases, and library catalogs in each library in Regency or City in Gorontalo Province.

The ATLAS Tier-0: Overview and operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsing, Markus; Goossens, Luc; Nairz, Armin; Negri, Guido

2010-01-01

Within the ATLAS hierarchical, multi-tier computing infrastructure, the Tier-0 centre at CERN is mainly responsible for prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system, to archive the raw and derived data on tape, to register the data with the relevant catalogues and to distribute them to the associated Tier-1 centers. The Tier-0 is already fully functional. It has been successfully participating in all cosmic and commissioning data taking since May 2007, and was ramped up to its foreseen full size, performance and throughput for the cosmic (and short single-beam) run periods between July and October 2008. Data and work flows for collision data taking were exercised in several 'Full Dress Rehearsals' (FDRs) in the course of 2008. The transition from an expert to a shifter-based system was successfully established in July 2008. This article will give an overview of the Tier-0 system, its data and work flows, and operations model. It will review the operational experience gained in cosmic, commissioning, and FDR exercises during the past year. And it will give an outlook on planned developments and the evolution of the system towards first collision data taking expected now in late Autumn 2009.

The ATLAS Tier-0: Overview and operational experience

Science.gov (United States)

Elsing, Markus; Goossens, Luc; Nairz, Armin; Negri, Guido

2010-04-01

Within the ATLAS hierarchical, multi-tier computing infrastructure, the Tier-0 centre at CERN is mainly responsible for prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system, to archive the raw and derived data on tape, to register the data with the relevant catalogues and to distribute them to the associated Tier-1 centers. The Tier-0 is already fully functional. It has been successfully participating in all cosmic and commissioning data taking since May 2007, and was ramped up to its foreseen full size, performance and throughput for the cosmic (and short single-beam) run periods between July and October 2008. Data and work flows for collision data taking were exercised in several "Full Dress Rehearsals" (FDRs) in the course of 2008. The transition from an expert to a shifter-based system was successfully established in July 2008. This article will give an overview of the Tier-0 system, its data and work flows, and operations model. It will review the operational experience gained in cosmic, commissioning, and FDR exercises during the past year. And it will give an outlook on planned developments and the evolution of the system towards first collision data taking expected now in late Autumn 2009.

Multiple Tier Fuel Cycle Studies for Waste Transmutation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, R.N.; Taiwo, T.A.; Stillman, J.A.; Graziano, D.J.; Bennett, D.R.; Trellue, H.; Todosow, M.; Halsey, W.G.; Baxter, A.

2002-01-01

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Accelerator Applications Program, a systems study was conducted to evaluate the transmutation performance of advanced fuel cycle strategies. Three primary fuel cycle strategies were evaluated: dual-tier systems with plutonium separation, dual-tier systems without plutonium separation, and single-tier systems without plutonium separation. For each case, the system mass flow and TRU consumption were evaluated in detail. Furthermore, the loss of materials in fuel processing was tracked including the generation of new waste streams. Based on these results, the system performance was evaluated with respect to several key transmutation parameters including TRU inventory reduction, radiotoxicity, and support ratio. The importance of clean fuel processing (∼0.1% losses) and inclusion of a final tier fast spectrum system are demonstrated. With these two features, all scenarios capably reduce the TRU and plutonium waste content, significantly reducing the radiotoxicity; however, a significant infrastructure (at least 1/10 the total nuclear capacity) is required for the dedicated transmutation system. (authors)

Multi-lane Roundabout Capacity Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ammar Šarić

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Although two-lane roundabouts theoretically exhibit excellent operating performance, in practice, safety problems arise because of inappropriate driving behavior. Turbo roundabouts, which are characterized by a much higher level of safety, are alternatives to classic two-lane roundabouts, but the capacity-related benefits derived from such roundabouts remain an open issue. Accordingly, this study uses an equilibrium traffic flow allocation approach to evaluate multi-lane roundabout capacity based on gap acceptance theory. Capacity levels are calculated and compared for different gap acceptance parameters, including local parameters, and different traffic flow scenarios. It is found that the capacity of minor approaches on turbo roundabouts is always higher than on two-lane roundabouts, but that the main approaches on two-lane roundabouts exhibit better performance in terms of fully equilibrium traffic allocation. This state, however, cannot be achieved for every demand scenario. The results depend strongly on traffic movements and gap acceptance parameters indicating the need for local calibration processes.

Methods for expanding the capacity of spent fuel storage facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-06-01

At the beginning of 1989 more than 55,000 metric tonnes of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent Light Water Reactor (LWR) and Heavy Water Reactor (HWR) fuel had been discharged worldwide from nuclear power plants. Only a small fraction of this fuel has been reprocessed. The majority of the spent fuel assemblies are currently held at-reactor (AR) or away-from-reactor (AFR) in storage awaiting either chemical processing or final disposal depending on the fuel concept chosen by individual countries. Studies made by NEA and IAEA have projected that annual spent fuel arising will reach about 10,000 t HM in the year 2000 and cumulative arising will be more than 200,000 t HM. Taking into account the large quantity of spent fuel discharged from NPP and that the first demonstrations of the direct disposal of spent fuel or HLW are expected only after the year 2020, long-term storage will be the primary option for management of spent fuel until well into the next century. There are several options to expand storage capacity: (1) to construct new away-from-reactor storage facilities, (2) to transport spent fuel from a full at-reactor pool to another site for storage in a pool that has sufficient space to accommodate it, (3) to expand the capacity of existing AR pools by using compact racks, double-tierce, rod consolidation and by increasing the dimensions of existing pools. The purpose of the meeting was: to exchange new information on the international level on the subject connected with the expansion of storage capacities for spent fuel; to elaborate the state-of-the-art of this problem; to define the most important areas for future activity; on the basis of the above information to give recommendations to potential users for selection and application of the most suitable methods for expanding spent fuel facilities taking into account the relevant country's conditions. Refs, figs and tabs

Multi-Stage Transportation Problem With Capacity Limit

OpenAIRE

I. Brezina; Z. Čičková; J. Pekár; M. Reiff

2010-01-01

The classical transportation problem can be applied in a more general way in practice. Related problems as Multi-commodity transportation problem, Transportation problems with different kind of vehicles, Multi-stage transportation problems, Transportation problem with capacity limit is an extension of the classical transportation problem considering the additional special condition. For solving such problems many optimization techniques (dynamic programming, linear programming, special algor...

Impacts of expanding airport capacity on competition and connectivity: the case of Gatwick and Heathrow

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burghouwt, G.; Krul, J.; Boonekamp, T.; Lieshout, R.

2014-01-01

The UK Airports Commission has short-listed three options for expanding airport capacity in the UK. One option concerns expansion of Gatwick with an additional runway. The other options concern expansion of runway capacity at Heathrow. The impacts of expansion on passenger and air freight user

Interhemispheric interaction expands attentional capacity in an auditory selective attention task.

Science.gov (United States)

Scalf, Paige E; Banich, Marie T; Erickson, Andrew B

2009-04-01

Previous work from our laboratory indicates that interhemispheric interaction (IHI) functionally increases the attentional capacity available to support performance on visual tasks (Banich in The asymmetrical brain, pp 261-302, 2003). Because manipulations of both computational complexity and selection demand alter the benefits of IHI to task performance, we argue that IHI may be a general strategy for meeting increases in attentional demand. Other researchers, however, have suggested that the apparent benefits of IHI to attentional capacity are an epiphenomenon of the organization of the visual system (Fecteau and Enns in Neuropsychologia 43:1412-1428, 2005; Marsolek et al. in Neuropsychologia 40:1983-1999, 2002). In the current experiment, we investigate whether IHI increases attentional capacity outside the visual system by manipulating the selection demands of an auditory temporal pattern-matching task. We find that IHI expands attentional capacity in the auditory system. This suggests that the benefits of requiring IHI derive from a functional increase in attentional capacity rather than the organization of a specific sensory modality.

Velocity-Aware Handover Management in Two-Tier Cellular Networks

KAUST Repository

Arshad, Rabe; Elsawy, Hesham; Sorour, Sameh; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

by network densification. Hence, user mobility imposes a nontrivial challenge to harvest capacity gains via network densification. In this paper, we propose a velocity-aware HO management scheme for two-tier downlink cellular network to mitigate the HO effect

The effect of a three-tier formulary on antidepressant utilization and expenditures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgkin, Dominic; Parks Thomas, Cindy; Simoni-Wastila, Linda; Ritter, Grant A; Lee, Sue

2008-06-01

Health plans in the United States are struggling to contain rapid growth in their spending on medications. They have responded by implementing multi-tiered formularies, which label certain brand medications 'non-preferred' and require higher patient copayments for those medications. This multi-tier policy relies on patients' willingness to switch medications in response to copayment differentials. The antidepressant class has certain characteristics that may pose problems for implementation of three-tier formularies, such as differences in which medication works for which patient, and high rates of medication discontinuation. To measure the effect of a three-tier formulary on antidepressant utilization and spending, including decomposing spending allocations between patient and plan. We use claims and eligibility files for a large, mature nonprofit managed care organization that started introducing its three-tier formulary on January 1, 2000, with a staggered implementation across employer groups. The sample includes 109,686 individuals who were continuously enrolled members during the study period. We use a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design that includes a comparison group, comprising members whose employer had not adopted three-tier as of March 1, 2000. This permits some control for potentially confounding changes that could have coincided with three-tier implementation. For the antidepressants that became nonpreferred, prescriptions per enrollee decreased 11% in the three-tier group and increased 5% in the comparison group. The own-copay elasticity of demand for nonpreferred drugs can be approximated as -0.11. Difference-in-differences regression finds that the three-tier formulary slowed the growth in the probability of using antidepressants in the post-period, which was 0.3 percentage points lower than it would have been without three-tier. The three-tier formulary also increased out-of-pocket payments while reducing plan payments and total spending

Metal-clad switchgear with large capacity vacuum circuit breaker in two-tier arrangement for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Isao; Watanabe, Hideo; Sugitani, Shinji

1982-01-01

Accompanying the increase of main machinery capacity in nuclear power stations, the short-circuit capacity for 6.9 kV in-house auxiliary machinery circuit has increased, and a 63 kA circuit breaker has become necessary. Although magnetic breakers have been used as large capacity breakers so far, vacuum breakers which are more suitable for the recent environmental conditions of power stations have become employed. Hitachi Ltd. has developed the metal-clad switchboard with vacuum breakers of 7.2 kV, 1,200 to 3,000 A, and breaking current of 63 kA in two-tier arrangement. The main features of this breaker are small size, light weight, long life, labour-saving in maintenance and inspection, simple construction, easy handling, high reliability and safety. In addition, in this paper, the construction of the breaker and switchboard, aseismic property, and test results are described. The tests include the withstand voltage test, elevated temperature test, short period current test, short-circuit test, low current breaking test, continuous on-off test, on-off surge combination test and short-circuit breaking test under the condition of vacuum failure in one phase. The aseismic property is guaranteed by analyzing the vibration characteristics and the strength using computer-aided finite element method so that the performance required is satisfied. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Tier identification (TID) for tiered memory characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jichuan; Lim, Kevin T; Ranganathan, Parthasarathy

2014-03-25

A tier identification (TID) is to indicate a characteristic of a memory region associated with a virtual address in a tiered memory system. A thread may be serviced according to a first path based on the TID indicating a first characteristic. The thread may be serviced according to a second path based on the TID indicating a second characteristic.

Impact of multi-tiered pharmacy benefits on attitudes of plan members with chronic disease states.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Kavita V; Ganther, Julie M; Valuck, Robert J; McCollum, Marianne M; Lewis, Sonya J

2002-01-01

To evaluate the effects of 2- and 3-tiered pharmacy benefit plans on member attitudes regarding their pharmacy benefits. We performed a mail survey and cross-sectional comparison of the outcome variables in a large managed care population in the western United States. Participants were persons with chronic disease states who were in 2- or 3-tier copay drug plans. A random sample of 10,662 was selected from a total of 25,008 members who had received 2 or more prescriptions for a drug commonly used to treat one of 5 conditions: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or arthritis. Statistical analysis included bivariate comparisons and regression analysis of the factors affecting member attitudes, including satisfaction, loyalty, health plan choices, and willingness to pay a higher out-of-pocket cost for medications. A response rate of 35.8% was obtained from continuously enrolled plan members. Respondents were older, sicker, and consumed more prescriptions than nonrespondents. There were significant differences in age and health plan characteristics between 2- and 3-tier plan members: respondents aged 65 or older represented 11.7% of 2-tier plan members and 54.7% of 3-tier plan members, and 10.0% of 2-tier plan members were in Medicare+Choice plans versus 61.4% in Medicare+Choice plans for 3-tier plan members (Pbrand-name medications, in general, they were not willing to pay more than 10 dollars (in addition to their copayment amount) for these medications. Older respondents and sicker individuals (those with higher scores on the Chronic Disease Indicator) appeared to have more positive attitudes toward their pharmacy benefit plans in general. Higher reported incomes by respondents were also associated with greater satisfaction with prescription drug coverage and increased loyalty toward the pharmacy benefit plan. Conversely, the more individuals spent for either their health care or prescription medications, the less satisfied

Optical design of multi-multiple expander structure of laser gas analysis and measurement device

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xiang; Wei, Biao

2018-03-01

The installation and debugging of optical circuit structure in the application of carbon monoxide distributed laser gas analysis and measurement, there are difficult key technical problems. Based on the three-component expansion theory, multi-multiple expander structure with expansion ratio of 4, 5, 6 and 7 is adopted in the absorption chamber to enhance the adaptability of the installation environment of the gas analysis and measurement device. According to the basic theory of aberration, the optimal design of multi-multiple beam expander structure is carried out. By using image quality evaluation method, the difference of image quality under different magnifications is analyzed. The results show that the optical quality of the optical system with the expanded beam structure is the best when the expansion ratio is 5-7.

Synthesis and CO2 adsorption study of modified MOF-5 with multi-wall carbon nanotubes and expandable graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, Sami; Bustam, M. A.; Shariff, A. M.; Elkhalifah, Ali E. I.; Murshid, G.; Riaz, Nadia

2014-01-01

MOF-5 was synthesized by solvothermal method and its reactivation under anhydrous conditions. This research is conducted to investigate the effect of MOF-5 and MOF-5 modified with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and expandable graphite (EG) on the performance of CO 2 adsorption. The synthesized MOFs were characterized using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for surface morphology, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystals plane, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) for surface area and CO 2 adsorption. The result had showed that the modified MOF-5 enhanced the CO 2 adsorption compared to the pure MOF-5. The increment in the CO 2 uptake capacities of MOF materials was attributed to the decrease in the pore size and enhancement of micropore volume of MOF-5 by multi-walled carbon nanotube and EG incorporation. The BET surface area of the synthesized MOF-5@MWCNTs is more than MOF-5. The CO 2 sorption capacities of MOF-5 and MOF-5@MWCNTs were observed to increase from 0.00008 to 0.00048 mol g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The modified MOF-5@MWCNTs resulted in the highest CO 2 adsorption followed by the modified MOF-5@ EG and lastly, MOF-5

An Organizational Development Framework for Assessing Readiness and Capacity for Expanding Online Education

Science.gov (United States)

Piña, Anthony A.

2017-01-01

In this article, a popular model for organizational development is utilized as a framework for assessing the organizational readiness and capacity of educational institutions whose leaders wish to establish or expand their online/distance education programs. Examples of institutionalization factors to consider and alternative models for assessing…

Strategic Bidding in Multi-Unit Auctions with Capacity Constrained Bidders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwenen, Sebastian

2015-01-01

This article employs a simple model to describe bidding behavior in multi-unit uniform price procurement auctions when firms are capacity constrained. Using data from the New York City procurement auctions for power generating capacity, I find that firms use simple bidding strategies to coordinate......'s capacities and its profits of undercutting increase....

A multi-tier higher order Conditional Random Field for land cover classification of multi-temporal multi-spectral Landsat imagery

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Salmon, BP

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper the authors present a 2-tier higher order Conditional Random Field which is used for land cover classification. The Conditional Random Field is based on probabilistic messages being passed along a graph to compute efficiently...

Achieving increased spent fuel storage capacity at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, D.H.; Chang, S.J.; Dabs, R.D.; Freels, J.D.; Morgan, K.A.; Rothrock, R.B.; Griess, J.C.

1994-01-01

The HFIR facility was originally designed to store approximately 25 spent cores, sufficient to allow for operational contingencies and for cooling prior to off-site shipment for reprocessing. The original capacity has now been increased to 60 positions, of which 53 are currently filled (September 1994). Additional spent cores are produced at a rate of about 10 or 11 per year. Continued HFIR operation, therefore, depends on a significant near-term expansion of the pool storage capacity, as well as on a future capability of reprocessing or other storage alternatives once the practical capacity of the pool is reached. To store the much larger inventory of spent fuel that may remain on-site under various future scenarios, the pool capacity is being increased in a phased manner through installation of a new multi-tier spent fuel rack design for higher density storage. A total of 143 positions was used for this paper as the maximum practical pool capacity without impacting operations; however, greater ultimate capacities were addressed in the supporting analyses and approval documents. This paper addresses issues related to the pool storage expansion including (1) seismic effects on the three-tier storage arrays, (2) thermal performance of the new arrays, (3) spent fuel cladding corrosion concerns related to the longer period of pool storage, and (4) impacts of increased spent fuel inventory on the pool water quality, water treatment systems, and LLLW volume

Experience running a distributed Tier-2 in Spain for the ATLAS experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

March, L; Hoz, S Gonzales de la; Kaci, M; Fassi, F; Fernandez, A; Lamas, A; Salt, J; Sanchez, J; Peso, J del; Fernandez, P; Munoz, L; Pardo, J; Espinal, X; Garitaonandia, H; Mir, M L; Nadal, J; Pacheco, A; Shuskov, S

2008-01-01

The main role of the Tier-2s is to provide computing resources for production of physics simulated events and distributed data analysis. The Spanish ATLAS Tier-2 is geographically distributed among three HEP institutes: IFAE (Barcelona), IFIC (Valencia) and UAM (Madrid). Currently it has a computing power of 430 kSI2K CPU, a disk storage capacity of 87 TB and a network bandwidth, connecting the three sites and the nearest Tier-1 (PIC), of 1 Gb/s. These resources will be increased according to the ATLAS Computing Model with time in parallel to those of all ATLAS Tier-2s. Since 2002, it has been participating into the different Data Challenge exercises. Currently, it is achieving around 1.5% of the whole ATLAS collaboration production in the framework of the Computing System Commissioning exercise. A distributed data management is also arising as an important issue in the daily activities of the Tier-2. The distribution in three sites has shown to be useful due to an increasing service redundancy, a faster solution of problems, the share of computing expertise and know-how. Experience gained running the distributed Tier-2 in order to be ready at the LHC start-up will be presented

Statistics of the uplink co-tier interference in closed access heterogeneous networks

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina

2013-09-01

In this paper, we derive a statistical model of the co-tier interference in closed access two tier heterogeneous wireless cellular networks with femtocell deployments. The derived model captures the impact of bounded path loss model, wall penetration loss, user distributions, random locations, and density of the femtocells. Firstly, we derive the analytical expressions for the probability density function (PDF) and moment generating function (MGF) of the co-tier interference considering a single femtocell interferer by exploiting the random disc line picking theory from geometric probability. We then derive the MGF of the cumulative interference from all femtocell interferers considering full spectral reuse in each femtocell. Orthogonal spectrum partitioning is assumed between the macrocell and femtocell networks to avoid any cross-tier interference. Finally, the accuracy of the derived expressions is validated through Monte-Carlo simulations and the expressions are shown to be useful in quantifying important network performance metrics such as ergodic capacity. © 2013 IEEE.

Expanding the Education Universe: A Fifty-State Strategy for Course Choice

Science.gov (United States)

Brickman, Michael

2014-01-01

After twenty years of expanding school-choice options, state leaders, educators, and families have a new tool: course choice, a strategy for students to learn from unconventional providers that might range from top-tier universities or innovative community colleges to local employers, labs, or hospitals. In "Expanding the Education Universe:…

Pervasive Brain Monitoring and Data Sharing based on Multi-tier Distributed Computing and Linked Data Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Kar-Kin Zao

2014-06-01

Full Text Available EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI are facing grant challenges in their real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable multi-modal BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users’ cognitive states under dynamic real-life situations may appear at times almost insurmountable. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report our attempt to develop a pervasive on-line BCI system by employing state-of-art technologies such as multi-tier fog and cloud computing, semantic Linked Data search and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system using wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end fog servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC as the far-end cloud servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to use our system in real-life personal stress and in-home Parkinson’s disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop a necessary BCI ontology and add automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system.

Synthesis and CO{sub 2} adsorption study of modified MOF-5 with multi-wall carbon nanotubes and expandable graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ullah, Sami, E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com; Bustam, M. A., E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com; Shariff, A. M., E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com; Elkhalifah, Ali E. I., E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com; Murshid, G., E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com; Riaz, Nadia, E-mail: samichemist1@gmail.com, E-mail: azmibustam@petronas.com.my, E-mail: azmish@petronas.com.my, E-mail: lkhlfh@gmail.com, E-mail: hmurshid@gmail.com, E-mail: nadiariazz@gmail.com [Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Sri Iskandar, Tronoh 31750 Perak (Malaysia)

2014-10-24

MOF-5 was synthesized by solvothermal method and its reactivation under anhydrous conditions. This research is conducted to investigate the effect of MOF-5 and MOF-5 modified with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and expandable graphite (EG) on the performance of CO{sub 2} adsorption. The synthesized MOFs were characterized using Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) for surface morphology, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for thermal stability, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystals plane, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) for surface area and CO{sub 2} adsorption. The result had showed that the modified MOF-5 enhanced the CO{sub 2} adsorption compared to the pure MOF-5. The increment in the CO{sub 2} uptake capacities of MOF materials was attributed to the decrease in the pore size and enhancement of micropore volume of MOF-5 by multi-walled carbon nanotube and EG incorporation. The BET surface area of the synthesized MOF-5@MWCNTs is more than MOF-5. The CO{sub 2} sorption capacities of MOF-5 and MOF-5@MWCNTs were observed to increase from 0.00008 to 0.00048 mol g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The modified MOF-5@MWCNTs resulted in the highest CO{sub 2} adsorption followed by the modified MOF-5@ EG and lastly, MOF-5.

Seasonal maximum temperature prediction skill over Southern Africa: 1- vs 2-tiered forecasting systems

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Lazenby, MJ

2011-09-01

Full Text Available TEMPERATURE PREDICTION SKILL OVER SOUTHERN AFRICA: 1- VS. 2-TIERED FORECASTING SYSTEMS Melissa J. Lazenby University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa Willem A. Landman Council for Scientific and Industrial....J., Tyson, P.D. and Tennant, W.J., 2001. Retro-active skill of multi- tiered forecasts of summer rainfall over southern Africa. International Journal of Climatology, 21, 1- 19. Mason, S.J. and Graham, N.E., 2002. Areas beneath the relative operating...

Experience with Multi-Tier Grid MySQL Database Service Resiliency at BNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wlodek, Tomasz; Ernst, Michael; Hover, John; Katramatos, Dimitrios; Packard, Jay; Smirnov, Yuri; Yu, Dantong

2011-01-01

We describe the use of F5's BIG-IP smart switch technology (3600 Series and Local Traffic Manager v9.0) to provide load balancing and automatic fail-over to multiple Grid services (GUMS, VOMS) and their associated back-end MySQL databases. This resiliency is introduced in front of the external application servers and also for the back-end database systems, which is what makes it 'multi-tier'. The combination of solutions chosen to ensure high availability of the services, in particular the database replication and fail-over mechanism, are discussed in detail. The paper explains the design and configuration of the overall system, including virtual servers, machine pools, and health monitors (which govern routing), as well as the master-slave database scheme and fail-over policies and procedures. Pre-deployment planning and stress testing will be outlined. Integration of the systems with our Nagios-based facility monitoring and alerting is also described. And application characteristics of GUMS and VOMS which enable effective clustering will be explained. We then summarize our practical experiences and real-world scenarios resulting from operating a major US Grid center, and assess the applicability of our approach to other Grid services in the future.

Optimization of HEP Analysis Activities Using a Tier2 Infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arezzini, S; Bagliesi, G; Boccali, T; Ciampa, A; Mazzoni, E; Coscetti, S; Sarkar, S; Taneja, S

2012-01-01

While the model for a Tier2 is well understood and implemented within the HEP Community, a refined design for Analysis specific sites has not been agreed upon as clearly. We aim to describe the solutions adopted at the INFN Pisa, the biggest Tier2 in the Italian HEP Community. A Standard Tier2 infrastructure is optimized for Grid CPU and Storage access, while a more interactive oriented use of the resources is beneficial to the final data analysis step. In this step, POSIX file storage access is easier for the average physicist, and has to be provided in a real or emulated way. Modern analysis techniques use advanced statistical tools (like RooFit and RooStat), which can make use of multi core systems. The infrastructure has to provide or create on demand computing nodes with many cores available, above the existing and less elastic Tier2 flat CPU infrastructure. At last, the users do not want to have to deal with data placement policies at the various sites, and hence a transparent WAN file access, again with a POSIX layer, must be provided, making use of the soon-to-be-installed 10 Gbit/s regional lines. Even if standalone systems with such features are possible and exist, the implementation of an Analysis site as a virtual layer over an existing Tier2 requires novel solutions; the ones used in Pisa are described here.

Automated Processing of Imaging Data through Multi-tiered Classification of Biological Structures Illustrated Using Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mei Zhan

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Quantitative imaging has become a vital technique in biological discovery and clinical diagnostics; a plethora of tools have recently been developed to enable new and accelerated forms of biological investigation. Increasingly, the capacity for high-throughput experimentation provided by new imaging modalities, contrast techniques, microscopy tools, microfluidics and computer controlled systems shifts the experimental bottleneck from the level of physical manipulation and raw data collection to automated recognition and data processing. Yet, despite their broad importance, image analysis solutions to address these needs have been narrowly tailored. Here, we present a generalizable formulation for autonomous identification of specific biological structures that is applicable for many problems. The process flow architecture we present here utilizes standard image processing techniques and the multi-tiered application of classification models such as support vector machines (SVM. These low-level functions are readily available in a large array of image processing software packages and programming languages. Our framework is thus both easy to implement at the modular level and provides specific high-level architecture to guide the solution of more complicated image-processing problems. We demonstrate the utility of the classification routine by developing two specific classifiers as a toolset for automation and cell identification in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. To serve a common need for automated high-resolution imaging and behavior applications in the C. elegans research community, we contribute a ready-to-use classifier for the identification of the head of the animal under bright field imaging. Furthermore, we extend our framework to address the pervasive problem of cell-specific identification under fluorescent imaging, which is critical for biological investigation in multicellular organisms or tissues. Using these examples as a

Automated Processing of Imaging Data through Multi-tiered Classification of Biological Structures Illustrated Using Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Mei; Crane, Matthew M; Entchev, Eugeni V; Caballero, Antonio; Fernandes de Abreu, Diana Andrea; Ch'ng, QueeLim; Lu, Hang

2015-04-01

Quantitative imaging has become a vital technique in biological discovery and clinical diagnostics; a plethora of tools have recently been developed to enable new and accelerated forms of biological investigation. Increasingly, the capacity for high-throughput experimentation provided by new imaging modalities, contrast techniques, microscopy tools, microfluidics and computer controlled systems shifts the experimental bottleneck from the level of physical manipulation and raw data collection to automated recognition and data processing. Yet, despite their broad importance, image analysis solutions to address these needs have been narrowly tailored. Here, we present a generalizable formulation for autonomous identification of specific biological structures that is applicable for many problems. The process flow architecture we present here utilizes standard image processing techniques and the multi-tiered application of classification models such as support vector machines (SVM). These low-level functions are readily available in a large array of image processing software packages and programming languages. Our framework is thus both easy to implement at the modular level and provides specific high-level architecture to guide the solution of more complicated image-processing problems. We demonstrate the utility of the classification routine by developing two specific classifiers as a toolset for automation and cell identification in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. To serve a common need for automated high-resolution imaging and behavior applications in the C. elegans research community, we contribute a ready-to-use classifier for the identification of the head of the animal under bright field imaging. Furthermore, we extend our framework to address the pervasive problem of cell-specific identification under fluorescent imaging, which is critical for biological investigation in multicellular organisms or tissues. Using these examples as a guide, we envision

Genomic sequencing in cystic fibrosis newborn screening: what works best, two-tier predefined CFTR mutation panels or second-tier CFTR panel followed by third-tier sequencing?

Science.gov (United States)

Currier, Robert J; Sciortino, Stan; Liu, Ruiling; Bishop, Tracey; Alikhani Koupaei, Rasoul; Feuchtbaum, Lisa

2017-10-01

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to model the performance of several known two-tier, predefined mutation panels and three-tier algorithms for cystic fibrosis (CF) screening utilizing the ethnically diverse California population.MethodsThe cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations identified among the 317 CF cases in California screened between 12 August 2008 and 18 December 2012 were used to compare the expected CF detection rates for several two- and three-tier screening approaches, including the current California approach, which consists of a population-specific 40-mutation panel followed by third-tier sequencing when indicated.ResultsThe data show that the strategy of using third-tier sequencing improves CF detection following an initial elevated immunoreactive trypsinogen and detection of only one mutation on a second-tier panel.ConclusionIn a diverse population, the use of a second-tier panel followed by third-tier CFTR gene sequencing provides a better detection rate for CF, compared with the use of a second-tier approach alone, and is an effective way to minimize the referrals of CF carriers for sweat testing. Restricting screening to a second-tier testing to predefined mutation panels, even broad ones, results in some missed CF cases and demonstrates the limited utility of this approach in states that have diverse multiethnic populations.

Conceptual design of an ALICE Tier-2 centre. Integrated into a multi-purpose computing facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zynovyev, Mykhaylo

2012-06-29

This thesis discusses the issues and challenges associated with the design and operation of a data analysis facility for a high-energy physics experiment at a multi-purpose computing centre. At the spotlight is a Tier-2 centre of the distributed computing model of the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The design steps, examined in the thesis, include analysis and optimization of the I/O access patterns of the user workload, integration of the storage resources, and development of the techniques for effective system administration and operation of the facility in a shared computing environment. A number of I/O access performance issues on multiple levels of the I/O subsystem, introduced by utilization of hard disks for data storage, have been addressed by the means of exhaustive benchmarking and thorough analysis of the I/O of the user applications in the ALICE software framework. Defining the set of requirements to the storage system, describing the potential performance bottlenecks and single points of failure and examining possible ways to avoid them allows one to develop guidelines for selecting the way how to integrate the storage resources. The solution, how to preserve a specific software stack for the experiment in a shared environment, is presented along with its effects on the user workload performance. The proposal for a flexible model to deploy and operate the ALICE Tier-2 infrastructure and applications in a virtual environment through adoption of the cloud computing technology and the 'Infrastructure as Code' concept completes the thesis. Scientific software applications can be efficiently computed in a virtual environment, and there is an urgent need to adapt the infrastructure for effective usage of cloud resources.

Conceptual design of an ALICE Tier-2 centre. Integrated into a multi-purpose computing facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zynovyev, Mykhaylo

2012-01-01

This thesis discusses the issues and challenges associated with the design and operation of a data analysis facility for a high-energy physics experiment at a multi-purpose computing centre. At the spotlight is a Tier-2 centre of the distributed computing model of the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The design steps, examined in the thesis, include analysis and optimization of the I/O access patterns of the user workload, integration of the storage resources, and development of the techniques for effective system administration and operation of the facility in a shared computing environment. A number of I/O access performance issues on multiple levels of the I/O subsystem, introduced by utilization of hard disks for data storage, have been addressed by the means of exhaustive benchmarking and thorough analysis of the I/O of the user applications in the ALICE software framework. Defining the set of requirements to the storage system, describing the potential performance bottlenecks and single points of failure and examining possible ways to avoid them allows one to develop guidelines for selecting the way how to integrate the storage resources. The solution, how to preserve a specific software stack for the experiment in a shared environment, is presented along with its effects on the user workload performance. The proposal for a flexible model to deploy and operate the ALICE Tier-2 infrastructure and applications in a virtual environment through adoption of the cloud computing technology and the 'Infrastructure as Code' concept completes the thesis. Scientific software applications can be efficiently computed in a virtual environment, and there is an urgent need to adapt the infrastructure for effective usage of cloud resources.

Large scale commissioning and operational experience with tier-2 to tier-2 data transfer links in CMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letts, J; Magini, N

2011-01-01

Tier-2 to Tier-2 data transfers have been identified as a necessary extension of the CMS computing model. The Debugging Data Transfers (DDT) Task Force in CMS was charged with commissioning Tier-2 to Tier-2 PhEDEx transfer links beginning in late 2009, originally to serve the needs of physics analysis groups for the transfer of their results between the storage elements of the Tier-2 sites associated with the groups. PhEDEx is the data transfer middleware of the CMS experiment. For analysis jobs using CRAB, the CMS Remote Analysis Builder, the challenges of remote stage out of job output at the end of the analysis jobs led to the introduction of a local fallback stage out, and will eventually require the asynchronous transfer of user data over essentially all of the Tier-2 to Tier-2 network using the same PhEDEx infrastructure. In addition, direct file sharing of physics and Monte Carlo simulated data between Tier-2 sites can relieve the operational load of the Tier-1 sites in the original CMS Computing Model, and already represents an important component of CMS PhEDEx data transfer volume. The experience, challenges and methods used to debug and commission the thousands of data transfers links between CMS Tier-2 sites world-wide are explained and summarized. The resulting operational experience with Tier-2 to Tier-2 transfers is also presented.

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zao, John K; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system.

Pervasive brain monitoring and data sharing based on multi-tier distributed computing and linked data technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zao, John K.; Gan, Tchin-Tze; You, Chun-Kai; Chung, Cheng-En; Wang, Yu-Te; Rodríguez Méndez, Sergio José; Mullen, Tim; Yu, Chieh; Kothe, Christian; Hsiao, Ching-Teng; Chu, San-Liang; Shieh, Ce-Kuen; Jung, Tzyy-Ping

2014-01-01

EEG-based Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are facing basic challenges in real-world applications. The technical difficulties in developing truly wearable BCI systems that are capable of making reliable real-time prediction of users' cognitive states in dynamic real-life situations may seem almost insurmountable at times. Fortunately, recent advances in miniature sensors, wireless communication and distributed computing technologies offered promising ways to bridge these chasms. In this paper, we report an attempt to develop a pervasive on-line EEG-BCI system using state-of-art technologies including multi-tier Fog and Cloud Computing, semantic Linked Data search, and adaptive prediction/classification models. To verify our approach, we implement a pilot system by employing wireless dry-electrode EEG headsets and MEMS motion sensors as the front-end devices, Android mobile phones as the personal user interfaces, compact personal computers as the near-end Fog Servers and the computer clusters hosted by the Taiwan National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) as the far-end Cloud Servers. We succeeded in conducting synchronous multi-modal global data streaming in March and then running a multi-player on-line EEG-BCI game in September, 2013. We are currently working with the ARL Translational Neuroscience Branch to use our system in real-life personal stress monitoring and the UCSD Movement Disorder Center to conduct in-home Parkinson's disease patient monitoring experiments. We shall proceed to develop the necessary BCI ontology and introduce automatic semantic annotation and progressive model refinement capability to our system. PMID:24917804

Large Scale Commissioning and Operational Experience with Tier-2 to Tier-2 Data Transfer Links in CMS

CERN Document Server

Letts, James

2010-01-01

Tier-2 to Tier-2 data transfers have been identified as a necessary extension of the CMS computing model. The Debugging Data Transfers (DDT) Task Force in CMS was charged with commissioning Tier-2 to Tier-2 PhEDEx transfer links beginning in late 2009, originally to serve the needs of physics analysis groups for the transfer of their results between the storage elements of the Tier-2 sites associated with the groups. PhEDEx is the data transfer middleware of the CMS experiment. For analysis jobs using CRAB, the CMS Remote Analysis Builder, the challenges of remote stage out of job output at the end of the analysis jobs led to the introduction of a local fallback stage out, and will eventually require the asynchronous transfer of user data over essentially all of the Tier-2 to Tier-2 network using the same PhEDEx infrastructure. In addition, direct file sharing of physics and Monte Carlo simulated data between Tier-2 sites can relieve the operational load of the Tier-1 sites in the original CMS Computing Model...

Visits to Tier-1 Computing Centres

CERN Multimedia

Dario Barberis

At the beginning of 2007 it became clear that an enhanced level of communication is needed between the ATLAS computing organisation and the Tier-1 centres. Most usual meetings are ATLAS-centric and cannot address the issues of each Tier-1; therefore we decided to organise a series of visits to the Tier-1 centres and focus on site issues. For us, ATLAS computing management, it is most useful to realize how each Tier-1 centre is organised, and its relation to the associated Tier-2s; indeed their presence at these visits is also very useful. We hope it is also useful for sites... at least, we are told so! The usual participation includes, from the ATLAS side: computing management, operations, data placement, resources, accounting and database deployment coordinators; and from the Tier-1 side: computer centre management, system managers, Grid infrastructure people, network, storage and database experts, local ATLAS liaison people and representatives of the associated Tier-2s. Visiting Tier-1 centres (1-4). ...

Spanish ATLAS Tier-1 &Tier-2 perspective on computing over the next years

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez de la Hoz, Santiago; The ATLAS collaboration

2018-01-01

Since the beginning of the WLCG Project the Spanish ATLAS computer centres have contributed with reliable and stable resources as well as personnel for the ATLAS Collaboration. Our contribution to the ATLAS Tier2s and Tier1s computing resources (disk and CPUs) in the last 10 years has been around 5%, even though the Spanish contribution to the ATLAS detector construction as well as the number of authors are both close to 3%. In 2015 an international advisory committee recommended to revise our contribution according to the participation in the ATLAS experiment. With this scenario, we are optimising the federation of three sites located in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, taking into account that the ATLAS collaboration has developed workflows and tools to flexibly use all the resources available to the collaboration, where the Tiered structure is somehow vanishing. In this contribution, we would like to show the evolution and technical updates in the ATLAS Spanish Federated Tier2 and Tier1. Some developments w...

Tier-1 and Tier-2 real-time analysis experience in CMS Data Challenge 2004

CERN Document Server

De Filippis, N; Pierro, A; Silvestris, L; Fanfani, A; Grandi, C; Hernández, J M; Bonacorsi, D; Corvo, M; Fanzago, F

2005-01-01

During the CMS Data Challenge 2004 a real-time analysis was attempted at INFN and PIC Tier-1 and Tier-2s in order to test the ability of the instrumented methods to quickly process the data. Several agents and automatic procedures were implemented to perform the analysis at the Tier-1/2 synchronously with the data transfer from Tier-0 at CERN. The system was implemented in the LCG-2 Grid environment and allowed on-the-fly job preparation and subsequent submission to the Resource Broker as new data came along. Running job accessed data from the Storage Elements via remote file protocol, whenever possible, or copying them locally with replica manager commands. Details of the procedures adopted to run the analysis jobs and the expected results are described. An evaluation of the ability of the system to maintain an analysis rate at Tier-1 and Tier-2 comparable with the data transfer rate is also presented. The results on the analysis timeline, the statistics of submitted jobs, the overall efficiency of the GRID ...

A win-win solution?: A critical analysis of tiered pricing to improve access to medicines in developing countries

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based on a review of international drug price developments for antiretrovirals, artemisinin combination therapies, drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines, liposomal amphotericin B (for visceral leishmaniasis), and pneumococcal vaccines. Discussion We found several critical shortcomings to tiered pricing: it is inferior to competition for achieving the lowest sustainable prices; it often involves arbitrary divisions between markets and/or countries, which can lead to very high prices for middle-income markets; and it leaves a disproportionate amount of decision-making power in the hands of sellers vis-à-vis consumers. In many developing countries, resources are often stretched so tight that affordability can only be approached by selling medicines at or near the cost of production. Policies that "de-link" the financing of R&D from the price of medicines merit further attention, since they can reward innovation while exploiting robust competition in production to generate the lowest sustainable prices. However, in special cases - such as when market volumes are very small or multi-source production capacity is lacking - tiered pricing may offer the only practical option to meet short-term needs for access to a product. In such cases, steps should be taken to ensure affordability and availability in the longer-term. Summary To ensure access to medicines for populations in need, alternate strategies should be explored that harness the power of competition, avoid arbitrary market segmentation, and/or recognize government responsibilities. Competition should generally be the default option for achieving affordability, as it has proven superior

A win-win solution?: A critical analysis of tiered pricing to improve access to medicines in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Suerie; Jambert, Elodie; Childs, Michelle; von Schoen-Angerer, Tido

2011-10-12

Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based on a review of international drug price developments for antiretrovirals, artemisinin combination therapies, drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines, liposomal amphotericin B (for visceral leishmaniasis), and pneumococcal vaccines. We found several critical shortcomings to tiered pricing: it is inferior to competition for achieving the lowest sustainable prices; it often involves arbitrary divisions between markets and/or countries, which can lead to very high prices for middle-income markets; and it leaves a disproportionate amount of decision-making power in the hands of sellers vis-à-vis consumers. In many developing countries, resources are often stretched so tight that affordability can only be approached by selling medicines at or near the cost of production. Policies that "de-link" the financing of R&D from the price of medicines merit further attention, since they can reward innovation while exploiting robust competition in production to generate the lowest sustainable prices. However, in special cases - such as when market volumes are very small or multi-source production capacity is lacking - tiered pricing may offer the only practical option to meet short-term needs for access to a product. In such cases, steps should be taken to ensure affordability and availability in the longer-term. To ensure access to medicines for populations in need, alternate strategies should be explored that harness the power of competition, avoid arbitrary market segmentation, and/or recognize government responsibilities. Competition should generally be the default option for achieving affordability, as it has proven superior to tiered pricing for reliably

A win-win solution?: A critical analysis of tiered pricing to improve access to medicines in developing countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Childs Michelle

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based on a review of international drug price developments for antiretrovirals, artemisinin combination therapies, drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines, liposomal amphotericin B (for visceral leishmaniasis, and pneumococcal vaccines. Discussion We found several critical shortcomings to tiered pricing: it is inferior to competition for achieving the lowest sustainable prices; it often involves arbitrary divisions between markets and/or countries, which can lead to very high prices for middle-income markets; and it leaves a disproportionate amount of decision-making power in the hands of sellers vis-à-vis consumers. In many developing countries, resources are often stretched so tight that affordability can only be approached by selling medicines at or near the cost of production. Policies that "de-link" the financing of R&D from the price of medicines merit further attention, since they can reward innovation while exploiting robust competition in production to generate the lowest sustainable prices. However, in special cases - such as when market volumes are very small or multi-source production capacity is lacking - tiered pricing may offer the only practical option to meet short-term needs for access to a product. In such cases, steps should be taken to ensure affordability and availability in the longer-term. Summary To ensure access to medicines for populations in need, alternate strategies should be explored that harness the power of competition, avoid arbitrary market segmentation, and/or recognize government responsibilities. Competition should generally be the default option for achieving affordability

A new three-tier architecture design for multi-sphere neutron spectrometer with the FLUKA code

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hong; Yang, Jian-Bo; Tuo, Xian-Guo; Liu, Zhi; Wang, Qi-Biao; Wang, Xu

2016-07-01

The current commercially, available Bonner sphere neutron spectrometer (BSS) has high sensitivity to neutrons below 20 MeV, which causes it to be poorly placed to measure neutrons ranging from a few MeV to 100 MeV. The paper added moderator layers and the auxiliary material layer upon 3He proportional counters with FLUKA code, with a view to improve. The results showed that the responsive peaks to neutrons below 20 MeV gradually shift to higher energy region and decrease slightly with the increasing moderator thickness. On the contrary, the response for neutrons above 20 MeV was always very low until we embed auxiliary materials such as copper (Cu), lead (Pb), tungsten (W) into moderator layers. This paper chose the most suitable auxiliary material Pb to design a three-tier architecture multi-sphere neutron spectrometer (NBSS). Through calculating and comparing, the NBSS was advantageous in terms of response for 5-100 MeV and the highest response was 35.2 times the response of polyethylene (PE) ball with the same PE thickness.

Future Approach to tier-0 extension

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, B.; McCance, G.; Cordeiro, C.; Giordano, D.; Traylen, S.; Moreno García, D.

2017-10-01

The current tier-0 processing at CERN is done on two managed sites, the CERN computer centre and the Wigner computer centre. With the proliferation of public cloud resources at increasingly competitive prices, we have been investigating how to transparently increase our compute capacity to include these providers. The approach taken has been to integrate these resources using our existing deployment and computer management tools and to provide them in a way that exposes them to users as part of the same site. The paper will describe the architecture, the toolset and the current production experiences of this model.

An Energy-Efficient Multi-Tier Architecture for Fall Detection Using Smartphones.

Science.gov (United States)

Guvensan, M Amac; Kansiz, A Oguz; Camgoz, N Cihan; Turkmen, H Irem; Yavuz, A Gokhan; Karsligil, M Elif

2017-06-23

Automatic detection of fall events is vital to providing fast medical assistance to the causality, particularly when the injury causes loss of consciousness. Optimization of the energy consumption of mobile applications, especially those which run 24/7 in the background, is essential for longer use of smartphones. In order to improve energy-efficiency without compromising on the fall detection performance, we propose a novel 3-tier architecture that combines simple thresholding methods with machine learning algorithms. The proposed method is implemented on a mobile application, called uSurvive, for Android smartphones. It runs as a background service and monitors the activities of a person in daily life and automatically sends a notification to the appropriate authorities and/or user defined contacts when it detects a fall. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated in terms of fall detection performance and energy consumption. Real life performance tests conducted on two different models of smartphone demonstrate that our 3-tier architecture with feature reduction could save up to 62% of energy compared to machine learning only solutions. In addition to this energy saving, the hybrid method has a 93% of accuracy, which is superior to thresholding methods and better than machine learning only solutions.

Estimating cell capacity for multi-cell electrical energy system

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, Iman Ahari

A Multi-Cell Electrical Energy System is a set of batteries that are connected in series. The series batteries provide the required voltage necessary for the contraption. After using the energy that is provided by the batteries, some cells within the system tend to have a lower voltage than the other cells. Also, other factors, such as the number of times a battery has been charged or discharged, how long it has been within the system and many other factors, result in some cells having a lesser capacity compared to the other cells within the system. The outcome is that it lowers the required capacity that the electrical energy system is required to provide. By having an unknown cell capacity within the system, it is unknown how much of a charge can be provided to the system so that the cells are not overcharged or undercharged. Therefore, it is necessary to know the cells capacity within the system. Hence, if we were dealing with a single cell, the capacity could be obtained by a full charge and discharge of the cell. In a series system that contains multiple cells a full charging or discharging cannot happen as it might result in deteriorating the structure of some cells within the system. Hence, to find the capacity of a single cell within an electrical energy system it is required to obtain a method that can estimate the value of each cell within the electrical energy system. To approach this method an electrical energy system is required. The electrical energy system consists of rechargeable non-equal capacity batteries to provide the required energy to the system, a battery management system (BMS) board to monitor the cells voltages, an Arduino board that provides the required communication to BMS board, and the PC, and a software that is able to deliver the required data obtained from the Arduino board to the PC. The outcome, estimating the capacity of a cell within a multi-cell system, can be used in many battery related technologies to obtain unknown

The Use of Proxy Caches for File Access in a Multi-Tier Grid Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brun, R; Duellmann, D; Ganis, G; Janyst, L; Peters, A J; Rademakers, F; Sindrilaru, E; Hanushevsky, A

2011-01-01

The use of proxy caches has been extensively studied in the HEP environment for efficient access of database data and showed significant performance with only very moderate operational effort at higher grid tiers (T2, T3). In this contribution we propose to apply the same concept to the area of file access and analyse the possible performance gains, operational impact on site services and applicability to different HEP use cases. Base on a proof-of-concept studies with a modified XROOT proxy server we review the cache efficiency and overheads for access patterns of typical ROOT based analysis programs. We conclude with a discussion of the potential role of this new component at the different tiers of a distributed computing grid.

High-Capacity Multi-Core Fibers for Space-Division Multiplexing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ye, Feihong

The transmission capacity of the present optical fiber communication systems based on time division multiplexing (TDM) and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) using single-mode fibers (SMFs) is reaching its limit of around 100 Tbit/s per fiber due to the fiber nonlinearities, fiber fuse...... phenomenon and the optical amplifier bandwidth. To meet the ever increasing global data traffic growth and to overcome the looming capacity crunch, a new multiplexing technology using new optical fibers is urgently needed. Space-division multiplexing (SDM) is a promising scheme to overcome the capacity limit...... of the present SMF-based systems. Among the proposed SDM schemes, the one based on uncoupled multi-core fibers (MCFs) having multiple cores in a mutual cladding has proven effective in substantially increasing the transmission capacity per fiber with least system complexity as demonstrated in several state...

Analysis facility infrastructure (Tier-3) for ATLAS experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez de la Hoz, S.; March, L.; Ros, E.; Sanchez, J.; Amoros, G.; Fassi, F.; Fernandez, A.; Kaci, M.; Lamas, A.; Salt, J.

2008-01-01

In the ATLAS computing model the tiered hierarchy ranged from the Tier-0 (CERN) down to desktops or workstations (Tier-3). The focus on defining the roles of each tiered component has evolved with the initial emphasis on the Tier-0 and Tier-1 definition and roles. The various LHC (Large Hadron Collider) projects, including ATLAS, then evolved the tiered hierarchy to include Tier-2's (Regional centers) as part of their projects. Tier-3 centres, on the other hand, have been defined as whatever an institution could construct to support their Physics goals using institutional and otherwise leveraged resources and therefore have not been considered to be part of the official ATLAS computing resources. However, Tier-3 centres are going to exist and will have implications on how the computing model should support ATLAS physicists. Tier-3 users will want to access LHC data and simulations and will want to enable their resources to support their analysis and simulation work. This document will define how IFIC (Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular de Valencia), after discussing with the ATLAS Tier-3 task force, should interact with the ATLAS computing model, detail the conditions under which Tier-3 centres can expect some level of support and set reasonable expectations for the scope and support of ATLAS Tier-3 sites. (orig.)

Analysis facility infrastructure (Tier-3) for ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

González de la Hoza, S; Ros, E; Sánchez, J; Amorós, G; Fassi, F; Fernández, A; Kaci, M; Lamas, A; Salt, J

2008-01-01

In the ATLAS computing model the tiered hierarchy ranged from the Tier-0 (CERN) down to desktops or workstations (Tier-3). The focus on defining the roles of each tiered component has evolved with the initial emphasis on the Tier-0 and Tier-1 definition and roles. The various LHC (Large Hadron Collider) projects, including ATLAS, then evolved the tiered hierarchy to include Tier-2’s (Regional centers) as part of their projects. Tier-3 centres, on the other hand, have been defined as whatever an institution could construct to support their Physics goals using institutional and otherwise leveraged resources and therefore have not been considered to be part of the official ATLAS computing resources. However, Tier-3 centres are going to exist and will have implications on how the computing model should support ATLAS physicists. Tier-3 users will want to access LHC data and simulations and will want to enable their resources to support their analysis and simulation work. This document will define how IFIC (Insti...

Capacity modulation of an inverter-driven multi-air conditioner using electronic expansion valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, J.M.; Kim, Y.C.

2003-01-01

An inverter-driven multi-air conditioner provides the benefits of comfort, energy conservation and easy maintenance. Recently, the multi-air conditioner has been employed in small and medium-sized buildings. However, the performance data and control algorithm for multi-air conditioners are limited in literature due to complicated system parameters and operating conditions. In the present study, the performance of an inverter-driven multi-air conditioner having two indoor units with electronic expansion valves (EEV) was measured by varying indoor loads, EEV opening, and compressor speed. Based on the experimental results, the operating characteristics and capacity modulation of the inverter-driven multi-air conditioner are discussed. As a result, it is suggested that the superheats for both indoor units have to be maintained around 4 o C by utilizing the EEVs in this system, and consequently, the compressor speed needs to be adjusted to provide optimum cooling capacity for each indoor unit

CMS readiness for multi-core workload scheduling

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Balcas, J.; Hernandez, J.; Aftab Khan, F.; Letts, J.; Mason, D.; Verguilov, V.

2017-10-01

In the present run of the LHC, CMS data reconstruction and simulation algorithms benefit greatly from being executed as multiple threads running on several processor cores. The complexity of the Run 2 events requires parallelization of the code to reduce the memory-per- core footprint constraining serial execution programs, thus optimizing the exploitation of present multi-core processor architectures. The allocation of computing resources for multi-core tasks, however, becomes a complex problem in itself. The CMS workload submission infrastructure employs multi-slot partitionable pilots, built on HTCondor and GlideinWMS native features, to enable scheduling of single and multi-core jobs simultaneously. This provides a solution for the scheduling problem in a uniform way across grid sites running a diversity of gateways to compute resources and batch system technologies. This paper presents this strategy and the tools on which it has been implemented. The experience of managing multi-core resources at the Tier-0 and Tier-1 sites during 2015, along with the deployment phase to Tier-2 sites during early 2016 is reported. The process of performance monitoring and optimization to achieve efficient and flexible use of the resources is also described.

CMS Readiness for Multi-Core Workload Scheduling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Calero Yzquierdo, A. [Madrid, CIEMAT; Balcas, J. [Caltech; Hernandez, J. [Madrid, CIEMAT; Aftab Khan, F. [NCP, Islamabad; Letts, J. [UC, San Diego; Mason, D. [Fermilab; Verguilov, V. [CLMI, Sofia

2017-11-22

In the present run of the LHC, CMS data reconstruction and simulation algorithms benefit greatly from being executed as multiple threads running on several processor cores. The complexity of the Run 2 events requires parallelization of the code to reduce the memory-per- core footprint constraining serial execution programs, thus optimizing the exploitation of present multi-core processor architectures. The allocation of computing resources for multi-core tasks, however, becomes a complex problem in itself. The CMS workload submission infrastructure employs multi-slot partitionable pilots, built on HTCondor and GlideinWMS native features, to enable scheduling of single and multi-core jobs simultaneously. This provides a solution for the scheduling problem in a uniform way across grid sites running a diversity of gateways to compute resources and batch system technologies. This paper presents this strategy and the tools on which it has been implemented. The experience of managing multi-core resources at the Tier-0 and Tier-1 sites during 2015, along with the deployment phase to Tier-2 sites during early 2016 is reported. The process of performance monitoring and optimization to achieve efficient and flexible use of the resources is also described.

Three-tier rough superhydrophobic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao, Yuanzhi; Yuan, Longyan; Hu, Bin; Zhou, Jun

2015-01-01

A three-tier rough superhydrophobic surface was fabricated by growing hydrophobic modified (fluorinated silane) zinc oxide (ZnO)/copper oxide (CuO) hetero-hierarchical structures on silicon (Si) micro-pillar arrays. Compared with the other three control samples with a less rough tier, the three-tier surface exhibits the best water repellency with the largest contact angle 161° and the lowest sliding angle 0.5°. It also shows a robust Cassie state which enables the water to flow with a speed over 2 m s"−"1. In addition, it could prevent itself from being wetted by the droplet with low surface tension (mixed water and ethanol 1:1 in volume) which reveals a flow speed of 0.6 m s"−"1 (dropped from the height of 2 cm). All these features prove that adding another rough tier on a two-tier rough surface could futher improve its water-repellent properties. (paper)

A Distributed Tier-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Lars; Grønager, Michael; Kleist, Josva

2008-01-01

The Tier-1 facility operated by the Nordic DataGrid Facility (NDGF) differs significantly from other Tier-1s in several aspects: firstly, it is not located at one or a few premises, but instead is distributed throughout the Nordic countries; secondly, it is not under the governance of a single...... organization but instead is a meta-center built of resources under the control of a number of different national organizations. We present some technical implications of these aspects as well as the high-level design of this distributed Tier-1. The focus will be on computing services, storage and monitoring....

A distributed Tier-1

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, L.; Grønager, M.; Kleist, J.; Smirnova, O.

2008-07-01

The Tier-1 facility operated by the Nordic DataGrid Facility (NDGF) differs significantly from other Tier-1s in several aspects: firstly, it is not located at one or a few premises, but instead is distributed throughout the Nordic countries; secondly, it is not under the governance of a single organization but instead is a meta-center built of resources under the control of a number of different national organizations. We present some technical implications of these aspects as well as the high-level design of this distributed Tier-1. The focus will be on computing services, storage and monitoring.

Service Migration from Cloud to Multi-tier Fog Nodes for Multimedia Dissemination with QoE Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosário, Denis; Schimuneck, Matias; Camargo, João; Nobre, Jéferson; Both, Cristiano; Rochol, Juergen; Gerla, Mario

2018-01-24

A wide range of multimedia services is expected to be offered for mobile users via various wireless access networks. Even the integration of Cloud Computing in such networks does not support an adequate Quality of Experience (QoE) in areas with high demands for multimedia contents. Fog computing has been conceptualized to facilitate the deployment of new services that cloud computing cannot provide, particularly those demanding QoE guarantees. These services are provided using fog nodes located at the network edge, which is capable of virtualizing their functions/applications. Service migration from the cloud to fog nodes can be actuated by request patterns and the timing issues. To the best of our knowledge, existing works on fog computing focus on architecture and fog node deployment issues. In this article, we describe the operational impacts and benefits associated with service migration from the cloud to multi-tier fog computing for video distribution with QoE support. Besides that, we perform the evaluation of such service migration of video services. Finally, we present potential research challenges and trends.

DC Grid Control Concept for Expandable Multi-terminal HVDC Transmission Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Irnawan, Roni; Silva, Filipe Miguel Faria da; Bak, Claus Leth

2018-01-01

In areas where there are already several HVDC links in operation or under construction, it is more likely that a DC grid emerges as a gradual process. Although the DC grid control concept has been widely discussed, the implementation in the expandable multi-terminal HVDC (MTDC) transmission systems...... still faces challenges. The existing converter control system needs to be adjusted when a point-to-point (PtP) link is operated into MTDC system, or when an additional converter is interconnected with an existing MTDC system, or even when a new DC grid control strategy is applied. In this paper, a new...... DC grid control concept is proposed that conserves and uses the existing converter control when an existing PtP link is extended into MTDC system or the existing MTDC system is expanded. An interface is proposed to decouple the DC grid secondary with converter control structures. By using...

One-tiered vs. two-tiered forecasting of South African seasonal rainfall

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Landman, WA

2010-09-01

Full Text Available -tiered Forecasting of South African Seasonal Rainfall Willem A. Landman1, Dave DeWitt2 and Daleen L?tter3 1: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; WALandman@csir.co.za 2: International Research Institute for Climate and Society; Daved... modelled as fully interacting is called a fully coupled model system. Forecast performance by such systems predicting seasonal rainfall totals over South Africa is compared with forecasts produced by a computationally less demanding two-tiered system...

Using expanded real options analysis to evaluate capacity expansion decisions under uncertainty in the construction material industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Momani, Amer Mohammad

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Capacity expansion generally requires large capital expenditure on illiquid assets. Therefore, decisions to enlarge capacity must support the organisation’s strategic objectives and provide valuable input for the budgeting process. This paper applies an expanded form of Real Options Analysis (ROA to generate and evaluate capacity expansion strategies under uncertainty in the construction material industry. ROA is applied to different expansion strategies associated with different demand scenarios. Evaluating a wider variety of strategies can reduce risk and sponsor decisions that maximise the firm’s value. The case study shows that the execution of a lead expansion strategy with 10-year intervals under a 50 per cent demand satisfaction scenario produces superior results.

The CMS experiment workflows on StoRM based storage at Tier-1 and Tier-2 centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonacorsi, D; Bartolome, I Cabrillo; Matorras, F; Gonzalez Caballero, I; Sartirana, A

2010-01-01

Approaching LHC data taking, the CMS experiment is deploying, commissioning and operating the building tools of its grid-based computing infrastructure. The commissioning program includes testing, deployment and operation of various storage solutions to support the computing workflows of the experiment. Recently, some of the Tier-1 and Tier-2 centers supporting the collaboration have started to deploy StoRM based storage systems. These are POSIX-based disk storage systems on top of which StoRM implements the Storage Resource Manager (SRM) version 2 interface allowing for a standard-based access from the Grid. In this notes we briefly describe the experience so far achieved at the CNAF Tier-1 center and at the IFCA Tier-2 center.

Tier-3 Monitoring Software Suite (T3MON) proposal

CERN Document Server

Andreeva, J; The ATLAS collaboration; Klimentov, A; Korenkov, V; Oleynik, D; Panitkin, S; Petrosyan, A

2011-01-01

The ATLAS Distributed Computing activities concentrated so far in the “central” part of the computing system of the experiment, namely the first 3 tiers (CERN Tier0, the 10 Tier1s centres and the 60+ Tier2s). This is a coherent system to perform data processing and management on a global scale and host (re)processing, simulation activities down to group and user analysis. Many ATLAS Institutes and National Communities built (or have plans to build) Tier-3 facilities. The definition of Tier-3 concept has been outlined (REFERENCE). Tier-3 centres consist of non-pledged resources mostly dedicated for the data analysis by the geographically close or local scientific groups. Tier-3 sites comprise a range of architectures and many do not possess Grid middleware, which would render application of Tier-2 monitoring systems useless. This document describes a strategy to develop a software suite for monitoring of the Tier3 sites. This software suite will enable local monitoring of the Tier3 sites and the global vie...

Prevalence of syphilis infection in different tiers of female sex workers in China: implications for surveillance and interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Xiang-Sheng

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Syphilis has made a dramatic resurgence in China during the past two decades and become the third most prevalent notifiable infectious disease in China. Female sex workers (FSWs have become one of key populations for the epidemic. In order to investigate syphilis infection among different tiers of FSWs, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 sites in China. Methods Serum specimens (n = 7,118 were collected to test for syphilis and questionnaire interviews were conducted to obtain socio-demographic and behavioral information among FSWs recruited from different types of venues. FSWs were categorized into three tiers (high-, middle- and low-tier FSWs based on the venues where they solicited clients. Serum specimens were screened with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA for treponemal antibody followed by confirmation with non-treponemal toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST for positive ELISA specimens to determine syphilis infection. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with syphilis infection. Results Overall syphilis prevalence was 5.0% (95%CI, 4.5-5.5%. Low-tier FSWs had the highest prevalence (9.7%; 95%CI, 8.3-11.1%, followed by middle-tier (4.3%; 95%CI, 3.6-5.0%, P P Conclusions This multi-site survey showed a high prevalence of syphilis infection among FSWs and substantial disparities in syphilis prevalence by the tier of FSWs. The difference in syphilis prevalence is substantial between different tiers of FSWs, with the highest rate among low-tier FSWs. Thus, current surveillance and intervention activities, which have low coverage in low-tier FSWs in China, should be further examined.

Dynamic supply chain network design with capacity planning and multi-period pricing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fattahi, Mohammad; Mahootchi, Masoud; Govindan, Kannan

2015-01-01

This paper addresses a new problem in designing and planning a multi-echelon and multi-product supply chain network over a multi-period horizon in which customer zones have price-sensitive demands. Based on price-demand relationships, a generic method is presented to obtain price levels...... for products and then, a mixed-integer linear programming model is developed. Due to the problem intractability, a simulated annealing algorithm that uses some developed linear relaxation-based heuristics for capacity planning and pricing is presented. Numerical results demonstrate the significance...

Top-tier requirements for KNGR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung-Jae, Ch.; Kwangho, L.; Dong Wook, J.

1996-01-01

In 1992, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has launched the next generation reactor project to develop the standard design of an advanced pressurized water reactor by 2000. This advanced reactor aims to have the sufficient capability to be a safe, environmentally sound and economical energy source for 2000's in Korea. In conjunction with the project development, the program phase I is studied and it is in the Korean Next Generation Reactor (KNGR) first phase project that the requirements of this specification called ''Top-tier'' have been established. These functional requirements are of the first importance for the design, construction and operation of a nuclear power plant. These requirements are divided into safety requirements, serious accidents control, design base requirements, definition of the system characteristics, performance, construction feasibility, economical objectives, site parameters and design processes. The ''Top-tier'' requirements are concentrated on the improvement of the safety and reliability. Safety is one of the first priorities. In particular, the requirements for the design of the next reactors generation must include the capacity to control serious accidents because when an accident occurs, the protection degree is crucial. The KNGR requirements include the existing nuclear power plants competitiveness as well as those of the coal thermal plants. Moreover, when safety is reinforced, the economic competitiveness can be assured. At the present time, a subsequent specification for the KNGR considering the bases of the domestic technology and experimenting the running. (O.M.)

Constrained multi-objective optimization of radial expanders in organic Rankine cycles by firefly algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahadormanesh, Nikrouz; Rahat, Shayan; Yarali, Milad

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A multi-objective optimization for radial expander in Organic Rankine Cycles is implemented. • By using firefly algorithm, Pareto front based on the size of turbine and thermal efficiency is produced. • Tension and vibration constrains have a significant effect on optimum design points. - Abstract: Organic Rankine Cycles are viable energy conversion systems in sustainable energy systems due to their compatibility with low-temperature heat sources. In the present study, one dimensional model of radial expanders in conjunction with a thermodynamic model of organic Rankine cycles is prepared. After verification, by defining thermal efficiency of the cycle and size parameter of a radial turbine as the objective functions, a multi-objective optimization was conducted regarding tension and vibration constraints for 4 different organic working fluids (R22, R245fa, R236fa and N-Pentane). In addition to mass flow rate, evaporator temperature, maximum pressure of cycle and turbo-machinery design parameters are selected as the decision variables. Regarding Pareto fronts, by a little increase in size of radial expanders, it is feasible to reach high efficiency. Moreover, by assessing the distribution of decision variables, the variables that play a major role in trending between the objective functions are found. Effects of mechanical and vibration constrains on optimum decision variables are investigated. The results of optimization can be considered as an initial values for design of radial turbines for Organic Rankine Cycles.

Radiofrequency ablation of chondroblastoma using a multi-tined expandable electrode system: initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tins, Bernhard; Cassar-Pullicino, Victor; McCall, Iain; Cool, Paul; Williams, David; Mangham, David

2006-01-01

The standard treatment for chondroblastoma is surgery, which can be difficult and disabling due to its apo- or epiphyseal location. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation potentially offers a minimally invasive alternative. The often large size of chondroblastomas can make treatment with plain electrode systems difficult or impossible. This article describes the preliminary experience of RF treatment of chondroblastomas with a multi-tined expandable RF electrode system. Four cases of CT guided RF treatment are described. The tumour was successfully treated in all cases. In two cases, complications occurred; infraction of a subarticular chondroblastoma in one case and cartilage and bone damage in the unaffected compartment of a knee joint in the other. Radiofrequency treatment near a joint surface threatens the integrity of cartilage and therefore long-term joint function. In weight-bearing areas, the lack of bone replacement in successfully treated lesions contributes to the risk of mechanical failure. Multi-tined expandable electrode systems allow the treatment of large chondroblastomas. In weight-bearing joints and lesions near to the articular cartilage, there is a risk of cartilage damage and mechanical weakening of the bone. In lesions without these caveats, RF ablation appears promising. The potential risks and benefits need to be evaluated for each case individually. (orig.)

Radiofrequency ablation of chondroblastoma using a multi-tined expandable electrode system: initial results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tins, Bernhard; Cassar-Pullicino, Victor; McCall, Iain [RJAH Orthopaedic and District Hospital, Department of Radiology, Oswestry (United Kingdom); Cool, Paul [RJAH Orthopaedic and District Hospital, Musculoskeletal Tumour Unit, Oswestry (United Kingdom); Williams, David [Hereford Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Hereford (United Kingdom); Mangham, David [RJAH Orthopaedic and District Hospital, Department of Pathology, Oswestry (United Kingdom)

2006-04-15

The standard treatment for chondroblastoma is surgery, which can be difficult and disabling due to its apo- or epiphyseal location. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation potentially offers a minimally invasive alternative. The often large size of chondroblastomas can make treatment with plain electrode systems difficult or impossible. This article describes the preliminary experience of RF treatment of chondroblastomas with a multi-tined expandable RF electrode system. Four cases of CT guided RF treatment are described. The tumour was successfully treated in all cases. In two cases, complications occurred; infraction of a subarticular chondroblastoma in one case and cartilage and bone damage in the unaffected compartment of a knee joint in the other. Radiofrequency treatment near a joint surface threatens the integrity of cartilage and therefore long-term joint function. In weight-bearing areas, the lack of bone replacement in successfully treated lesions contributes to the risk of mechanical failure. Multi-tined expandable electrode systems allow the treatment of large chondroblastomas. In weight-bearing joints and lesions near to the articular cartilage, there is a risk of cartilage damage and mechanical weakening of the bone. In lesions without these caveats, RF ablation appears promising. The potential risks and benefits need to be evaluated for each case individually. (orig.)

Expanding Resilience Indicators: A Case Study on Buffering Capacity Indicator in a Process Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirali

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background The complexity of modern sociotechnical systems has created new challenges for safety, so that traditional approaches are not able to cope with them. Resilience engineering (RE is a good alternative to traditional approaches for safety management, however resilience is still a difficult concept to measure, and indicators such as buffering capacity, flexibility, and so on, which are thought to contribute to it, are undeveloped. Objectives This study aimed at expanding buffering capacity as one of the main indicators in order to facilitate measurement of resilience of a system. Materials and Methods We used the Delphi method in order to identify indicators, and data related to all the indicators were gathered by observation and interview. In this line, 32 of the experienced operators with at least 15 years of operational record were selected for semi-structured interviews. Gathered data was processed by the principal component analysis technique. The results were processed by the Minitab 15 software. Results In this study, 29 factors affecting this indicator were determined using the Delphi method; the scores of all factors were less than the scores of the best practice. On the other hand, the state of this indicator was poor in plant included in the study. Conclusions This was the first study that focused on expanding resilience indicators, and presents a new framework to simplify assessment of resilience and safety of a complex system.

Analisis Tingkat Pemahaman Konsep Siswa Kelas XI IPA Sman 3 Mataram Menggunakan One Tier Dan Two Tier Test Materi Kelarutan Dan Hasil Kali Kelarutan

OpenAIRE

Nabilah, Nabilah; Andayani, Yayuk; Laksmiwati, Dwi

2013-01-01

: The objective of this research was to analyzed conceptual understanding level of XI science grade students of SMAN 3 Mataram by used one-tier and two-tier test in solubility and solubility product subject. One-tier test are examined to XI IPA 4 grade students and two-tier test to XI IPA 5 grade students. The results of conceptual understanding using one-tier test (57,4%) are higher than using two-tier test (21,03%). One-tier test only showed the students's conceptual understanding, whereas ...

A two-tiered approach to assessing the habitability of exoplanets.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulze-Makuch, Dirk; Méndez, Abel; Fairén, Alberto G; von Paris, Philip; Turse, Carol; Boyer, Grayson; Davila, Alfonso F; António, Marina Resendes de Sousa; Catling, David; Irwin, Louis N

2011-12-01

In the next few years, the number of catalogued exoplanets will be counted in the thousands. This will vastly expand the number of potentially habitable worlds and lead to a systematic assessment of their astrobiological potential. Here, we suggest a two-tiered classification scheme of exoplanet habitability. The first tier consists of an Earth Similarity Index (ESI), which allows worlds to be screened with regard to their similarity to Earth, the only known inhabited planet at this time. The ESI is based on data available or potentially available for most exoplanets such as mass, radius, and temperature. For the second tier of the classification scheme we propose a Planetary Habitability Index (PHI) based on the presence of a stable substrate, available energy, appropriate chemistry, and the potential for holding a liquid solvent. The PHI has been designed to minimize the biased search for life as we know it and to take into account life that might exist under more exotic conditions. As such, the PHI requires more detailed knowledge than is available for any exoplanet at this time. However, future missions such as the Terrestrial Planet Finder will collect this information and advance the PHI. Both indices are formulated in a way that enables their values to be updated as technology and our knowledge about habitable planets, moons, and life advances. Applying the proposed metrics to bodies within our Solar System for comparison reveals two planets in the Gliese 581 system, GJ 581 c and d, with an ESI comparable to that of Mars and a PHI between that of Europa and Enceladus.

Interference statistics and capacity analysis for uplink transmission in two-tier small cell networks: A geometric probability approach

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina; Dawy, Zaher; Hossain, Ekram; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2014-01-01

This paper presents a novel framework to derive the statistics of the interference considering dedicated and shared spectrum access for uplink transmission in two-tier small cell networks such as the macrocell-femtocell networks. The framework

Regulatory T cells expanded from HIV-1-infected individuals maintain phenotype, TCR repertoire and suppressive capacity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathieu Angin

Full Text Available While modulation of regulatory T cell (Treg function and adoptive Treg transfer are being explored as therapeutic modalities in the context of autoimmune diseases, transplantation and cancer, their role in HIV-1 pathogenesis remains less well defined. Controversy persists regarding their beneficial or detrimental effects in HIV-1 disease, which warrants further detailed exploration. Our objectives were to investigate if functional CD4(+ Tregs can be isolated and expanded from HIV-1-infected individuals for experimental or potential future therapeutic use and to determine phenotype and suppressive capacity of expanded Tregs from HIV-1 positive blood and tissue. Tregs and conventional T cell controls were isolated from blood and gut-associated lymphoid tissue of individuals with HIV-1 infection and healthy donors using flow-based cell-sorting. The phenotype of expanded Tregs was assessed by flow-cytometry and quantitative PCR. T-cell receptor ß-chain (TCR-β repertoire diversity was investigated by deep sequencing. Flow-based T-cell proliferation and chromium release cytotoxicity assays were used to determine Treg suppressive function. Tregs from HIV-1 positive individuals, including infants, were successfully expanded from PBMC and GALT. Expanded Tregs expressed high levels of FOXP3, CTLA4, CD39 and HELIOS and exhibited a highly demethylated TSDR (Treg-specific demethylated region, characteristic of Treg lineage. The TCRß repertoire was maintained following Treg expansion and expanded Tregs remained highly suppressive in vitro. Our data demonstrate that Tregs can be expanded from blood and tissue compartments of HIV-1+ donors with preservation of Treg phenotype, function and TCR repertoire. These results are highly relevant for the investigation of potential future therapeutic use, as currently investigated for other disease states and hold great promise for detailed studies on the role of Tregs in HIV-1 infection.

Mesocosm soil ecological risk assessment tool for GMO 2nd tier studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Annibale, Alessandra; Maraldo, Kristine; Larsen, Thomas

Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of GMO is basically identical to ERA of chemical substances, when it comes to assessing specific effects of the GMO plant material on the soil ecosystem. The tiered approach always includes the option of studying more complex but still realistic ecosystem level...... effects in 2nd tier caged experimental systems, cf. the new GMO ERA guidance: EFSA Journal 2010; 8(11):1879. We propose to perform a trophic structure analysis, TSA, and include the trophic structure as an ecological endpoint to gain more direct insight into the change in interactions between species, i.......e. the food-web structure, instead of relying only on the indirect evidence from population abundances. The approach was applied for effect assessment in the agro-ecosystem where we combined factors of elevated CO2, viz. global climate change, and GMO plant effects. A multi-species (Collembola, Acari...

Expanding Continuous Quality Improvement Capacity in the Medical Intensive Care Unit: Prehealth Volunteers as a Solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Priest, Kelsey C; Lobingier, Hannah; McCully, Nancy; Lombard, Jackie; Hansen, Mark; Uchiyama, Makoto; Hagg, Daniel S

2016-01-01

Health care delivery systems are challenged to support the increasing demands for improving patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes. Limited resources and staffing are common barriers for making significant and sustained improvements. At Oregon Health & Science University, the medical intensive care unit (MICU) leadership team faced internal capacity limitations for conducting continuous quality improvement, specifically for the implementation and evaluation of the mobility portion of an evidence-based care bundle. The MICU team successfully addressed this capacity challenge using the person power of prehealth volunteers. In the first year of the project, 52 trained volunteers executed an evidence-based mobility intervention for 305 critically ill patients, conducting more than 200 000 exercise repetitions. The volunteers contributed to real-time evaluation of the project, with the collection of approximately 26 950 process measure data points. Prehealth volunteers are an untapped resource for effectively expanding internal continuous quality improvement capacity in the MICU and beyond.

Tiered gasoline pricing: A personal carbon trading perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yao; Fan, Jin; Zhao, Dingtao; Wu, Yanrui; Li, Jun

2016-01-01

This paper proffers a tiered gasoline pricing method from a personal carbon trading perspective. An optimization model of personal carbon trading is proposed, and then, an equilibrium carbon price is derived according to the market clearing condition. Based on the derived equilibrium carbon price, this paper proposes a calculation method of tiered gasoline pricing. Then, sensitivity analyses and consumers' surplus analyses are conducted. It can be shown that a rise in gasoline price or a more generous allowance allocation would incur a decrease in the equilibrium carbon price, making the first tiered price higher, but the second tiered price lower. It is further verified that the proposed tiered pricing method is progressive because it would relieve the pressure of the low-income groups who consume less gasoline while imposing a greater burden on the high-income groups who consume more gasoline. Based on these results, implications, limitations and suggestions for future studies are provided. - Highlights: • Tiered gasoline pricing is calculated from the perspective of PCT. • Consumers would be burdened with different actual gasoline costs. • A specific example is provided to illustrate the calculation of TGP. • The tiered pricing mechanism is a progressive system.

Analysis Facility infrastructure (TIER3) for ATLAS High Energy physics experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez de la Hoz, S.; March, L.; Ros, E.; Sanchez, J.; Amoros, G.; Fassi, F.; Fernandez, A.; Kaci, M.; Lamas, A.; Salt, J.

2007-01-01

ATLAS project has been asked to define the scope and role of Tier-3 resources (facilities or centres) within the existing ATLAS computing model, activities and facilities. This document attempts to address these questions by describing Tier-3 resources generally, and their relationship to the ATLAS Software and Computing Project. Originally the tiered computing model came out of MONARC (see http://monarc.web.cern.ch/MONARC/) work and was predicated upon the network being a scarce resource. In this model the tiered hierarchy ranged from the Tier-0 (CERN) down to the desktop or workstation (Tier 3). The focus on defining the roles of each tiered component has evolved with the initial emphasis on the Tier-0 (CERN) and Tier-1 (National centres) definition and roles. The various LHC projects, including ATLAS, then evolved the tiered hierarchy to include Tier-2s (Regional centers) as part of their projects. Tier-3s, on the other hand, have (implicitly and sometime explicitly) been defined as whatever an institution could construct to support their Physics goals using institutional and otherwise leveraged resources and therefore have not been considered to be part of the official ATLAS Research Program computing resources nor under their control, meaning there is no formal MOU process to designate sites as Tier-3s and no formal control of the program over the Tier-3 resources. Tier-3s are the responsibility of individual institutions to define, fund, deploy and support. However, having noted this, we must also recognize that Tier-3s must exist and will have implications for how our computing model should support ATLAS physicists. Tier-3 users will want to access data and simulations and will want to enable their Tier-3 resources to support their analysis and simulation work. Tiers 3s are an important resource for physicists to analyze LHC (Large Hadron Collider) data. This document will define how Tier-3s should best interact with the ATLAS computing model, detail the

Four Tiers

Science.gov (United States)

Moodie, Gavin

2009-01-01

This paper posits a classification of tertiary education institutions into four tiers: world research universities, selecting universities, recruiting universities, and vocational institutes. The distinguishing characteristic of world research universities is their research strength, the distinguishing characteristic of selecting universities is…

A multi-tiered approach to safety education.

Science.gov (United States)

Oates, Kim; Sammut, John; Kennedy, Peter

2013-08-01

The World Health Organization has recognised that patient safety education should begin at the undergraduate level. This should not just be for medical students, but for all students in the health professions. Although all students in the health professions should receive a basic grounding in patient safety, there is also a need to develop future leaders in this field. As a result of widespread early student exposure, some students may become interested in learning more. It follows that a postgraduate approach is also needed. The New South Wales Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) has initiated a tiered approach to patient safety education by providing patient safety teaching in medical, nursing and allied health schools. Teaching is provided in cooperation with the host university, and is interactive, using a mixture of interactive lectures, video clips, films and break-out groups to discuss scenarios and feedback from students to their peers about the concepts they have discussed. For medical graduates, the CEC has initiated patient safety teaching in the early postgraduate years, and provides an elective in patient safety for trainee doctor specialists as part of their accredited training. This process helps to identify and mentor future medical leaders in this field. In addition to teaching the core principles of patient safety to a wide range of students in the health professions, an approach for developing future leaders will provide additional opportunities for motivated students and create opportunities for continuing development in the early postgraduate years and beyond. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Storageless and caching Tier-2 models in the UK context

Science.gov (United States)

Cadellin Skipsey, Samuel; Dewhurst, Alastair; Crooks, David; MacMahon, Ewan; Roy, Gareth; Smith, Oliver; Mohammed, Kashif; Brew, Chris; Britton, David

2017-10-01

Operational and other pressures have lead to WLCG experiments moving increasingly to a stratified model for Tier-2 resources, where “fat” Tier-2s (“T2Ds”) and “thin” Tier-2s (“T2Cs”) provide different levels of service. In the UK, this distinction is also encouraged by the terms of the current GridPP5 funding model. In anticipation of this, testing has been performed on the implications, and potential implementation, of such a distinction in our resources. In particular, this presentation presents the results of testing of storage T2Cs, where the “thin” nature is expressed by the site having either no local data storage, or only a thin caching layer; data is streamed or copied from a “nearby” T2D when needed by jobs. In OSG, this model has been adopted successfully for CMS AAA sites; but the network topology and capacity in the USA is significantly different to that in the UK (and much of Europe). We present the result of several operational tests: the in-production University College London (UCL) site, which runs ATLAS workloads using storage at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) site; the Oxford site, which has had scaling tests performed against T2Ds in various locations in the UK (to test network effects); and the Durham site, which has been testing the specific ATLAS caching solution of “Rucio Cache” integration with ARC’s caching layer.

INFN Tier-1 Testbed Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregori, Daniele; Cavalli, Alessandro; Dell'Agnello, Luca; Dal Pra, Stefano; Prosperini, Andrea; Ricci, Pierpaolo; Ronchieri, Elisabetta; Sapunenko, Vladimir

2012-01-01

INFN-CNAF, located in Bologna, is the Information Technology Center of National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN). In the framework of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, INFN-CNAF is one of the eleven worldwide Tier-1 centers to store and reprocessing Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data. The Italian Tier-1 provides the resources of storage (i.e., disk space for short term needs and tapes for long term needs) and computing power that are needed for data processing and analysis to the LHC scientific community. Furthermore, INFN Tier-1 houses computing resources for other particle physics experiments, like CDF at Fermilab, SuperB at Frascati, as well as for astro particle and spatial physics experiments. The computing center is a very complex infrastructure, the hardaware layer include the network, storage and farming area, while the software layer includes open source and proprietary software. Software updating and new hardware adding can unexpectedly deteriorate the production activity of the center: therefore a testbed facility has been set up in order to reproduce and certify the various layers of the Tier-1. In this article we describe the testbed and the checks performed.

Technology Tiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karlsson, Christer

2015-01-01

A technology tier is a level in a product system: final product, system, subsystem, component, or part. As a concept, it contrasts traditional “vertical” special technologies (for example, mechanics and electronics) and focuses “horizontal” feature technologies such as product characteristics...

Strengthening and expanding the capacity of health worker education in Zambia.

Science.gov (United States)

Michelo, Charles; Zulu, Joseph Mumba; Simuyemba, Moses; Andrews, Benjamin; Katubulushi, Max; Chi, Benjamin; Njelesani, Evariste; Vwalika, Bellington; Bowa, Kasonde; Maimbolwa, Margaret; Chipeta, James; Goma, Fastone; Nzala, Selestine; Banda, Sekelani; Mudenda, John; Ahmed, Yusuf; Hachambwa, Lotti; Wilson, Craig; Vermund, Sten; Mulla, Yakub

2017-01-01

Zambia is facing a chronic shortage of health care workers. The paper aimed at understanding how the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program facilitated strengthening and expanding of the national capacity and quality of medical education as well as processes for retaining faculty in Zambia. Data generated through documentary review, key informant interviews and observations were analyzed using a thematic approach. The MEPI program triggered the development of new postgraduate programs thereby increasing student enrollment. This was achieved by leveraging of existing and new partnerships with other universities and differentiating the old Master in Public Health into specialized curriculum. Furthermore, the MEPI program improved the capacity and quality of training by facilitating installation and integration of new technology such as the eGranary digital library, E-learning methods and clinical skills laboratory into the Schools. This technology enabled easy access to relevant data or information, quicker turn around of experiments and enhanced data recording, display and analysis features for experiments. The program also facilitated transforming of the academic environment into a more conducive work place through strengthening the Staff Development program and support towards research activities. These activities stimulated work motivation and interest in research by faculty. Meanwhile, these processes were inhibited by the inability to upload all courses on to Moodle as well as inadequate operating procedures and feedback mechanisms for the Moodle. Expansion and improvement in training processes for health care workers requires targeted investment within medical institutions and strengthening local and international partnerships.

Proposed Tier 2 Screening Criteria and Tier 3 Field Procedures for Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion (ESTCP Cost and Performance Report)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

Security Technology Certification Program ETV Environmental Technology Verification GC gas chromatography HGL HydroGeoLogic, Inc . ITRC... Inc . (HGL) for invaluable project support. This page left blank intentionally. 1 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE... NIKE Battery Site PR-58 N. Kingstown, RI Tier 2 Industrial Site Southeast TX Tier 2 Note: * = Tier 2 demonstration not completed due to the

Implementation of Grid Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities on a Distributed OpenStack Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Limosani, Antonio; Boland, Lucien; Coddington, Paul; Crosby, Sean; Huang, Joanna; Sevior, Martin; Wilson, Ross; Zhang, Shunde

2014-06-01

The Australian Government is making a AUD 100 million investment in Compute and Storage for the academic community. The Compute facilities are provided in the form of 30,000 CPU cores located at 8 nodes around Australia in a distributed virtualized Infrastructure as a Service facility based on OpenStack. The storage will eventually consist of over 100 petabytes located at 6 nodes. All will be linked via a 100 Gb/s network. This proceeding describes the development of a fully connected WLCG Tier-2 grid site as well as a general purpose Tier-3 computing cluster based on this architecture. The facility employs an extension to Torque to enable dynamic allocations of virtual machine instances. A base Scientific Linux virtual machine (VM) image is deployed in the OpenStack cloud and automatically configured as required using Puppet. Custom scripts are used to launch multiple VMs, integrate them into the dynamic Torque cluster and to mount remote file systems. We report on our experience in developing this nation-wide ATLAS and Belle II Tier 2 and Tier 3 computing infrastructure using the national Research Cloud and storage facilities.

Implementation of Grid Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities on a Distributed OpenStack Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limosani, Antonio; Boland, Lucien; Crosby, Sean; Huang, Joanna; Sevior, Martin; Coddington, Paul; Zhang, Shunde; Wilson, Ross

2014-01-01

The Australian Government is making a $AUD 100 million investment in Compute and Storage for the academic community. The Compute facilities are provided in the form of 30,000 CPU cores located at 8 nodes around Australia in a distributed virtualized Infrastructure as a Service facility based on OpenStack. The storage will eventually consist of over 100 petabytes located at 6 nodes. All will be linked via a 100 Gb/s network. This proceeding describes the development of a fully connected WLCG Tier-2 grid site as well as a general purpose Tier-3 computing cluster based on this architecture. The facility employs an extension to Torque to enable dynamic allocations of virtual machine instances. A base Scientific Linux virtual machine (VM) image is deployed in the OpenStack cloud and automatically configured as required using Puppet. Custom scripts are used to launch multiple VMs, integrate them into the dynamic Torque cluster and to mount remote file systems. We report on our experience in developing this nation-wide ATLAS and Belle II Tier 2 and Tier 3 computing infrastructure using the national Research Cloud and storage facilities.

Expanding Capacity and Promoting Inclusion in Introductory Computer Science: A Focus on Near-Peer Mentor Preparation and Code Review

Science.gov (United States)

Pon-Barry, Heather; Packard, Becky Wai-Ling; St. John, Audrey

2017-01-01

A dilemma within computer science departments is developing sustainable ways to expand capacity within introductory computer science courses while remaining committed to inclusive practices. Training near-peer mentors for peer code review is one solution. This paper describes the preparation of near-peer mentors for their role, with a focus on…

ATLAS Tier-3 within IFIC-Valencia analysis facility

CERN Document Server

Villaplana, M; The ATLAS collaboration; Fernández, A; Salt, J; Lamas, A; Fassi, F; Kaci, M; Oliver, E; Sánchez, J; Sánchez-Martínez, V

2012-01-01

The ATLAS Tier-3 at IFIC-Valencia is attached to a Tier-2 that has 50% of the Spanish Federated Tier-2 resources. In its design, the Tier-3 includes a GRID-aware part that shares some of the features of IFIC Tier-2 such as using Lustre as a file system. ATLAS users, 70% of IFIC users, also have the possibility of analysing data with a PROOF farm and storing them locally. In this contribution we discuss the design of the analysis facility as well as the monitoring tools we use to control and improve its performance. We also comment on how the recent changes in the ATLAS computing GRID model affect IFIC. Finally, how this complex system can coexist with the other scientific applications running at IFIC (non-ATLAS users) is presented.

Identifying tier one key suppliers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicks, Steve

2013-01-01

In today's global marketplace, businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on suppliers for the provision of key processes, activities, products and services in support of their strategic business goals. The result is that now, more than ever, the failure of a key supplier has potential to damage reputation, productivity, compliance and financial performance seriously. Yet despite this, there is no recognised standard or guidance for identifying a tier one key supplier base and, up to now, there has been little or no research on how to do so effectively. This paper outlines the key findings of a BCI-sponsored research project to investigate good practice in identifying tier one key suppliers, and suggests a scalable framework process model and risk matrix tool to help businesses effectively identify their tier one key supplier base.

26 CFR 1.1446-5 - Tiered partnership structures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... defined in § 1.1446-4(b)(1)). (2) Lower-tier publicly traded partnership. The look through rules of... 26 Internal Revenue 12 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tiered partnership structures. 1.1446-5 Section...-Free Covenant Bonds § 1.1446-5 Tiered partnership structures. (a) In general. The rules of this section...

Exercising CMS dataflows and workflows in computing challenges at the SpanishTier-1 and Tier-2 sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caballero, J; Colino, N; Peris, A D; G-Abia, P; Hernandez, J M; R-Calonge, F J; Cabrillo, I; Caballero, I G; Marco, R; Matorras, F; Flix, J; Merino, G

2008-01-01

An overview of the data transfer, processing and analysis operations conducted at the Spanish Tier-1 (PIC, Barcelona) and Tier-2 (CIEMAT-Madrid and IFCA-Santander federation) centres during the past CMS CSA06 Computing, Software and Analysis challenge and in preparation for CSA07 is presented

Exercising CMS dataflows and workflows in computing challenges at the SpanishTier-1 and Tier-2 sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caballero, J; Colino, N; Peris, A D; G-Abia, P; Hernandez, J M; R-Calonge, F J [CIEMAT, Madrid (Spain); Cabrillo, I; Caballero, I G; Marco, R; Matorras, F [IFCA, Santander (Spain); Flix, J; Merino, G [PIC, Barcelona (Spain)], E-mail: jose.hernandez@ciemat.es

2008-07-15

An overview of the data transfer, processing and analysis operations conducted at the Spanish Tier-1 (PIC, Barcelona) and Tier-2 (CIEMAT-Madrid and IFCA-Santander federation) centres during the past CMS CSA06 Computing, Software and Analysis challenge and in preparation for CSA07 is present0008.

Rehabilitation medicine summit: building research capacity Executive Summary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kemp John D

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The general objective of the "Rehabilitation Medicine Summit: Building Research Capacity" was to advance and promote research in medical rehabilitation by making recommendations to expand research capacity. The five elements of research capacity that guided the discussions were: 1 researchers; 2 research culture, environment, and infrastructure; 3 funding; 4 partnerships; and 5 metrics. The 100 participants included representatives of professional organizations, consumer groups, academic departments, researchers, governmental funding agencies, and the private sector. The small group discussions and plenary sessions generated an array of problems, possible solutions, and recommended actions. A post-Summit, multi-organizational initiative is called to pursue the agendas outlined in this report (see Additional File 1. Additional File 1 A table outlining the Final Action Plan of the Rehabilitation Medicine Summit: Building Research Capacity held on April 28–29, 2005 in Washington, DC. Click here for file

Negotiation-based Order Lot-Sizing Approach for Two-tier Supply Chain

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Yuan; Lin, Hao Wen; Chen, Xili; Murata, Tomohiro

This paper focuses on a negotiation based collaborative planning process for the determination of order lot-size over multi-period planning, and confined to a two-tier supply chain scenario. The aim is to study how negotiation based planning processes would be used to refine locally preferred ordering patterns, which would consequently affect the overall performance of the supply chain in terms of costs and service level. Minimal information exchanges in the form of mathematical models are suggested to represent the local preferences and used to support the negotiation processes.

Qualitative analysis of the Dix-Hallpike maneuver in multi-canal BPPV using a biomechanical model: Introduction of an expanded Dix-Hallpike maneuver for enhanced diagnosis of multi-canal BPPV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henri Traboulsi

2017-09-01

Conclusion: The Dix–Hallpike maneuver may cause simultaneous movement of otoliths present in multiple canals and create an obstacle to accurate diagnosis in multi-canal BPPV. An expanded Dix-Hallpike maneuver is described which adds intermediate steps with the head positioned to the right and left in the horizontal position before head-hanging. This expanded maneuver has helped to isolate affected semi-circular canals for individual assessment in multiple canal BPPV.

38 CFR 36.4318 - Servicer tier ranking-temporary procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Servicer tier ranking... § 36.4318 Servicer tier ranking—temporary procedures. (a) The Secretary shall assign to each servicer a “Tier Ranking” based upon the servicer's performance in servicing guaranteed loans. There shall be four...

Operational experience with CMS Tier-2 sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Caballero, I

2010-01-01

In the CMS computing model, more than one third of the computing resources are located at Tier-2 sites, which are distributed across the countries in the collaboration. These sites are the primary platform for user analyses; they host datasets that are created at Tier-1 sites, and users from all CMS institutes submit analysis jobs that run on those data through grid interfaces. They are also the primary resource for the production of large simulation samples for general use in the experiment. As a result, Tier-2 sites have an interesting mix of organized experiment-controlled activities and chaotic user-controlled activities. CMS currently operates about 40 Tier-2 sites in 22 countries, making the sites a far-flung computational and social network. We describe our operational experience with the sites, touching on our achievements, the lessons learned, and the challenges for the future.

Unified storage systems for distributed Tier-2 centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowan, G A; Stewart, G A; Elwell, A

2008-01-01

The start of data taking at the Large Hadron Collider will herald a new era in data volumes and distributed processing in particle physics. Data volumes of hundreds of Terabytes will be shipped to Tier-2 centres for analysis by the LHC experiments using the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG). In many countries Tier-2 centres are distributed between a number of institutes, e.g., the geographically spread Tier-2s of GridPP in the UK. This presents a number of challenges for experiments to utilise these centres efficaciously, as CPU and storage resources may be subdivided and exposed in smaller units than the experiment would ideally want to work with. In addition, unhelpful mismatches between storage and CPU at the individual centres may be seen, which make efficient exploitation of a Tier-2's resources difficult. One method of addressing this is to unify the storage across a distributed Tier-2, presenting the centres' aggregated storage as a single system. This greatly simplifies data management for the VO, which then can access a greater amount of data across the Tier-2. However, such an approach will lead to scenarios where analysis jobs on one site's batch system must access data hosted on another site. We investigate this situation using the Glasgow and Edinburgh clusters, which are part of the ScotGrid distributed Tier-2. In particular we look at how to mitigate the problems associated with 'distant' data access and discuss the security implications of having LAN access protocols traverse the WAN between centres

A systems relations model for Tier 2 early intervention child mental health services with schools: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Roosmalen, Marc; Gardner-Elahi, Catherine; Day, Crispin

2013-01-01

Over the last 15 years, policy initiatives have aimed at the provision of more comprehensive Child and Adolescent Mental Health care. These presented a series of new challenges in organising and delivering Tier 2 child mental health services, particularly in schools. This exploratory study aimed to examine and clarify the service model underpinning a Tier 2 child mental health service offering school-based mental health work. Using semi-structured interviews, clinician descriptions of operational experiences were gathered. These were analysed using grounded theory methods. Analysis was validated by respondents at two stages. A pathway for casework emerged that included a systemic consultative function, as part of an overall three-function service model, which required: (1) activity as a member of the multi-agency system; (2) activity to improve the system working around a particular child; and (3) activity to universally develop a Tier 1 workforce confident in supporting children at risk of or experiencing mental health problems. The study challenged the perception of such a service serving solely a Tier 2 function, the requisite workforce to deliver the service model, and could give service providers a rationale for negotiating service models that include an explicit focus on improving the children's environments.

Experimental study of a novel capacity control algorithm for a multi-evaporator air conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiangguo; Pan Yan; Deng Shiming; Xia Liang; Chan Mingyin

2013-01-01

The use of a multi-evaporator air conditioning (MEAC) system is advantageous in terms of installation convenience, high design flexibility, being easy to maintain and commission, better indoor thermal comfort control and higher energy efficiency. While MEAC units worth billions of dollars are sold worldwide, the detailed accounts on compressor capacity control and refrigeration flow distribution amongst evaporators remain unavailable in public domain, mainly due to commercial confidentiality. Limited control algorithms for MEAC systems have been developed based on system simulation, and no experimental-based capacity controller developments and their controllability tests may be identified in open literature. In the study reported in this paper, a novel capacity control algorithm, which imitated On–Off control of a single evaporator air conditioning (A/C) system in each indoor unit of a MEAC system by using variable speed compressor and electronic expansion valves (EEVs), was developed. Controllability tests under various settings for experimentally validating the novel capacity control algorithm were carried out and the control algorithm was further improved based on the experimental results. - Highlights: ► A capacity control algorithm for a multi-evaporator air conditioning system was developed. ► Experimental controllability tests under various settings were carried out. ► The control algorithm was further improved based on the experimental results.

1990 Tier Two emergency and hazardous chemical inventory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-03-01

This document contains the 1990 Two Tier Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory. Submission of this Tier Two form (when requested) is required by Title 3 of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, Section 312, Public Law 99--499, codified at 42 U.S.C. Section 11022. The purpose of this Tier Two form is to provide State and local officials and the public with specific information on hazardous chemicals present at your facility during the past year

47 CFR 76.1605 - New product tier.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false New product tier. 76.1605 Section 76.1605 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Notices § 76.1605 New product tier. (a) Within 30 days of the offering of an...

26 CFR 1.444-4 - Tiered structure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tiered structure. 1.444-4 Section 1.444-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Accounting Periods § 1.444-4 Tiered structure. (a) Electing small business trusts. For...

Capacity analysis in multi-state synaptic models: a retrieval probability perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yibi; Amit, Yali

2011-06-01

We define the memory capacity of networks of binary neurons with finite-state synapses in terms of retrieval probabilities of learned patterns under standard asynchronous dynamics with a predetermined threshold. The threshold is set to control the proportion of non-selective neurons that fire. An optimal inhibition level is chosen to stabilize network behavior. For any local learning rule we provide a computationally efficient and highly accurate approximation to the retrieval probability of a pattern as a function of its age. The method is applied to the sequential models (Fusi and Abbott, Nat Neurosci 10:485-493, 2007) and meta-plasticity models (Fusi et al., Neuron 45(4):599-611, 2005; Leibold and Kempter, Cereb Cortex 18:67-77, 2008). We show that as the number of synaptic states increases, the capacity, as defined here, either plateaus or decreases. In the few cases where multi-state models exceed the capacity of binary synapse models the improvement is small.

Multi-Flow Carrier Aggregation in Heterogeneous Networks: Cross-Layer Performance Analysis

KAUST Repository

Alorainy, Abdulaziz

2017-02-09

Multi-flow carrier aggregation (CA) has recently been considered to meet the increasing demand for high data rates. In this paper, we investigate the cross-layer performance of multi-flow CA for macro user equipments (MUEs) in the expanded range (ER) of small cells. We develop a fork/join (F/J) queuing analytical model that takes into account the time varying channels, the channel scheduling algorithm, partial CQI feedback and the number of component carriers deployed at each tier. Our model also accounts for stochastic packet arrivals and the packet scheduling mechanism. The analytical model developed in this paper can be used to gauge various packet-level performance parameters e.g., packet loss probability (PLP) and queuing delay. For the queuing delay, our model takes out-of-sequence packet delivery into consideration. The developed model can also be used to find the amount of CQI feedback and the packet scheduling of a particular MUE in order to offload as much traffic as possible from the macrocells to the small cells while maintaining the MUE\\'s quality of service (QoS) requirements.

Tiers of intervention in kindergarten through third grade.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Rollanda E; Harty, Kristin R; Fulmer, Deborah

2005-01-01

This study measured the effects of increasing levels of intervention in reading for a cohort of children in Grades K through 3 to determine whether the severity of reading disability (RD) could be significantly reduced in the catchment schools. Tier 1 consisted of professional development for teachers of reading. The focus of this study is on additional instruction that was provided as early as kindergarten for children whose achievement fell below average. Tier 2 intervention consisted of small-group reading instruction 3 times per week, and Tier 3 of daily instruction delivered individually or in groups of two. A comparison of the reading achievement of third-grade children who were at risk in kindergarten showed moderate to large differences favoring children in the tiered interventions in decoding, word identification, fluency, and reading comprehension.

75 FR 73166 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-29

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for...). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding...

Diagnosing Disaster Resilience of Communities as Multi-scale Complex Socio-ecological Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Mochizuki, Junko; Keating, Adriana; Mechler, Reinhard; Williges, Keith; Hochrainer, Stefan

2014-05-01

Global environmental change, growing anthropogenic influence, and increasing globalisation of society have made it clear that disaster vulnerability and resilience of communities cannot be understood without knowledge on the broader social-ecological system in which they are embedded. We propose a framework for diagnosing community resilience to disasters, as a form of disturbance to social-ecological systems, with feedbacks from the local to the global scale. Inspired by iterative multi-scale analysis employed by Resilience Alliance, the related socio-ecological systems framework of Ostrom, and the sustainable livelihood framework, we developed a multi-tier framework for thinking of communities as multi-scale social-ecological systems and analyzing communities' disaster resilience and also general resilience. We highlight the cross-scale influences and feedbacks on communities that exist from lower (e.g., household) to higher (e.g., regional, national) scales. The conceptual framework is then applied to a real-world resilience assessment situation, to illustrate how key components of socio-ecological systems, including natural hazards, natural and man-made environment, and community capacities can be delineated and analyzed.

76 FR 71623 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-18

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for...). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding...

78 FR 71039 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-27

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for...). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding...

Towards more stable operation of the Tokyo Tier2 center

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, T.; Mashimo, T.; Matsui, N.; Sakamoto, H.; Ueda, I.

2014-06-01

The Tokyo Tier2 center, which is located at the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics (ICEPP) in the University of Tokyo, was established as a regional analysis center in Japan for the ATLAS experiment. The official operation with WLCG was started in 2007 after the several years development since 2002. In December 2012, we have replaced almost all hardware as the third system upgrade to deal with analysis for further growing data of the ATLAS experiment. The number of CPU cores are increased by factor of two (9984 cores in total), and the performance of individual CPU core is improved by 20% according to the HEPSPEC06 benchmark test at 32bit compile mode. The score is estimated as 18.03 (SL6) per core by using Intel Xeon E5-2680 2.70 GHz. Since all worker nodes are made by 16 CPU cores configuration, we deployed 624 blade servers in total. They are connected to 6.7 PB of disk storage system with non-blocking 10 Gbps internal network backbone by using two center network switches (NetIron MLXe-32). The disk storage is made by 102 of RAID6 disk arrays (Infortrend DS S24F-G2840-4C16DO0) and served by equivalent number of 1U file servers with 8G-FC connection to maximize the file transfer throughput per storage capacity. As of February 2013, 2560 CPU cores and 2.00 PB of disk storage have already been deployed for WLCG. Currently, the remaining non-grid resources for both CPUs and disk storage are used as dedicated resources for the data analysis by the ATLAS Japan collaborators. Since all hardware in the non-grid resources are made by same architecture with Tier2 resource, they will be able to be migrated as the Tier2 extra resource on demand of the ATLAS experiment in the future. In addition to the upgrade of computing resources, we expect the improvement of connectivity on the wide area network. Thanks to the Japanese NREN (NII), another 10 Gbps trans-Pacific line from Japan to Washington will be available additionally with existing two 10 Gbps lines

Towards more stable operation of the Tokyo Tier2 center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, T; Mashimo, T; Matsui, N; Sakamoto, H; Ueda, I

2014-01-01

The Tokyo Tier2 center, which is located at the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics (ICEPP) in the University of Tokyo, was established as a regional analysis center in Japan for the ATLAS experiment. The official operation with WLCG was started in 2007 after the several years development since 2002. In December 2012, we have replaced almost all hardware as the third system upgrade to deal with analysis for further growing data of the ATLAS experiment. The number of CPU cores are increased by factor of two (9984 cores in total), and the performance of individual CPU core is improved by 20% according to the HEPSPEC06 benchmark test at 32bit compile mode. The score is estimated as 18.03 (SL6) per core by using Intel Xeon E5-2680 2.70 GHz. Since all worker nodes are made by 16 CPU cores configuration, we deployed 624 blade servers in total. They are connected to 6.7 PB of disk storage system with non-blocking 10 Gbps internal network backbone by using two center network switches (NetIron MLXe-32). The disk storage is made by 102 of RAID6 disk arrays (Infortrend DS S24F-G2840-4C16DO0) and served by equivalent number of 1U file servers with 8G-FC connection to maximize the file transfer throughput per storage capacity. As of February 2013, 2560 CPU cores and 2.00 PB of disk storage have already been deployed for WLCG. Currently, the remaining non-grid resources for both CPUs and disk storage are used as dedicated resources for the data analysis by the ATLAS Japan collaborators. Since all hardware in the non-grid resources are made by same architecture with Tier2 resource, they will be able to be migrated as the Tier2 extra resource on demand of the ATLAS experiment in the future. In addition to the upgrade of computing resources, we expect the improvement of connectivity on the wide area network. Thanks to the Japanese NREN (NII), another 10 Gbps trans-Pacific line from Japan to Washington will be available additionally with existing two 10 Gbps lines

Improving three-tier environmental assessment model by using a 3D scanning FLS-AM series hyperspectral lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Samberg, Andre; Babichenko, Sergei; Poryvkina, Larisa

2005-05-01

Delay between the time when natural disaster, for example, oil accident in coastal water, occurred and the time when environmental protection actions, for example, water and shoreline clean-up, started is of significant importance. Mostly remote sensing techniques are considered as (near) real-time and suitable for multiple tasks. These techniques in combination with rapid environmental assessment methodologies would form multi-tier environmental assessment model, which allows creating (near) real-time datasets and optimizing sampling scenarios. This paper presents the idea of three-tier environmental assessment model. Here all three tiers are briefly described to show the linkages between them, with a particular focus on the first tier. Furthermore, it is described how large-scale environmental assessment can be improved by using an airborne 3-D scanning FLS-AM series hyperspectral lidar. This new aircraft-based sensor is typically applied for oil mapping on sea/ground surface and extracting optical features of subjects. In general, a sampling network, which is based on three-tier environmental assessment model, can include ship(s) and aircraft(s). The airborne 3-D scanning FLS-AM series hyperspectral lidar helps to speed up the whole process of assessing of area of natural disaster significantly, because this is a real-time remote sensing mean. For instance, it can deliver such information as georeferenced oil spill position in WGS-84, the estimated size of the whole oil spill, and the estimated amount of oil in seawater or on ground. All information is produced in digital form and, thus, can be directly transferred into a customer"s GIS (Geographical Information System) system.

Performance analysis of coordination strategies in two-tier Heterogeneous Networks

KAUST Repository

Boukhedimi, Ikram; Kammoun, Abla; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

Large scale multi-tier Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) are expected to ensure a consistent quality of service (QoS) in 5G systems. Such networks consist of a macro base station (BS) equipped with a large number of antennas and a dense overlay of small cells. The small cells could be deployed within the same coverage of the macro-cell BS, thereby causing high levels of inter-cell interference. In this regard, coordinated beamforming techniques are considered as a viable solution to counteract the arising interference. The goal of this work is to analyze the efficiency of coordinated beamforming techniques in mitigating both intra-cell and inter-cell interference. In particular, we consider the downlink of a Time-division duplexing (TDD) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) tier-HetNet and analyze different beamforming schemes together with different degrees of coordination between the BSs. We exploit random matrix theory tools in order to provide, in explicit form, deterministic equivalents for the average achievable rates in the macro-cell and the micro-cells. We prove that our theoretical derivations allow us to draw some conclusions regarding the role played by coordination strategies in reducing the inter-cell interference. These findings are finally validated by a selection of some numerical results. © 2016 IEEE.

Performance analysis of coordination strategies in two-tier Heterogeneous Networks

KAUST Repository

Boukhedimi, Ikram

2016-08-11

Large scale multi-tier Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) are expected to ensure a consistent quality of service (QoS) in 5G systems. Such networks consist of a macro base station (BS) equipped with a large number of antennas and a dense overlay of small cells. The small cells could be deployed within the same coverage of the macro-cell BS, thereby causing high levels of inter-cell interference. In this regard, coordinated beamforming techniques are considered as a viable solution to counteract the arising interference. The goal of this work is to analyze the efficiency of coordinated beamforming techniques in mitigating both intra-cell and inter-cell interference. In particular, we consider the downlink of a Time-division duplexing (TDD) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) tier-HetNet and analyze different beamforming schemes together with different degrees of coordination between the BSs. We exploit random matrix theory tools in order to provide, in explicit form, deterministic equivalents for the average achievable rates in the macro-cell and the micro-cells. We prove that our theoretical derivations allow us to draw some conclusions regarding the role played by coordination strategies in reducing the inter-cell interference. These findings are finally validated by a selection of some numerical results. © 2016 IEEE.

The Legnaro-Padova distributed Tier-2: challenges and results

Science.gov (United States)

Badoer, Simone; Biasotto, Massimo; Costa, Fulvia; Crescente, Alberto; Fantinel, Sergio; Ferrari, Roberto; Gulmini, Michele; Maron, Gaetano; Michelotto, Michele; Sgaravatto, Massimo; Toniolo, Nicola

2014-06-01

The Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 is a computing facility serving the ALICE and CMS LHC experiments. It also supports other High Energy Physics experiments and other virtual organizations of different disciplines, which can opportunistically harness idle resources if available. The unique characteristic of this Tier-2 is its topology: the computational resources are spread in two different sites, about 15 km apart: the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories and the INFN Padova unit, connected through a 10 Gbps network link (it will be soon updated to 20 Gbps). Nevertheless these resources are seamlessly integrated and are exposed as a single computing facility. Despite this intrinsic complexity, the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 ranks among the best Grid sites for what concerns reliability and availability. The Tier-2 comprises about 190 worker nodes, providing about 26000 HS06 in total. Such computing nodes are managed by the LSF local resource management system, and are accessible using a Grid-based interface implemented through multiple CREAM CE front-ends. dCache, xrootd and Lustre are the storage systems in use at the Tier-2: about 1.5 PB of disk space is available to users in total, through multiple access protocols. A 10 Gbps network link, planned to be doubled in the next months, connects the Tier-2 to WAN. This link is used for the LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) and for other general purpose traffic. In this paper we discuss about the experiences at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2: the problems that had to be addressed, the lessons learned, the implementation choices. We also present the tools used for the daily management operations. These include DOCET, a Java-based webtool designed, implemented and maintained at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2, and deployed also in other sites, such as the LHC Italian T1. DOCET provides an uniform interface to manage all the information about the physical resources of a computing center. It is also used as documentation repository available to

The Legnaro-Padova distributed Tier-2: challenges and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badoer, Simone; Biasotto, Massimo; Fantinel, Sergio

2014-01-01

The Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 is a computing facility serving the ALICE and CMS LHC experiments. It also supports other High Energy Physics experiments and other virtual organizations of different disciplines, which can opportunistically harness idle resources if available. The unique characteristic of this Tier-2 is its topology: the computational resources are spread in two different sites, about 15 km apart: the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories and the INFN Padova unit, connected through a 10 Gbps network link (it will be soon updated to 20 Gbps). Nevertheless these resources are seamlessly integrated and are exposed as a single computing facility. Despite this intrinsic complexity, the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 ranks among the best Grid sites for what concerns reliability and availability. The Tier-2 comprises about 190 worker nodes, providing about 26000 HS06 in total. Such computing nodes are managed by the LSF local resource management system, and are accessible using a Grid-based interface implemented through multiple CREAM CE front-ends. dCache, xrootd and Lustre are the storage systems in use at the Tier-2: about 1.5 PB of disk space is available to users in total, through multiple access protocols. A 10 Gbps network link, planned to be doubled in the next months, connects the Tier-2 to WAN. This link is used for the LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) and for other general purpose traffic. In this paper we discuss about the experiences at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2: the problems that had to be addressed, the lessons learned, the implementation choices. We also present the tools used for the daily management operations. These include DOCET, a Java-based webtool designed, implemented and maintained at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2, and deployed also in other sites, such as the LHC Italian T1. DOCET provides an uniform interface to manage all the information about the physical resources of a computing center. It is also used as documentation repository available to

The Impact of Payment System Design on Tiering Incentives

OpenAIRE

Robert Arculus; Jennifer Hancock; Greg Moran

2012-01-01

Tiering occurs when an institution does not participate directly in the central payment system but instead settles its payments through an agent. A high level of tiering can be a significant issue for payment system regulators because of the increased credit and concentration risk. This paper explores the impact of payment system design on institutions' incentives to tier using simulation analysis. Some evidence is found to support the hypothesis that the liquidity-saving mechanisms in Austra...

The COSPAR Capacity Building Workshops: growing and expanding : Growing and expanding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gabriel, Carlos; Willmore, Peter; Mendez, Mariano; Santolik, Ondrej; Pierre-Philippe Mathieu, .; Smith, Randall

The COSPAR Capacity Building Workshops Program, inaugurated with a first workshop in X-ray astronomy in 2001 in Brazil, has not only grown considerably over the last 11 years, but has also broadened its scope, and now includes very diverse areas of space science. We will review the history of the

Acute tier-1 and tier-2 effect assessment approaches in the EFSA Aquatic Guidance Diocument: are they sufficiently protective for insecticides?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijngaarden, van R.P.A.; Maltby, L.; Brock, T.C.M.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the acute tier-1 and tier-2 methods as proposed by the Aquatic Guidance Document recently published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are appropriate for deriving regulatory acceptable concentrations (RACs) for insecticides.

Tier2 Submit Software

Science.gov (United States)

Download this tool for Windows or Mac, which helps facilities prepare a Tier II electronic chemical inventory report. The data can also be exported into the CAMEOfm (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) emergency planning software.

Secrecy Dimming Capacity in Multi-LED PAM-Based Visible Light Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byung Wook Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, mobile cloud computing (MCC has gained a lot of interest for researchers building the next-generation mobile applications. Because unauthorized access may cause serious problems, security and privacy with MCC have become significant issues. This paper addresses the secrecy dimming capacity of secure transmission in MCC over visible light communication (VLC channels. By obtaining the entropy-maximizing symbol probability of multiple light emitting diode- (LED- based pulse amplitude modulation (PAM, mathematical analysis of the secrecy dimming capacity of VLC was derived. Simulation results show that the secure transmission ability of multi-LED-based VLC is determined according to the number of activated LEDs and target dimming level. This can be a guideline for practical VLC-based mobile network designers intending to secure wireless transmission and to decide on the number of activated LEDs at target dimming level to operate.

The Two-Tier Fecal Occult Blood Test: Cost-Effective Screening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J Rae

1994-01-01

Full Text Available The two-tier test represents a strategy combining HO Sensa and Hemeselect fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs with the aim of greater specificity and consequent economic advantages. If patients register a positive result on any HO Sensa guaiac test, they are once again tested by a hemoglobin-specific Hemeselect test. This concept was applied to a multicentre study involving persons 40 years or older. One component of the study enrolled 573 high risk patients while the second arm recruited an additional 1301 patients (52% asymptomatic/48% symptomatic stratified according to personal history and symptoms. The two-tier test produced fewer false positives than traditional tests in both groups evaluated in the study. In the high risk group, specificity (88.7% for two-tier versus 80.6% for Hemoccult and 69.5% for HO Sensa was higher and false positive rates were lower (11.3% for two-tier versus 19.5% for Hemoccultand 30.5% for HO Sensa for the two-tier test versus Hemoccult and HO Sensa FOBTs (95% CI for all colorectal cancers [CRCs] and polyps greater than 1 cm, α=0.05 . No significant differences in sensitivity were observed between tests in the same group. Also, in the high risk group, benefits of the two-tier test outweighed the costs. Due to the small number of cancers and polyps in the second arm of the study, presentation of data is meant to be descriptive and representative of trends in a ‘normal’ population. Nevertheless, specificity of the two-tier test was higher (96.8% for two-tier versus 87.2% for Hemoccult and 69.5% for HO Sensa and false positive rate lower (3.2% for two-tier versus 12.8% for Hemoccult and 22.3% for HO Sensa than either the Hemoccult or HO Sensa FOBT (95% CI for all CRCs and polyps greater than 1 cm. This initial study, focusing on the cost-benefit relationship of increased specificity, represents a new way of economically evaluating existing FOBTs.

Which Tier? Effects of Linear Assessment and Student Characteristics on GCSE Entry Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Vitello, Sylvia; Crawford, Cara

2018-01-01

In England, students obtain General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualifications, typically at age 16. Certain GCSEs are tiered; students take either higher-level (higher tier) or lower-level (foundation tier) exams, which may have different educational, career and psychological consequences. In particular, foundation tier entry, if…

The heat capacity of polyethylene fibers measured by multi-frequency temperature-modulated calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyda, M.; Nowak-Pyda, E.; Wunderlich, B.

2006-01-01

The apparent heat capacity of polyethylene fibers in the melting region was measured by quasi-isothermal, temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) and compared with results from standard differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the solid and liquid thermodynamic heat capacity as references from the ATHAS Data Bank. Using a multi-frequency, complex sawtooth modulation in the quasi-isothermal mode disclosed for the first time that the uncorrected apparent heat capacity C p =A Φ /(A T s ω) of the liquid polyethylene fiber increases with increasing frequency (A Φ is the differential heat-flow rate and A T s is the sample temperature). The frequency-dependent heat capacity cannot be represented by the expression: C p =A Φ /(A T s νω)[1+(τνω) 2 ] 0.5 because of a negative τ 2 . The results were later confirmed by independent measurements on single sinusoidal quasi-isothermal TMDSC on the same material. The error is caused by shrinking of the fiber, which deforms the sample pan

25 CFR 542.20 - What is a Tier A gaming operation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier A gaming operation? 542.20 Section 542.20 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.20 What is a Tier A gaming operation? A Tier A gaming operation is one with annual...

25 CFR 542.30 - What is a Tier B gaming operation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier B gaming operation? 542.30 Section 542.30 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.30 What is a Tier B gaming operation? A Tier B gaming operation is one with gross...

25 CFR 542.40 - What is a Tier C gaming operation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier C gaming operation? 542.40 Section 542.40 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.40 What is a Tier C gaming operation? A Tier C gaming operation is one with annual...

Illustrative Example of Distributed Analysis in ATLAS Spanish Tier-2 and Tier-3 centers

CERN Document Server

Oliver, E; The ATLAS collaboration; González de la Hoz, S; Kaci, M; Lamas, A; Salt, J; Sánchez, J; Villaplana, M

2011-01-01

Data taking in ATLAS has been going on for more than one year. The necessity of a computing infrastructure for data storage, access for thousands of users and process of hundreds of million of events has been confirmed in this period. Fortunately, this task has been managed by the GRID infrastructure and the manpower that also has been developing specific GRID tools for the ATLAS community. An example of a physics analysis, searches for the decay of a heavy resonance into a ttbar pair, using this infrastructure is shown. Concretely using the ATLAS Spanish Tier-2 and the IFIC Tier-3. In this moment, the ATLAS Distributed Computing group is working to improve the connectivity among centers in order to be ready for the foreseen increase on the ATLAS activity in the next years.

Tissue Expander Overfilling: Achieving New Dimensions of Customization in Breast Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Treiser, Matthew D; Lahair, Tracy; Carty, Matthew J

2016-02-01

Overfill of tissue expanders is a commonly used modality to achieve customized dimensions in breast reconstruction. Little formal study of the dynamics of hyperexpansion of these devices has been performed to date, however. Overfill trials were performed using both Natrelle 133 MV and Mentor 8200 tissue expanders of indicated capacities ranging from 250 to 800 mL. Each expander was initially filled to its indicated capacity with normal water and then injected in regular increments to 400% overfill. Measurements of each expander's width, height, and projection were made at indicated capacity and with each successive incremental overfill injection, and these results were then recorded, collated, and analyzed. Over the first 50% overfill, all expanders demonstrated a logarithmic increase in projection (mean increase, 143 ± 9%) while maintaining essentially stable base dimensions. Overfill levels in excess of 50% were accompanied by linear increases in height, width, and projection, during which projection approached, but never equaled, base dimensions. Stress versus strain analyses demonstrated nonlinear biomechanical dynamics during the first 50% overfill, followed by standard elastic dynamics up to 400% overfill. At no point during the study, did expander tensions outstrip elastic properties, thereby explaining the lack of device rupture. Through overfilling, tunable geometries of tissue expanders can be accessed that may provide for increasing customization of reconstructions, particularly at overfill volumes up to 50% over indicated capacity. This study should serve to guide tissue expander selection and fill volumes that surgeons may implement in obtaining ideal reconstructed breast shapes.

A Tiered Model for Linking Students to the Community

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Laura Landry; Gerard, Jean M.; Sturm, Michael R.; Wooldridge, Deborah G.

2016-01-01

A tiered practice model (introductory, pre-internship, and internship) embedded in the curriculum facilitates community engagement and creates relevance for students as they pursue a professional identity in Human Development and Family Studies. The tiered model integrates high-impact teaching practices (HIP) and student engagement pedagogies…

Enhancing results : solid expandable tubulars facilitate high-temperature oil recovery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noel, G.; Nylund, J.; Flaming, S. [Enventure Global Technology LLC, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

Steam-based recovery methods can provide a cost-effective approach to developing heavy oil and oil sands energy resources. This paper described a solid expandable tubular system designed to prevent damage without decreases in hole size. The pipe's permanent deformation creates an energized seal that cases off damaged tubulars. The new sealing systems allow for operations in the range of 270 degrees C. The system was comprised of mechanical retainers designed to hold the multi-component, high-temperature seal in place on the expandable casing. The seals are held in place by retainer rings designed to protect the seal in the hole as well as to provide increased anchoring capacity when the pipe is expanded and clad onto the base casing. The retainers are wrapped with a redundant standard seal material. The weight and size of the casings are individually configured for specific wells and are also designed to maintain consistency across multiple weight ranges. Details of the testing protocol used to ensure that the sealing system operated well in various oil production scenarios were presented, as well as the results of case studies conducted to demonstrate the system in the field. 6 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

Using a Multi-Tier Diagnostic Test to Explore the Nature of Students' Alternative Conceptions on Reaction Kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yaw Kai; Subramaniam, R.

2018-01-01

This study focused on grade 12 students' understanding of reaction kinetics. A 4-tier diagnostic instrument was developed for this purpose and administered to 137 students in the main study. Findings showed that reaction kinetics is a difficult topic for these students, with a total of 25 alternative conceptions (ACs) being uncovered. Except for…

Multi-dimensional knowledge translation: enabling health informatics capacity audits using patient journey models.

Science.gov (United States)

Catley, Christina; McGregor, Carolyn; Percival, Jennifer; Curry, Joanne; James, Andrew

2008-01-01

This paper presents a multi-dimensional approach to knowledge translation, enabling results obtained from a survey evaluating the uptake of Information Technology within Neonatal Intensive Care Units to be translated into knowledge, in the form of health informatics capacity audits. Survey data, having multiple roles, patient care scenarios, levels, and hospitals, is translated using a structured data modeling approach, into patient journey models. The data model is defined such that users can develop queries to generate patient journey models based on a pre-defined Patient Journey Model architecture (PaJMa). PaJMa models are then analyzed to build capacity audits. Capacity audits offer a sophisticated view of health informatics usage, providing not only details of what IT solutions a hospital utilizes, but also answering the questions: when, how and why, by determining when the IT solutions are integrated into the patient journey, how they support the patient information flow, and why they improve the patient journey.

Tier II Chemical Storage Facilities

Data.gov (United States)

Iowa State University GIS Support and Research Facility — Facilities that store hazardous chemicals above certain quantities must submit an annual emergency and hazardous chemical inventory on a Tier II form. This is a...

Effects of a Tier 3 Self-Management Intervention Implemented with and without Treatment Integrity

Science.gov (United States)

Lower, Ashley; Young, K. Richard; Christensen, Lynnette; Caldarella, Paul; Williams, Leslie; Wills, Howard

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of a Tier 3 peer-matching self-management intervention on two elementary school students who had previously been less responsive to Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions. The Tier 3 self-management intervention, which was implemented in the general education classrooms, included daily electronic communication between…

CUDAMPF: a multi-tiered parallel framework for accelerating protein sequence search in HMMER on CUDA-enabled GPU.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hanyu; Ganesan, Narayan

2016-02-27

HMMER software suite is widely used for analysis of homologous protein and nucleotide sequences with high sensitivity. The latest version of hmmsearch in HMMER 3.x, utilizes heuristic-pipeline which consists of MSV/SSV (Multiple/Single ungapped Segment Viterbi) stage, P7Viterbi stage and the Forward scoring stage to accelerate homology detection. Since the latest version is highly optimized for performance on modern multi-core CPUs with SSE capabilities, only a few acceleration attempts report speedup. However, the most compute intensive tasks within the pipeline (viz., MSV/SSV and P7Viterbi stages) still stand to benefit from the computational capabilities of massively parallel processors. A Multi-Tiered Parallel Framework (CUDAMPF) implemented on CUDA-enabled GPUs presented here, offers a finer-grained parallelism for MSV/SSV and Viterbi algorithms. We couple SIMT (Single Instruction Multiple Threads) mechanism with SIMD (Single Instructions Multiple Data) video instructions with warp-synchronism to achieve high-throughput processing and eliminate thread idling. We also propose a hardware-aware optimal allocation scheme of scarce resources like on-chip memory and caches in order to boost performance and scalability of CUDAMPF. In addition, runtime compilation via NVRTC available with CUDA 7.0 is incorporated into the presented framework that not only helps unroll innermost loop to yield upto 2 to 3-fold speedup than static compilation but also enables dynamic loading and switching of kernels depending on the query model size, in order to achieve optimal performance. CUDAMPF is designed as a hardware-aware parallel framework for accelerating computational hotspots within the hmmsearch pipeline as well as other sequence alignment applications. It achieves significant speedup by exploiting hierarchical parallelism on single GPU and takes full advantage of limited resources based on their own performance features. In addition to exceeding performance of other

Goodness-of-fit tests for multi-dimensional copulas: Expanding application to historical drought data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-wei Ma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The question of how to choose a copula model that best fits a given dataset is a predominant limitation of the copula approach, and the present study aims to investigate the techniques of goodness-of-fit tests for multi-dimensional copulas. A goodness-of-fit test based on Rosenblatt's transformation was mathematically expanded from two dimensions to three dimensions and procedures of a bootstrap version of the test were provided. Through stochastic copula simulation, an empirical application of historical drought data at the Lintong Gauge Station shows that the goodness-of-fit tests perform well, revealing that both trivariate Gaussian and Student t copulas are acceptable for modeling the dependence structures of the observed drought duration, severity, and peak. The goodness-of-fit tests for multi-dimensional copulas can provide further support and help a lot in the potential applications of a wider range of copulas to describe the associations of correlated hydrological variables. However, for the application of copulas with the number of dimensions larger than three, more complicated computational efforts as well as exploration and parameterization of corresponding copulas are required.

Evolution of the ATLAS data and computing model for a Tier2 in the EGI infrastructure

CERN Document Server

Fernández Casaní, A; The ATLAS collaboration; González de la Hoz, S; Salt Cairols, J; Fassi, F; Kaci, M; Lamas, A; Oliver, E; Sánchez, J; Sánchez, V

2012-01-01

Since the start of the LHC pp collisions in 2010, the ATLAS computing model has moved from a more strict design, where every Tier2 had a liaison and a network dependence from a Tier1, to a more meshed approach where every cloud could be connected. Evolution of ATLAS data models requires changes in ATLAS Tier2s policy for the data replication, dynamic data caching and remote data access. It also requires rethinking the network infrastructure to enable any Tier2 and associated Tier3 to easily connect to any Tier1 or Tier2. Tier2s are becoming more and more important in the ATLAS computing model as it allows more data to be readily accessible for analysis jobs to all users, independently of their geographical location. The Tier2s disk space has been reserved for real, simulated, calibration and alignment, group, and user data. A buffer disk space is needed for input and output data for simulations jobs. Tier2s are going to be used more efficiently. In this way Tier1s and Tier2s are becoming more equivalent for t...

CMS tier structure and operation of the experiment-specific tasks in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowack, A

2008-01-01

In Germany, several university institutes and research centres take part in the CMS experiment. Concerning the data analysis, a couple of computing centres at different Tier levels, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3, exists at these places. The German Tier 1 centre GridKa at the research centre at Karlsruhe serves all four LHC experiments as well as four non-LHC experiments. With respect to the CMS experiment, GridKa is mainly involved in central tasks. The Tier 2 centre in Germany consists of two sites, one at the research centre DESY at Hamburg and one at RWTH Aachen University, forming a federated Tier 2 centre. Both parts cover different aspects of a Tier 2 centre. The German Tier 3 centres are located at the research centre DESY at Hamburg, at RWTH Aachen University, and at the University of Karlsruhe. Furthermore the building of a German user analysis facility is planned. Since the CMS community in German is rather small, a good cooperation between the different sites is essential. This cooperation includes physical topics as well as technical and operational issues. All available communication channels such as email, phone, monthly video conferences, and regular personal meetings are used. For example, the distribution of data sets is coordinated globally within Germany. Also the CMS-specific services such as the data transfer tool PhEDEx or the Monte Carlo production are operated by people from different sites in order to spread the knowledge widely and increase the redundancy in terms of operators

Optimizing the Regional Industrial Structure Based on the Environmental Carrying Capacity: An Inexact Fuzzy Multi-Objective Programming Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenyi Wang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available An inexact fuzzy multi-objective programming model (IFMOP based on the environmental carrying capacity is provided for industrial structure optimization problems. In the IFMOP model, both fuzzy linear programming (FLP and inexact linear programming (ILP methods are introduced into a multi-objective programming framework. It allows uncertainties to be directly communicated into the problem solving processing, and it can effectively reflect the complexity and uncertainty of an industrial system without impractical simplification. The two objective functions utilized in the optimization study are the maximum total output value and population size, and the constraints include water environmental capacity, water resource supply, atmospheric environmental capacity and energy supply. The model is subsequently employed in a realistic case for industrial development in the Tongzhou district, Beijing, China. The results demonstrate that the model can help to analyze whether the environmental carrying capacity of Tongzhou can meet the needs of the social economic objectives in the new town plan in the two scenarios and can assist decision makers in generating stable and balanced industrial structure patterns with consideration of the resources, energy and environmental constraints to meet the maximum social economic efficiency.

Achieving Tier 4 Emissions in Biomass Cookstoves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchese, Anthony [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); DeFoort, Morgan [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Gao, Xinfeng [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Tryner, Jessica [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States); Dryer, Frederick L. [Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States); Haas, Francis [Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States); Lorenz, Nathan [Envirofit International, Fort Collins, CO (United States)

2018-03-13

Previous literature on top-lit updraft (TLUD) gasifier cookstoves suggested that these stoves have the potential to be the lowest emitting biomass cookstove. However, the previous literature also demonstrated a high degree of variability in TLUD emissions and performance, and a lack of general understanding of the TLUD combustion process. The objective of this study was to improve understanding of the combustion process in TLUD cookstoves. In a TLUD, biomass is gasified and the resulting producer gas is burned in a secondary flame located just above the fuel bed. The goal of this project is to enable the design of a more robust TLUD that consistently meets Tier 4 performance targets through a better understanding of the underlying combustion physics. The project featured a combined modeling, experimental and product design/development effort comprised of four different activities: Development of a model of the gasification process in the biomass fuel bed; Development of a CFD model of the secondary combustion zone; Experiments with a modular TLUD test bed to provide information on how stove design, fuel properties, and operating mode influence performance and provide data needed to validate the fuel bed model; Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) experiments with a two-dimensional optical test bed to provide insight into the flame dynamics in the secondary combustion zone and data to validate the CFD model; Design, development and field testing of a market ready TLUD prototype. Over 180 tests of 40 different configurations of the modular TLUD test bed were performed to demonstrate how stove design, fuel properties and operating mode influences performance, and the conditions under which Tier 4 emissions are obtainable. Images of OH and acetone PLIF were collected at 10 kHz with the optical test bed. The modeling and experimental results informed the design of a TLUD prototype that met Tier 3 to Tier 4 specifications in emissions and Tier 2 in efficiency. The

Evolution of the Atlas data and computing model for a Tier-2 in the EGI infrastructure

CERN Document Server

Fernandez, A; The ATLAS collaboration; AMOROS, G; VILLAPLANA, M; FASSI, F; KACI, M; LAMAS, A; OLIVER, E; SALT, J; SANCHEZ, J; SANCHEZ, V

2012-01-01

ABSTRAC ISCG 2012 Evolution of the Atlas data and computing model for a Tier2 in the EGI infrastructure During last years the Atlas computing model has moved from a more strict design, where every Tier2 had a liaison and a network dependence from a Tier1, to a more meshed approach where every cloud could be connected. Evolution of ATLAS data models requires changes in ATLAS Tier2s policy for the data replication, dynamic data caching and remote data access. It also requires rethinking the network infrastructure to enable any Tier2 and associated Tier3 to easily connect to any Tier1 or Tier2. Tier2s are becoming more and more important in the ATLAS computing model as it allows more data to be readily accessible for analysis jobs to all users, independently of their geographical location. The Tier2s disk space has been reserved for real, simulated, calibration and alignment, group, and user data. A buffer disk space is needed for input and output data for simulations jobs. Tier2s are going to be used more effic...

Simple Evaluation of Load-Carrying Capacity of Multi-Span Folding Bridges based on Floating Supports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Marszałek

2014-12-01

Full Text Available [b]Abstract[/b]. The papers covers simple evaluation of load-carrying capacity of multi-span folding bridges based on floating supports. Combined bridges built in this approach, could be used as a temporary crossing. The methodology of this evaluation is shown graphically on the basis of designed nomograms for two existing bridge structures i.e. MS-54 and DMS-65, mounted on rigid and floating supports. These nomograms facilitate the simple and fast determination of the impact of changing fixed support into floating support with different bridge length spans on the carrying capacity of the bridge. The paper also presents the influence of long-term use (enlarging the mounting backlash in the joints of these structures on the carrying capacity of the bridge.[b]Keywords[/b]: building, folding bridges, nomograms, assembly clearances

Preprocessing in a Tiered Sensor Network for Habitat Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanbiao Wang

2003-03-01

Full Text Available We investigate task decomposition and collaboration in a two-tiered sensor network for habitat monitoring. The system recognizes and localizes a specified type of birdcalls. The system has a few powerful macronodes in the first tier, and many less powerful micronodes in the second tier. Each macronode combines data collected by multiple micronodes for target classification and localization. We describe two types of lightweight preprocessing which significantly reduce data transmission from micronodes to macronodes. Micronodes classify events according to their cross-zero rates and discard irrelevant events. Data about events of interest is reduced and compressed before being transmitted to macronodes for target localization. Preliminary experiments illustrate the effectiveness of event filtering and data reduction at micronodes.

Multi-core job submission and grid resource scheduling for ATLAS AthenaMP

CERN Document Server

Crooks, D; The ATLAS collaboration; Harrington, R; Purdie, S; Severini, H; Skipsey, S; Tsulaia, V; Washbrook, A

2012-01-01

AthenaMP is the multi-core implementation of the ATLAS software framework and allows the efficient sharing of memory pages between multiple threads of execution. This has now been validated for production and delivers a significant reduction on overall memory footprint with negligible CPU overhead. Before AthenaMP can be routinely run on the LHC Computing Grid, it must be determined how the computing resources available to ATLAS can best exploit the notable improvements delivered by switching to this multi-process model. In particular, there is a need to identify and assess the potential impact of scheduling issues where single core and multi-core job queues have access to the same underlying resources. A study into the effectiveness and scalability of AthenaMP in a production environment will be presented. Submitting AthenaMP tasks to the Tier-0 and candidate Tier-2 sites will allow detailed measurement of worker node performance and also highlight the relative performance of local resource management system...

Testing SLURM open source batch system for a Tierl/Tier2 HEP computing facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donvito, Giacinto; Italiano, Alessandro; Salomoni, Davide

2014-01-01

In this work the testing activities that were carried on to verify if the SLURM batch system could be used as the production batch system of a typical Tier1/Tier2 HEP computing center are shown. SLURM (Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management) is an Open Source batch system developed mainly by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SchedMD, Linux NetworX, Hewlett-Packard, and Groupe Bull. Testing was focused both on verifying the functionalities of the batch system and the performance that SLURM is able to offer. We first describe our initial set of requirements. Functionally, we started configuring SLURM so that it replicates all the scheduling policies already used in production in the computing centers involved in the test, i.e. INFN-Bari and the INFN-Tier1 at CNAF, Bologna. Currently, the INFN-Tier1 is using IBM LSF (Load Sharing Facility), while INFN-Bari, an LHC Tier2 for both CMS and Alice, is using Torque as resource manager and MAUI as scheduler. We show how we configured SLURM in order to enable several scheduling functionalities such as Hierarchical FairShare, Quality of Service, user-based and group-based priority, limits on the number of jobs per user/group/queue, job age scheduling, job size scheduling, and scheduling of consumable resources. We then show how different job typologies, like serial, MPI, multi-thread, whole-node and interactive jobs can be managed. Tests on the use of ACLs on queues or in general other resources are then described. A peculiar SLURM feature we also verified is triggers on event, useful to configure specific actions on each possible event in the batch system. We also tested highly available configurations for the master node. This feature is of paramount importance since a mandatory requirement in our scenarios is to have a working farm cluster even in case of hardware failure of the server(s) hosting the batch system. Among our requirements there is also the possibility to deal with pre-execution and post

Testing SLURM open source batch system for a Tierl/Tier2 HEP computing facility

Science.gov (United States)

Donvito, Giacinto; Salomoni, Davide; Italiano, Alessandro

2014-06-01

In this work the testing activities that were carried on to verify if the SLURM batch system could be used as the production batch system of a typical Tier1/Tier2 HEP computing center are shown. SLURM (Simple Linux Utility for Resource Management) is an Open Source batch system developed mainly by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SchedMD, Linux NetworX, Hewlett-Packard, and Groupe Bull. Testing was focused both on verifying the functionalities of the batch system and the performance that SLURM is able to offer. We first describe our initial set of requirements. Functionally, we started configuring SLURM so that it replicates all the scheduling policies already used in production in the computing centers involved in the test, i.e. INFN-Bari and the INFN-Tier1 at CNAF, Bologna. Currently, the INFN-Tier1 is using IBM LSF (Load Sharing Facility), while INFN-Bari, an LHC Tier2 for both CMS and Alice, is using Torque as resource manager and MAUI as scheduler. We show how we configured SLURM in order to enable several scheduling functionalities such as Hierarchical FairShare, Quality of Service, user-based and group-based priority, limits on the number of jobs per user/group/queue, job age scheduling, job size scheduling, and scheduling of consumable resources. We then show how different job typologies, like serial, MPI, multi-thread, whole-node and interactive jobs can be managed. Tests on the use of ACLs on queues or in general other resources are then described. A peculiar SLURM feature we also verified is triggers on event, useful to configure specific actions on each possible event in the batch system. We also tested highly available configurations for the master node. This feature is of paramount importance since a mandatory requirement in our scenarios is to have a working farm cluster even in case of hardware failure of the server(s) hosting the batch system. Among our requirements there is also the possibility to deal with pre-execution and post

Prospective Environmental Risk Assessment for Sediment-Bound Organic Chemicals: A Proposal for Tiered Effect Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Diepens, Noël J; Koelmans, Albert A; Baveco, Hans; van den Brink, Paul J; van den Heuvel-Greve, Martine J; Brock, Theo C M

A broadly accepted framework for prospective environmental risk assessment (ERA) of sediment-bound organic chemicals is currently lacking. Such a framework requires clear protection goals, evidence-based concepts that link exposure to effects and a transparent tiered-effect assessment. In this paper, we provide a tiered prospective sediment ERA procedure for organic chemicals in sediment, with a focus on the applicable European regulations and the underlying data requirements. Using the ecosystem services concept, we derived specific protection goals for ecosystem service providing units: microorganisms, benthic algae, sediment-rooted macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and benthic vertebrates. Triggers for sediment toxicity testing are discussed.We recommend a tiered approach (Tier 0 through Tier 3). Tier-0 is a cost-effective screening based on chronic water-exposure toxicity data for pelagic species and equilibrium partitioning. Tier-1 is based on spiked sediment laboratory toxicity tests with standard benthic test species and standardised test methods. If comparable chronic toxicity data for both standard and additional benthic test species are available, the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) approach is a more viable Tier-2 option than the geometric mean approach. This paper includes criteria for accepting results of sediment-spiked single species toxicity tests in prospective ERA, and for the application of the SSD approach. We propose micro/mesocosm experiments with spiked sediment, to study colonisation success by benthic organisms, as a Tier-3 option. Ecological effect models can be used to supplement the experimental tiers. A strategy for unifying information from various tiers by experimental work and exposure-and effect modelling is provided.

Velocity-Aware Handover Management in Two-Tier Cellular Networks

KAUST Repository

Arshad, Rabe

2017-01-19

While network densification is considered an important solution to cater the ever-increasing capacity demand, its effect on the handover (HO) rate is overlooked. In dense 5G networks, HO delays may neutralize or even negate the gains offered by network densification. Hence, user mobility imposes a nontrivial challenge to harvest capacity gains via network densification. In this paper, we propose a velocity-aware HO management scheme for two-tier downlink cellular network to mitigate the HO effect on the foreseen densification throughput gains. The proposed HO scheme sacrifices the best base station (BS) connectivity, by skipping HO to some BSs along the user trajectory, to maintain longer connection durations and reduce HO rates. Furthermore, the proposed scheme enables cooperative BS service and strongest interference cancellation to compensate for skipping the best connectivity. To this end, we consider different HO skipping scenarios and develop a velocity-aware mathematical model, via stochastic geometry, to quantify the performance of the proposed HO schemes in terms of the coverage probability and user throughput. The results highlight the HO rate problem in dense cellular environments and show the importance of the proposed HO schemes. Finally, the value of BS cooperation along with handover skipping is quantified for different user mobility profiles.

The evolving role of Tier2s in ATLAS with the new Computing and Data Distribution model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González de la Hoz, S

2012-01-01

Originally the ATLAS Computing and Data Distribution model assumed that the Tier-2s should keep on disk collectively at least one copy of all “active” AOD and DPD datasets. Evolution of ATLAS Computing and Data model requires changes in ATLAS Tier-2s policy for the data replication, dynamic data caching and remote data access. Tier-2 operations take place completely asynchronously with respect to data taking. Tier-2s do simulation and user analysis. Large-scale reprocessing jobs on real data are at first taking place mostly at Tier-1s but will progressively be shared with Tier-2s as well. The availability of disk space at Tier-2s is extremely important in the ATLAS Computing model as it allows more data to be readily accessible for analysis jobs to all users, independently of their geographical location. The Tier-2s disk space has been reserved for real, simulated, calibration and alignment, group, and user data. A buffer disk space is needed for input and output data for simulations jobs. Tier-2s are going to be used more efficiently. In this way Tier-1s and Tier-2s are becoming more equivalent for the network and the hierarchy of Tier-1, 2 is less strict. This paper presents the usage of Tier-2s resources in different Grid activities, caching of data at Tier-2s, and their role in the analysis in the new ATLAS Computing and Data model.

Onbekend maakt onbemind : De One-Tier Board bij Royal Dutch Shell - Geleerde lessen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

dr. Stefan Peij; Michiel Brandjes

2012-01-01

Op 1 januari 2013 wordt de Wet Bestuur en Toezicht naar verwachting van kracht1. Na invoering van deze wet kunnen bedrijven gemakkelijker kiezen uit de one-tier board en de two-tier board als bestuursmodel. Shell heeft in 2005 het one-tier model ingevoerd en kan dus al de eerste balans opmaken.

Towards a theory of tiered testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansson, Sven Ove; Rudén, Christina

2007-06-01

Tiered testing is an essential part of any resource-efficient strategy for the toxicity testing of a large number of chemicals, which is required for instance in the risk management of general (industrial) chemicals, In spite of this, no general theory seems to be available for the combination of single tests into efficient tiered testing systems. A first outline of such a theory is developed. It is argued that chemical, toxicological, and decision-theoretical knowledge should be combined in the construction of such a theory. A decision-theoretical approach for the optimization of test systems is introduced. It is based on expected utility maximization with simplified assumptions covering factual and value-related information that is usually missing in the development of test systems.

77 FR 71481 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-30

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY... tax rates for calendar year 2013 as required by section 3241(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 3241). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of...

Linear-programming-based heuristics for project capacity planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gademann, A.J.R.M.; Schutten, J.M.J.

2005-01-01

Many multi-project organizations are capacity driven, which means that their operations are constrained by various scarce resources. An important planning aspect in a capacity driven multi-project organization is capacity planning. By capacity planning, we mean the problem of matching demand for

A Two-Tier Multiple Choice Questions to Diagnose Thermodynamic Misconception of Thai and Laos Students

Science.gov (United States)

Kamcharean, Chanwit; Wattanakasiwich, Pornrat

The objective of this study was to diagnose misconceptions of Thai and Lao students in thermodynamics by using a two-tier multiple-choice test. Two-tier multiple choice questions consist of the first tier, a content-based question and the second tier, a reasoning-based question. Data of student understanding was collected by using 10 two-tier multiple-choice questions. Thai participants were the first-year students (N = 57) taking a fundamental physics course at Chiang Mai University in 2012. Lao participants were high school students in Grade 11 (N = 57) and Grade 12 (N = 83) at Muengnern high school in Xayaboury province, Lao PDR. As results, most students answered content-tier questions correctly but chose incorrect answers for reason-tier questions. When further investigating their incorrect reasons, we found similar misconceptions as reported in previous studies such as incorrectly relating pressure with temperature when presenting with multiple variables.

Tiering Effects in Third-party Logistics: A First-tier Buyer Perspective

OpenAIRE

Vainionpää, Mikael M.

2010-01-01

This doctoral dissertation takes a buy side perspective to third-party logistics (3PL) providers’ service tiering by applying a linear serial dyadic view to transactions. It takes its point of departure not only from the unalterable focus on the dyad levels as units of analysis and how to manage them, but also the characteristics both creating and determining purposeful conditions for a longer duration. A conceptual framework is proposed and evaluated on its ability to capture logistics se...

Adipose tissue expandability and the early origins of PCOS.

Science.gov (United States)

de Zegher, Francis; Lopez-Bermejo, Abel; Ibáñez, Lourdes

2009-11-01

The most prevalent phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are characterized by insulin resistance and androgen excess. The adipose tissue (AT) expandability hypothesis explains the development of insulin resistance in obesity and in cases of AT deficit. In line with this hypothesis, we propose that hyperinsulinemic androgen excess in PCOS is often underpinned by exhaustion of the capacity to expand subcutaneous AT in a metabolically safe way. Such exhaustion might occur when a positive energy imbalance meets a normal fat-storage capacity and/or when a normal energy balance faces a low fat storage capacity. This concept thus explains how PCOS phenotypes might result from obesity, prenatal growth restraint or a genetic lipodystrophy, or, experimentally, from prenatal androgen excess.

The benefits of convergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Gee-Kung; Cheng, Lin

2016-03-06

A multi-tier radio access network (RAN) combining the strength of fibre-optic and radio access technologies employing adaptive microwave photonics interfaces and radio-over-fibre (RoF) techniques is envisioned for future heterogeneous wireless communications. All-band radio spectrum from 0.1 to 100 GHz will be used to deliver wireless services with high capacity, high link speed and low latency. The multi-tier RAN will improve the cell-edge performance in an integrated heterogeneous environment enabled by fibre-wireless integration and networking for mobile fronthaul/backhaul, resource sharing and all-layer centralization of multiple standards with different frequency bands and modulation formats. In essence, this is a 'no-more-cells' architecture in which carrier aggregation among multiple frequency bands can be easily achieved with seamless handover between cells. In this way, current and future mobile network standards such as 4G and 5G can coexist with optimized and continuous cell coverage using multi-tier RoF regardless of the underlying network topology or protocol. In terms of users' experience, the future-proof approach achieves the goals of system capacity, link speed, latency and continuous heterogeneous cell coverage while overcoming the bandwidth crunch in next-generation communication networks. © 2016 The Author(s).

Comparison of tiered formularies and reference pricing policies: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Steve; Hanley, Gillian; Greyson, Devon

2009-01-01

To synthesize methodologically comparable evidence from the published literature regarding the outcomes of tiered formularies and therapeutic reference pricing of prescription drugs. We searched the following electronic databases: ABI/Inform, CINAHL, Clinical Evidence, Digital Dissertations & Theses, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (which incorporates ACP Journal Club, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, Health Technology Assessments and NHS Economic Evaluation Database), EconLit, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, MEDLINE, PAIS International and PAIS Archive, and the Web of Science. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and several grey literature sources. We sought English-language studies published from 1986 to 2007 that examined the effects of either therapeutic reference pricing or tiered formularies, reported on outcomes relevant to patient care and cost-effectiveness, and employed quantitative study designs that included concurrent or historical comparison groups. We abstracted and assessed potentially appropriate articles using a modified version of the data abstraction form developed by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group. From an initial list of 2964 citations, 12 citations (representing 11 studies) were deemed eligible for inclusion in our review: 3 studies (reported in 4 articles) of reference pricing and 8 studies of tiered formularies. The introduction of reference pricing was associated with reduced plan spending, switching to preferred medicines, reduced overall drug utilization and short-term increases in the use of physician services. Reference pricing was not associated with adverse health impacts. The introduction of tiered formularies was associated with reduced plan expenditures, greater patient costs and increased rates of non-compliance with

Analysis of internal network requirements for the distributed Nordic Tier-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Behrmann, G.; Fischer, L.; Gamst, Mette

2010-01-01

The Tier-1 facility operated by the Nordic DataGrid Facility (NDGF) differs significantly from other Tier-1s in several aspects: It is not located at one or a few locations but instead distributed throughout the Nordic, it is not under the governance of a single organisation but but is instead...... build from resources under the control of a number of different national organisations. Being physically distributed makes the design and implementation of the networking infrastructure a challenge. NDGF has its own internal OPN connecting the sites participating in the distributed Tier-1. To assess...

Distributed Analysis Experience using Ganga on an ATLAS Tier2 infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fassi, F.; Cabrera, S.; Vives, R.; Fernandez, A.; Gonzalez de la Hoz, S.; Sanchez, J.; March, L.; Salt, J.; Kaci, M.; Lamas, A.; Amoros, G.

2007-01-01

The ATLAS detector will explore the high-energy frontier of Particle Physics collecting the proton-proton collisions delivered by the LHC (Large Hadron Collider). Starting in spring 2008, the LHC will produce more than 10 Peta bytes of data per year. The adapted tiered hierarchy for computing model at the LHC is: Tier-0 (CERN), Tiers-1 and Tiers-2 centres distributed around the word. The ATLAS Distributed Analysis (DA) system has the goal of enabling physicists to perform Grid-based analysis on distributed data using distributed computing resources. IFIC Tier-2 facility is participating in several aspects of DA. In support of the ATLAS DA activities a prototype is being tested, deployed and integrated. The analysis data processing applications are based on the Athena framework. GANGA, developed by LHCb and ATLAS experiments, allows simple switching between testing on a local batch system and large-scale processing on the Grid, hiding Grid complexities. GANGA deals with providing physicists an integrated environment for job preparation, bookkeeping and archiving, job splitting and merging. The experience with the deployment, configuration and operation of the DA prototype will be presented. Experiences gained of using DA system and GANGA in the Top physics analysis will be described. (Author)

Air capacity for Sydney

OpenAIRE

Forsyth, Peter

2013-01-01

Like most large cities, Sydney has an airport problem. Demand is increasing faster than supply, and additional capacity will be needed if costly rationing, and delays, are to be avoided. However, compared to many cities, the problems facing Sydney are modest. At the moment, demand is only just exceeding capacity. There is a good chance that the available capacity will be rationed efficiently. Options for expanding capacity are being evaluated well. There may be problems in the future- poor op...

Expanding Integrated Pest Management Capacity: Rwanda Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Baributsa, Dieudonne; Flores, Luis; Rukazambuga, Daniel; Wise, John C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Rwanda is developing its agricultural capacity to meet the needs of national food security while addressing food demands and requirements of regional and international markets. The Rwanda Horticultural Export Standards Initiative was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with Michigan State…

Evaluating total carrying capacity of tourism using impact indicators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sharma

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The carrying capacity is well identified tool to manage problems due to uncontrolled tourism for any destination. This report highlights the carrying capacity estimation of Kerwa tourism area, Bhopal, India. The methodology used in this report is a new two-tier mechanism of impact analysis using index numbers derived from a survey of 123 stakeholders. From this the individual component impact analysis and the total carrying capacity of the area is computed in order to state the insight of the total carrying capacity left for the tourism activities in Kerwa tourism area. It is calculated from, the results so obtained, that the Kerwa catchment area falls in “very low impact category” and hence in a healthy state of the artwork in terms of total carrying capacity. The study conveys the current need in the destination management and tourism development as a road map for the destination managers for implementing sustainable tourism.

Three Tiers of CSR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aggerholm, Helle Kryger; Trapp, Leila

2014-01-01

for understanding corporate approaches to CSR by examining how several companies position themselves thematically in CEO introductions to sustainability reports. On the basis of this, we then evaluate the practical value of this typology for assisting those who work with CSR strategy. The analysis revealed...... of the identified strengths and weaknesses of the typology, we develop a practitioner-focused, three-tiered model that can strategically guide the development of CSR programs....

Two Tier Cluster Based Data Aggregation (TTCDA) in Wireless Sensor Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dnyaneshwar, Mantri; Prasad, Neeli R.; Prasad, Ramjee

2012-01-01

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) often used for monitoring and control applications where sensor nodes collect data and send it to the sink. Most of the nodes consume their energy in transmission of data packets without aggregation to sink, which may be located at single or multi hop distance....... The direct transmission of data packets to the sink from nodes in the network causes increased communication costs in terms of energy, average delay and network lifetime. In this context, the data aggregation techniques minimize the communication cost with efficient bandwidth utilization by decreasing...... the packet count reached at the sink. Here, we propose Two Tier Cluster based Data Aggregation (TTCDA) algorithm for the randomly distributed nodes to minimize computation and communication cost. The TTCDA is energy and bandwidth efficient since it reduces the transmission of the number of packets...

Accelerating the Adoption of Second-Tier Reach Standards forApplicable Appliance Products in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Jiang; Fridley, David

2007-03-01

The minimum energy efficiency standards program for household appliances in China was initiated in 1989. Since 1996, CLASP and its implementing partner, LBNL, have assisted China in developing 11 minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for 9 products and endorsement labels for 11 products including: refrigerators; air conditioners; clothes washers; televisions; printers; computers; monitors; fax machines; copiers; DVD/VCD players; external power supplies; and set-top boxes (under development). Before 2003, China's traditional approach to standards development involved small increases in efficiency requirements for implementation within 6 months of a standard's approval. Since 2003, China has adopted a new approach in setting MEPS. This new approach involves the development of two tiers of standards--one for initial implementation and a second tier at a more aggressive level of energy efficiency for implementation three to five years later. The second-tier standard is also referred to as a 'reach standard'. Reach standards have now been developed in China for: color TVs; refrigerators; air conditioners; and external power supplies. This report is presented in five sections. After the introduction in Section 1, Section 2 analyzes the distribution of the efficiency of refrigerators and air-conditioners in China based on data collected by the China Energy Label Center for the mandatory energy information label program. The results provide an assessment of the adoption of reach standards for these two products. Section 3 summarizes on-going collaborations with Shanghai related to early local adoption of reach standards, and presents both the impact and an analysis of barriers to the local adoption of reach standard for air-conditioners. Section 4 offers suggestions for local governments on how to move forward in adopting reach standards in their localities and concludes with a summary of the results and a plan for developing local capacity in

Simulation of streamflow in the McTier Creek watershed, South Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Feaster, Toby D.; Golden, Heather E.; Odom, Kenneth R.; Lowery, Mark A.; Conrads, Paul; Bradley, Paul M.

2010-01-01

The McTier Creek watershed is located in the Sand Hills ecoregion of South Carolina and is a small catchment within the Edisto River Basin. Two watershed hydrology models were applied to the McTier Creek watershed as part of a larger scientific investigation to expand the understanding of relations among hydrologic, geochemical, and ecological processes that affect fish-tissue mercury concentrations within the Edisto River Basin. The two models are the topography-based hydrological model (TOPMODEL) and the grid-based mercury model (GBMM). TOPMODEL uses the variable-source area concept for simulating streamflow, and GBMM uses a spatially explicit modified curve-number approach for simulating streamflow. The hydrologic output from TOPMODEL can be used explicitly to simulate the transport of mercury in separate applications, whereas the hydrology output from GBMM is used implicitly in the simulation of mercury fate and transport in GBMM. The modeling efforts were a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory. Calibrations of TOPMODEL and GBMM were done independently while using the same meteorological data and the same period of record of observed data. Two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations were available for comparison of observed daily mean flow with simulated daily mean flow-station 02172300, McTier Creek near Monetta, South Carolina, and station 02172305, McTier Creek near New Holland, South Carolina. The period of record at the Monetta gage covers a broad range of hydrologic conditions, including a drought and a significant wet period. Calibrating the models under these extreme conditions along with the normal flow conditions included in the record enhances the robustness of the two models. Several quantitative assessments of the goodness of fit between model simulations and the observed daily mean flows were done. These included the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient

Second-Tier Database for Ecosystem Focus, 2000-2001 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Holmes, Chris; Muongchanh, Christine; Anderson, James J. (University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Seattle, WA)

2001-11-01

The Second-Tier Database for Ecosystem Focus (Contract 00004124) provides direct and timely public access to Columbia Basin environmental, operational, fishery and riverine data resources for federal, state, public and private entities. The Second-Tier Database known as Data Access in Realtime (DART) does not duplicate services provided by other government entities in the region. Rather, it integrates public data for effective access, consideration and application.

Otter trawls in Greece: Landing profiles and potential mιtiers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. KATSANEVAKIS

2010-02-01

Full Text Available A fleet of 326 bottom trawlers operate in Greek Seas and their landings represent approximately 30% of the total fish production in Greece. In this study, otter trawl landings data were analyzed in order to identify potential métiers. Landings data between 2002 and 2006 were used, collected from 42 ports in the Aegean and East Ionian Sea. A three-step procedure was applied to identify potential métiers: the first step involved a factorial analysis of the log-transformed landings profiles, the second step a classification of the factorial coordinates, and the third step a further aggregation of clusters based on expert knowledge. In all, six potential métiers were identified in the Aegean Sea, and five in the Ionian Sea. The most important target species were European hake (Merluccius merluccius, deepwater pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris, red mullet (Mullus barbatus, caramote prawn (Melicertus kerathurus, picarel (Spicara smaris, cephalopods, bogue (Boops boops, anglers (Lophiusspp., and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus. Otter trawls in Greece use more or less the same gear with minor modification, and métier selection is basically reflected as a choice of geographical sub-area and hauling depth. The limitations of using landings profiles to identify métiers and the need for further verification are discussed.

The Evolving role of Tier2s in ATLAS with the new Computing and Data Distribution Model

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez de la Hoz, S; The ATLAS collaboration

2012-01-01

Originally the ATLAS computing model assumed that the Tier2s of each of the 10 clouds should keep on disk collectively at least one copy of all "active" AOD and DPD datasets. Evolution of ATLAS computing and data models requires changes in ATLAS Tier2s policy for the data replication, dynamic data caching and remote data access. Tier2 operations take place completely asynchronously with respect to data taking. Tier2s do simulation and user analysis. Large-scale reprocessing jobs on real data are at first taking place mostly at Tier1s but will progressively move to Tier2s as well. The availability of disk space at Tier2s is extremely important in the ATLAS computing model as it allows more data to be readily accessible for analysis jobs to all users, independently of their geographical location. The Tier2s disk space has been reserved for real, simulated, calibration and alignment, group, and user data. A buffer disk space is needed for input and output data for simulations jobs. Tier2s are going to be used mo...

The evolving role of Tier2s in ATLAS with the new Computing and Data Distribution model

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez de la Hoz, S

2012-01-01

Originally the ATLAS computing model assumed that the Tier2s of each of the 10 clouds should keep on disk collectively at least one copy of all "active" AOD and DPD datasets. Evolution of ATLAS computing and data models requires changes in ATLAS Tier2s policy for the data replication, dynamic data caching and remote data access. Tier2 operations take place completely asynchronously with respect to data taking. Tier2s do simulation and user analysis. Large-scale reprocessing jobs on real data are at first taking place mostly at Tier1s but will progressively move to Tier2s as well. The availability of disk space at Tier2s is extremely important in the ATLAS computing model as it allows more data to be readily accessible for analysis jobs to all users, independently of their geographical location. The Tier2s disk space has been reserved for real, simulated, calibration and alignment, group, and user data. A buffer disk space is needed for input and output data for simulations jobs. Tier2s are going to be used mo...

A comparative investigation on absorption performances of three expanded graphite-based complex materials for toluene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shande; Tian Shuanghong; Feng Yunfeng; Lei Jiajia; Wang, Piaopiao; Xiong Ya

2010-01-01

Three kinds of expanded graphite-based complex materials were prepared to absorb toluene by dispersing plant oil, animal oil and mineral oil on the surface of expanded graphite, respectively. These complex materials were characterized by scanning electronic micrograph, contact angle meter and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area. And their absorption capacities for toluene were comparatively investigated. The results showed that the surfaces of the three types of sorbents were very hydrophobic and nonporous, but they all had excellent absorption capacities for toluene. And their absorption capacities were proportional to the toluene concentration in streams and decreased differently with increasing the absorption temperature. It was noteworthy that the absorption capacities varied with the unsaturated degree of the complex materials and kept unchanged under different relative humidities of streams. Moreover, the regeneration experiments showed that after 15-run regeneration the absorption capacities of expanded graphite modified by mineral oil almost kept unchanged, while that of expanded graphite loaded plant oil and animal oil dropped by 157 and 93.6 mg g -1 , respectively. The losses of their absorption capacities were ascribed to the destruction of their unsaturated carbon bounds.

The Open Science Grid – Support for Multi-Disciplinary Team Science – the Adolescent Years

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2012-01-01

As it enters adolescence the Open Science Grid (OSG) is bringing a maturing fabric of Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) services that supports an expanding HEP community to an increasingly diverse spectrum of domain scientists. Working closely with researchers on campuses throughout the US and in collaboration with national cyberinfrastructure initiatives, we transform their computing environment through new concepts, advanced tools and deep experience. We discuss examples of these including: the pilot-job overlay concepts and technologies now in use throughout OSG and delivering 1.4 Million CPU hours/day; the role of campus infrastructures- built out from concepts of sharing across multiple local faculty clusters (made good use of already by many of the HEP Tier-2 sites in the US); the work towards the use of clouds and access to high throughput parallel (multi-core and GPU) compute resources; and the progress we are making towards meeting the data management and access needs of non-HEP communiti...

Knowledge Management Systems and Open Innovation in Second Tier UK Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Chaston, Ian

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of second tier UK universities in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and involvement in open innovation. Data were acquired using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second tier institutions. The results indicate that…

A Step-by-Step Guide to Tier 2 Behavioral Progress Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Bruhn, Allison L.; McDaniel, Sara C.; Rila, Ashley; Estrapala, Sara

2018-01-01

Students who are at risk for or show low-intensity behavioral problems may need targeted, Tier 2 interventions. Often, Tier 2 problem-solving teams are charged with monitoring student responsiveness to intervention. This process may be difficult for those who are not trained in data collection and analysis procedures. To aid practitioners in these…

Analysis of Probability of Non-zero Secrecy Capacity for Multi-hop Networks in Presence of Hardware Impairments over Nakagami-m Fading Channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.-T. Phu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we evaluate probability of non-zero secrecy capacity of multi-hop relay networks over Nakagami-m fading channels in presence of hardware impairments. In the considered protocol, a source attempts to transmit its data to a destination by using multi-hop randomize-and-forward (RF strategy. The data transmitted by the source and relays are overheard by an eavesdropper. For performance evaluation, we derive exact expressions of probability of non-zero secrecy capacity (PoNSC, which are expressed by sums of infinite series of exponential functions and exponential integral functions. We then perform Monte Carlo simulations to verify the theoretical analysis.

Developing the Potential for Sustainable Improvement in Underperforming Schools: Capacity Building in the Socio-Cultural Dimension

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Jeffrey V.; Ylimaki, Rose M.; Dugan, Thad M.; Brunderman, Lynnette A.

2014-01-01

This mixed-method study examines Arizona principals' capacity-building skills and practices in Tier III schools aimed at developing potential for sustained improvements in student outcomes. Data sources included surveys (62 individuals) and semistructured interviews (29 individuals) of principals and staff (e.g. teachers, instructional coaches,…

Retrospective on the Seniors' Council Tier 1 LDRD portfolio.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ballard, William Parker

2012-04-01

This report describes the Tier 1 LDRD portfolio, administered by the Seniors Council between 2003 and 2011. 73 projects were sponsored over the 9 years of the portfolio at a cost of $10.5 million which includes $1.9M of a special effort in directed innovation targeted at climate change and cyber security. Two of these Tier 1 efforts were the seeds for the Grand Challenge LDRDs in Quantum Computing and Next Generation Photovoltaic conversion. A few LDRDs were terminated early when it appeared clear that the research was not going to succeed. A great many more were successful and led to full Tier 2 LDRDs or direct customer sponsorship. Over a dozen patents are in various stages of prosecution from this work, and one project is being submitted for an R and D 100 award.

Changes of ticagrelor formulary tiers in the USA: targeting private insurance providers away from government-funded plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Serebruany, Victor L; Dinicolantonio, James J

2013-01-01

Ticagrelor (Brilinta®) is a new oral reversible antiplatelet agent approved by the FDA in July 2011 based on the results of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) trial. However, despite very favorable and broad indications, the current clinical utilization of ticagrelor is woefully small. We aimed to compare ticagrelor formulary tiers for major private (n = 8) and government-funded (n = 4) insurance providers for 2012-2013. Over the last year, ticagrelor placement improved, becoming a preferred drug (from Tier 3 in 2012 to Tier 2 in 2013) for Medco, moving from Tier 4 (with a prior approval requirement) to Tier 3 (no prior approval) for the United Health Care Private Plan and achieving Tier 3 status for Apex in 2013. In contrast, ticagrelor placement did not improve for New York Medicaid, retaining Tier 3 status. In addition, many Medicare Part D formularies have significantly worse coverage than most private plans. For example, Humana Medicare Part D has Tier 3 status requiring step therapy and quantity limits, SilverScript (CVS Caremark) Part D is Tier 3 and the American Association of Retired Persons (United Health Care) Medicare Part D is Tier 4 requiring prior approval. Ticagrelor formulary placement is significantly better for most private providers than for government-funded plans, which may possibly be due to the selective targeting of private insurance providers and the simultaneous avoidance of government-funded plans. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

40 CFR 79.54 - Tier 3.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) Historical and/or projected production volumes and market distributions; and (iv) Estimated population and/or... areas of concern. (f) General and Pulmonary Toxicity Testing. (1) A potential need for Tier 3 general and/or pulmonary toxicity testing may be indicated if, in comparison with appropriate controls, the...

Multi-scale research of time and space differences about ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity of the water resources

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiahong; Lei, Xiaohui; Fu, Qiang; Li, Tianxiao; Qiao, Yu; Chen, Lei; Liao, Weihong

2018-03-01

A multi-scale assessment framework for assessing and comparing the water resource sustainability based on the ecological footprint (EF) is introduced. The study aims to manage the water resource from different views in Heilongjiang Province. First of all, from the scale of each city, the water ecological carrying capacity (ECC) was calculated from 2000 to 2011, and map the spatial distribution of the recent 3 years which show that, the water ecological carrying capacity (ECC) is uneven and has a downward trend year by year. Then, from the perspective of the five secondary partition basins in Heilongjiang Province, the paper calculated the ecological carrying capacity (ECC), the ecological footprint (EF) and ecological surplus and deficit (S&D) situation of water resources from 2000 to 2011, which show that the ecological deficit situation is more prominent in Nenjiang and Suifenhe basins which are in an unsustainable development state. Finally, from the perspective of the province, the paper calculated the ecological carrying capacity (ECC), the ecological footprint (EF) and ecological S&D of water resources from 2000 to 2011 in Heilongjiang Province, which show that the ecological footprint (EF) is in the rising trend, and the correlation coefficient between the ecological carrying capacity (ECC) and the precipitation is 0.8. There are 5 years of unsustainable development state in Heilongjiang. The proposed multi-scale assessment of WEF aims to evaluate the complex relationship between water resource supply and consumption in different spatial scales and time series. It also provides more reasonable assessment result which can be used by managers and regulators.

The translational repressor Crc controls the Pseudomonas putida benzoate and alkane catabolic pathways using a multi-tier regulation strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Arranz, Sofía; Moreno, Renata; Rojo, Fernando

2013-01-01

Metabolically versatile bacteria usually perceive aromatic compounds and hydrocarbons as non-preferred carbon sources, and their assimilation is inhibited if more preferable substrates are available. This is achieved via catabolite repression. In Pseudomonas putida, the expression of the genes allowing the assimilation of benzoate and n-alkanes is strongly inhibited by catabolite repression, a process controlled by the translational repressor Crc. Crc binds to and inhibits the translation of benR and alkS mRNAs, which encode the transcriptional activators that induce the expression of the benzoate and alkane degradation genes respectively. However, sequences similar to those recognized by Crc in benR and alkS mRNAs exist as well in the translation initiation regions of the mRNA of several structural genes of the benzoate and alkane pathways, which suggests that Crc may also regulate their translation. The present results show that some of these sites are functional, and that Crc inhibits the induction of both pathways by limiting not only the translation of their transcriptional activators, but also that of genes coding for the first enzyme in each pathway. Crc may also inhibit the translation of a gene involved in benzoate uptake. This multi-tier approach probably ensures the rapid regulation of pathway genes, minimizing the assimilation of non-preferred substrates when better options are available. A survey of possible Crc sites in the mRNAs of genes associated with other catabolic pathways suggested that targeting substrate uptake, pathway induction and/or pathway enzymes may be a common strategy to control the assimilation of non-preferred compounds. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Development of two tier test to assess conceptual understanding in heat and temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Winarti; Cari; Suparmi; Sunarno, Widha; Istiyono, Edi

2017-01-01

Heat and temperature is a concept that has been learnt from primary school to undergraduate levels. One problem about heat and temperature is that they are presented abstractly, theoretical concept. A student conceptual frameworks develop from their daily experiences. The purpose of this research was to develop a two-tier test of heat and temperature concept and measure conceptual understanding of heat and temperature of the student. This study consist of two method is qualitative and quantitative method. The two-tier test was developed using procedures defined by Borg and Gall. The two-tier test consisted of 20 question and was tested for 137 students for collecting data. The result of the study showed that the two-tier test was effective in determining the students’ conceptual understanding and also it might be used as an alternative for assessment and evaluation of students’ achievement

Cross-validation and refinement of the Stoffenmanager as a first tier exposure assessment tool for REACH

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schinkel, J.; Fransman, W.; Heussen, H.; Kromhout, H.; Marquart, H.; Tielemans, E.

2010-01-01

Objectives: For regulatory risk assessment under REACH a tiered approach is proposed in which the first tier models should provide a conservative exposure estimate that can discriminate between scenarios which are of concern and those which are not. The Stoffenmanager is mentioned as a first tier

Cross-validation and refinement of the Stoffenmanager as a first tier exposure assessment tool for REACH.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schinkel, J.; Fransman, W.; Heussen, H.; Kromhout, H.; Marquart, H.; Tielemans, E.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVES: For regulatory risk assessment under REACH a tiered approach is proposed in which the first tier models should provide a conservative exposure estimate that can discriminate between scenarios which are of concern and those which are not. The Stoffenmanager is mentioned as a first tier

Effect of cage tier and age on performance, egg quality and stress ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of cage tier and age on performance characteristics of layer hybrids, egg quality and some stress parameters. Ninety laying hens (hybrid ATAK-S) of similar bodyweights were used in the experiment. They were housed in three-tier conventional battery cages (bottom, ...

Can recent pan-tropical biomass maps be used to derive alternative Tier 1 values for reporting REDD+ activities under UNFCCC?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langner, Andreas; Achard, Frédéric; Grassi, Giacomo

2014-01-01

The IPCC Guidelines propose 3 Tier levels for greenhouse gas monitoring within the forest land category with a hierarchical order in terms of accuracy, data requirements and complexity. Due to missing data and/or capacities, many developing countries, potentially interested in the reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation scheme, have to rely on Tier 1 default values with highest uncertainties. A possible way to increase the credibility of uncertain estimates is to apply a conservative approach, for which standard statistical information is needed. However, such information is currently not available for the IPCC values. In our study we combine a recent global forest mask, an ecological zoning map and the pan-tropical AGB datasets of Saatchi and Baccini to derive mean forest AGB values per ecological zone and continent as well as their corresponding confidence intervals. Such analysis can be considered transparent as the datasets/methodologies are well documented. Our study leads to alternative Tier 1 values and allows the application of statistically-based conservative approaches. Our AGB estimates derived from Saatchi and Baccini datasets are 35% and 24% lower respectively than the IPCC values. When restricting the analysis to intact forest landscapes resulting ABG estimates derived from Saatchi and Baccini datasets get closer to the IPCC values with 13% and 1% differences respectively (underestimation). This suggests that the IPCC default values are mainly based on plots in mature forest stands. However, as tropical forests generally consist of a mixture of intact and degraded stands, the use of IPCC values may not properly reflect the reality. Finally, we propose to use the average composite of the Saatchi and Baccini datasets to produce improved alternative IPCC Tier 1 values. The values derived from such approach can easily be updated when newer and/or improved pan-tropical AGB maps will be available. (letter)

ATLAS off-Grid sites (Tier 3) monitoring. From local fabric monitoring to global overview of the VO computing activities

CERN Document Server

PETROSYAN, A; The ATLAS collaboration; BELOV, S; ANDREEVA, J; KADOCHNIKOV, I

2012-01-01

The ATLAS Distributed Computing activities have so far concentrated in the "central" part of the experiment computing system, namely the first 3 tiers (the CERN Tier0, 10 Tier1 centers and over 60 Tier2 sites). Many ATLAS Institutes and National Communities have deployed (or intend to) deploy Tier-3 facilities. Tier-3 centers consist of non-pledged resources, which are usually dedicated to data analysis tasks by the geographically close or local scientific groups, and which usually comprise a range of architectures without Grid middleware. Therefore a substantial part of the ATLAS monitoring tools which make use of Grid middleware, cannot be used for a large fraction of Tier3 sites. The presentation will describe the T3mon project, which aims to develop a software suite for monitoring the Tier3 sites, both from the perspective of the local site administrator and that of the ATLAS VO, thereby enabling the global view of the contribution from Tier3 sites to the ATLAS computing activities. Special attention in p...

Chronocoulometry of wine on multi-walled carbon nanotube modified electrode: Antioxidant capacity assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziyatdinova, Guzel; Kozlova, Ekaterina; Budnikov, Herman

2016-04-01

Phenolic antioxidants of wine were electrochemically oxidized on multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode (MWNT/GCE) in phosphate buffer solution. Three oxidation peaks were observed at 0.39, 0.61 and 0.83V for red dry wine and 0.39, 0.80 and 1.18 V for white dry wine, respectively, using differential pulse voltammetry at pH 4.0. The oxidation potentials for individual phenolic antioxidants confirmed the integral nature of the analytical signals for the wines examined. A one-step chronocoulometric method at 0.83 and 1.18 V for red and white wines, respectively, has been developed for the evaluation of wine antioxidant capacity (AOC). The AOC is expressed in gallic acid equivalents per 1L of wine. The AOC of white wine was significantly less than red wine (386 ± 112 vs. 1224 ± 184, pwine and total antioxidant capacity, based on coulometric titration with electrogenerated bromine (r=0.8957 at n=5 and r=0.8986 at n=4 for red and white wines, respectively). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New off-road engines for TIER 4 final; Neue Offroad-Motoren fuer Tier 4 final

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adt, Hans-Ulrich; Lehmann, Henrik [MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, Friedrichshafen (Germany); Herter, Yvonne; Weidler, Alexander [Daimler AG, Stuttgart (Germany). Baureihe 1000

2013-03-15

To meet the off-road emission standards EU IV and EPA Tier 4 final, as of 2014 the Tognum Group will be offering newly developed engines of the Series 1000 to 1500. These MTU brand diesel engines deliver outputs ranging from 100 to 460 kW and are designed to power agricultural and forestry machinery and construction as well as special-purpose machinery. (orig.)

Wasted? Managing Decline and Marketing Difference in Third Tier Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tara BRABAZON

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Third-tier cities are neglected in the research literature. Global and second-tier cities provide the positive, proactive applications of city imaging and creative industries strategies. However, small cities – particularly those who reached their height and notoriety through the industrial revolution – reveal few strategies for stability, let alone growth. This study investigates an unusual third-tier city: Oshawa in Ontario Canada. Known as the home of General Motors, its recent economic and social development has been tethered to the arrival of a new institution of higher education: the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Yet this article confirms that simply opening a university is not enough to commence regeneration or renewal, particularly if an institution is imposed on unwilling residents. Therefore, an alternative strategy – involving geosocial networking – offers a way for local businesses and organizations to attract customers and provide a digital medication to analogue injustice and decay.

The in vitro and in vivo capacity of culture-expanded human cells from several sources encapsulated in alginate to form cartilage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MM Pleumeekers

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Cartilage has limited self-regenerative capacity. Tissue engineering can offer promising solutions for reconstruction of missing or damaged cartilage. A major challenge herein is to define an appropriate cell source that is capable of generating a stable and functional matrix. This study evaluated the performance of culture-expanded human chondrocytes from ear (EC, nose (NC and articular joint (AC, as well as bone-marrow-derived and adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells both in vitro and in vivo. All cells (≥ 3 donors per source were culture-expanded, encapsulated in alginate and cultured for 5 weeks. Subsequently, constructs were implanted subcutaneously for 8 additional weeks. Before and after implantation, glycosaminoglycan (GAG and collagen content were measured using biochemical assays. Mechanical properties were determined using stress-strain-indentation tests. Hypertrophic differentiation was evaluated with qRT-PCR and subsequent endochondral ossification with histology. ACs had higher chondrogenic potential in vitro than the other cell sources, as assessed by gene expression and GAG content (p < 0.001. However, after implantation, ACs did not further increase their matrix. In contrast, ECs and NCs continued producing matrix in vivo leading to higher GAG content (p < 0.001 and elastic modulus. For NC-constructs, matrix-deposition was associated with the elastic modulus (R2 = 0.477, p = 0.039. Although all cells – except ACs – expressed markers for hypertrophic differentiation in vitro, there was no bone formed in vivo. Our work shows that cartilage formation and functionality depends on the cell source used. ACs possess the highest chondrogenic capacity in vitro, while ECs and NCs are most potent in vivo, making them attractive cell sources for cartilage repair.

A Two-Tiered Model for Analyzing Library Web Site Usage Statistics, Part 1: Web Server Logs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Laura B.

2003-01-01

Proposes a two-tiered model for analyzing web site usage statistics for academic libraries: one tier for library administrators that analyzes measures indicating library use, and a second tier for web site managers that analyzes measures aiding in server maintenance and site design. Discusses the technology of web site usage statistics, and…

Rôle et limites des tiers-lieux dans la fabrique des villes contemporaines

OpenAIRE

Besson, Raphaël

2017-01-01

La notion de tiers-lieux se développe de manière essentiellement empirique. Elle recouvre des réalités multiples, comme des projets de coworking spaces, de living labs et de fab labs. Certains tiers-lieux s’intéressent tout particulièrement à la ville et aux nouvelles conditions de la fabrique urbaine. En s’appuyant sur des méthodes d’innovation ouverte et le potentiel des outils numériques, ces tiers-lieux défendent l’idée d’un urbanisme qui ne soit plus le patrimoine exclusif d’experts, mai...

Globally Happy: Individual Globalization, Expanded Capacities, and Subjective Wellbeing

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Ming-Chang; Chang, Heng-Hao; Chen, Wan-chi

2012-01-01

Deep integration of Asia into the global society necessarily affects wellbeing of local populations. This study proposes a notion of "extend capacities" to explain the relationships between individual globalization and subjective wellbeing among Asian populations in a context of increasing global integration. Using Amartya Sen's theory…

A four-tier problem-solving scaffold to teach pain management in dental school.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanoff, Chris S; Hottel, Timothy L

2013-06-01

Pain constitutes a major reason patients pursue dental treatment. This article presents a novel curriculum to provide dental students comprehensive training in the management of pain. The curriculum's four-tier scaffold combines traditional and problem-based learning to improve students' diagnostic, pharmacotherapeutic, and assessment skills to optimize decision making when treating pain. Tier 1 provides underpinning knowledge of pain mechanisms with traditional and contextualized instruction by integrating clinical correlations and studying worked cases that stimulate clinical thinking. Tier 2 develops critical decision making skills through self-directed learning and actively solving problem-based cases. Tier 3 exposes students to management approaches taken in allied health fields and cultivates interdisciplinary communication skills. Tier 4 provides a "knowledge and experience synthesis" by rotating students through community pain clinics to practice their assessment skills. This combined teaching approach aims to increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills to assist dental graduates in better management of pain throughout their careers. Dental curricula that have moved to comprehensive care/private practice models are well-suited for this educational approach. The goal of this article is to encourage dental schools to integrate pain management into their curricula, to develop pain management curriculum resources for dental students, and to provide leadership for change in pain management education.

Tier 3 multidisciplinary medical weight management improves outcome of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, P; Hartland, A; Hollis, A; Ali, R; Elshaw, A; Jain, S; Khan, A; Mirza, S

2015-04-01

In 2013 the Department of Health specified eligibility for bariatric surgery funded by the National Health Service. This included a mandatory specification that patients first complete a Tier 3 medical weight management programme. The clinical effectiveness of this recommendation has not been evaluated previously. Our bariatric centre has provided a Tier 3 programme six months prior to bariatric surgery since 2009. The aim of our retrospective study was to compare weight loss in two cohorts: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass only (RYGB only cohort) versus Tier 3 weight management followed by RYGB (Tier 3 cohort). A total of 110 patients were selected for the study: 66 in the RYGB only cohort and 44 in the Tier 3 cohort. Patients in both cohorts were matched for age, sex, preoperative body mass index and pre-existing co-morbidities. The principal variable was therefore whether they undertook the weight management programme prior to RYGB. Patients from both cohorts were followed up at 6 and 12 months to assess weight loss. The mean weight loss at 6 months for the Tier 3 cohort was 31% (range: 18-69%, standard deviation [SD]: 0.10 percentage points) compared with 23% (range: 4-93%, SD: 0.12 percentage points) for the RYGB only cohort (p=0.0002). The mean weight loss at 12 months for the Tier 3 cohort was 34% (range: 17-51%, SD: 0.09 percentage points) compared with 27% (range: 14-48%, SD: 0.87 percentage points) in the RYGB only cohort (p=0.0037). Our study revealed that in our matched cohorts, patients receiving Tier 3 specialist medical weight management input prior to RYGB lost significantly more weight at 6 and 12 months than RYGB only patients. This confirms the clinical efficacy of such a weight management programme prior to gastric bypass surgery and supports its inclusion in eligibility criteria for bariatric surgery.

Expanding clinical research capacity through a community of practice (CoPER).

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Alison; Jackson, Wanda; Nugus, Peter

2010-01-01

The proposed CoPER project (Community of Practice for Engaging in Research) responds to a need for increased research capacity in a clinical setting. We put forward an argument and a design for a prospective action research project to extend research capacity via an integrated academic and practitioner community of practice in an Emergency Department (ED). This paper explores the research needs of clinicians, articulates the concept of community of practice in light of these needs, and outlines the rationale for considering communities of practice as a potential contributor to building research capacity in a clinical setting. A potential methodology is suggested to test the linkage between research needs, the concept of a community of practice model in a clinical setting, and the contribution of such a model to building research capacity in a clinical setting via the CoPER framework. Combined data from this proposed mixed method action research (survey, focus groups, interviews, observation) are expected to enable the production of a set of facilitators and enablers with a view to building a community of research practice which make the case study transferable to other clinical and non-clinical work settings.

Using a Two-Tier Test to Assess Students' Understanding and Alternative Conceptions of Cyber Copyright Laws

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chien; Chan, Pei-Shan; Wu, Huan-Chueh

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore students' understanding of cyber copyright laws. This study developed a two-tier test with 10 two-level multiple-choice questions. The first tier presented a real-case scenario and asked whether the conduct was acceptable whereas the second-tier provided reasons to justify the conduct. Students in Taiwan…

ATLAS Tier-2 monitoring system for the German cloud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Joerg; Quadt, Arnulf; Weber, Pavel [II. Physikalisches Institut, Georg-August-Universitaet, Goettingen (Germany)

2011-07-01

The ATLAS tier centers in Germany provide their computing resources for the ATLAS experiment. The stable and sustainable operation of this so-called DE-cloud heavily relies on effective monitoring of the Tier-1 center GridKa and its associated Tier-2 centers. Central and local grid information services constantly collect and publish the status information from many computing resources and sites. The cloud monitoring system discussed in this presentation evaluates the information related to different cloud resources and provides a coherent and comprehensive view of the cloud. The main monitoring areas covered by the tool are data transfers, cloud software installation, site batch systems, Service Availability Monitoring (SAM). The cloud monitoring system consists of an Apache-based Python application, which retrieves the information and publishes it on the generated HTML web page. This results in an easy-to-use web interface for the limited number of sites in the cloud with fast and efficient access to the required information starting from a high level summary for the whole cloud to detailed diagnostics for the single site services. This approach provides the efficient identification of correlated site problems and simplifies the administration on both cloud and site level.

75 FR 33389 - TierOne Bank Lincoln, Nebraska; Notice of Appointment of Receiver

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Thrift Supervision TierOne Bank Lincoln, Nebraska; Notice of... the Home Owners' Loan Act, the Office of Thrift Supervision has duly appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as sole Receiver for TierOne Bank, Lincoln, Nebraska, (OTS No. 03309), on June 4, 2010...

20 CFR 209.14 - Report of separation allowances subject to tier II taxation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Report of separation allowances subject to tier II taxation. 209.14 Section 209.14 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER... separation allowances subject to tier II taxation. For any employee who is paid a separation payment, the...

Epidemiology program at the Savannah River Plant: a tiered approach to research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayerweather, W.E.

1984-01-01

The epidemiology program at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) uses a tiered approach to research. As research progresses from lower through higher tiers, there is a corresponding increase in study complexity, cost, and time commitment. The approach provides a useful strategy for directing research efforts towards those employee subgroups and health endpoints that can benefit most from more in-depth studies. A variety of potential exposures, health endpoints, and employee subgroups have been and continued to be studied by research groups such as Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Los Alamos National Laboratories, Centers for Disease Control, SRP's Occupational Health Technology, and the Du Pont Company's corporate Epidemiology Section. These studies are discussed in the context of a tiered approach to research

Frontier: High Performance Database Access Using Standard Web Components in a Scalable Multi-Tier Architecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosyakov, S.; Kowalkowski, J.; Litvintsev, D.; Lueking, L.; Paterno, M.; White, S.P.; Autio, Lauri; Blumenfeld, B.; Maksimovic, P.; Mathis, M.

2004-01-01

A high performance system has been assembled using standard web components to deliver database information to a large number of broadly distributed clients. The CDF Experiment at Fermilab is establishing processing centers around the world imposing a high demand on their database repository. For delivering read-only data, such as calibrations, trigger information, and run conditions data, we have abstracted the interface that clients use to retrieve data objects. A middle tier is deployed that translates client requests into database specific queries and returns the data to the client as XML datagrams. The database connection management, request translation, and data encoding are accomplished in servlets running under Tomcat. Squid Proxy caching layers are deployed near the Tomcat servers, as well as close to the clients, to significantly reduce the load on the database and provide a scalable deployment model. Details the system's construction and use are presented, including its architecture, design, interfaces, administration, performance measurements, and deployment plan

76 FR 18260 - Announcement Regarding Pennsylvania Triggering “Off” Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... Triggering ``Off'' Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). AGENCY: Employment and... ``off'' Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law 111-312 extended... the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The...

Spanish ATLAS Tier-2: facing up to LHC Run 2

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez de la Hoz, Santiago; Fassi, Farida; Fernandez Casani, Alvaro; Kaci, Mohammed; Lacort Pellicer, Victor Ruben; Montiel Gonzalez, Almudena Del Rocio; Oliver Garcia, Elena; Pacheco Pages, Andres; Sánchez, Javier; Sanchez Martinez, Victoria; Salt, José; Villaplana Perez, Miguel

2015-01-01

The goal of this work is to describe the way of addressing the main challenges of Run-2 by the Spanish ATLAS Tier-2. The considerable increase of energy and luminosity for the upcoming Run-2 with respect to Run-1 has led to a revision of the ATLAS computing model as well as some of the main ATLAS computing tools. The adaptation on these changes will be shown, with the peculiarities that it is a distributed Tier-2 composed of three sites and its members are involved on ATLAS computing tasks with a hub of research, innovation and education.

Investigation on output capacity control strategy of variable refrigerant flow air conditioning system with multi-compressor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tu, Qiu; Zou, Deqiu; Deng, Chenmian; Zhang, Jie; Hou, Lifeng; Yang, Min; Nong, Guicai; Feng, Yuhai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The control model of compressor output capacity has been built. • The control strategy of compressor switching has been presented. • The switching process of standard compressor has been described. • The characteristics of EER and noise have been presented. • The control strategy and model have been proved by experiments. - Abstract: A set of 14 HP variable refrigerant flow air conditioning system (VRF AC) with multi-compressor has been designed, and the output capacity control strategy of compressor(s) including the switching control model of standard compressor has been built. In the output capacity control model, a certain suction pressure is used as the pressure control target to adjust the output capacity of compressors, and a little pressure fluctuation is taken into account to amend the target pressure. Furthermore, in the compressor switching control model, the most favorable operation frequency region is determined on base of the energy efficiency characteristic and noise characteristic of the compressor. And, in order to solve the large fluctuation problem of the system running and frequent ON-OFF action of the standard compressor, the equal output capacity switching principle can be used to determine the thermo-on and thermo-off switched frequency points, and control the switching process of the compressor. Experiments demonstrate the feasibility of this control strategy to ensure the stability and reliability, improve the energy efficiency and reduce the compressor noise.

Three Tier Unified Process Model for Requirement Negotiations and Stakeholder Collaborations

Science.gov (United States)

Niazi, Muhammad Ashraf Khan; Abbas, Muhammad; Shahzad, Muhammad

2012-11-01

This research paper is focused towards carrying out a pragmatic qualitative analysis of various models and approaches of requirements negotiations (a sub process of requirements management plan which is an output of scope managementís collect requirements process) and studies stakeholder collaborations methodologies (i.e. from within communication management knowledge area). Experiential analysis encompass two tiers; first tier refers to the weighted scoring model while second tier focuses on development of SWOT matrices on the basis of findings of weighted scoring model for selecting an appropriate requirements negotiation model. Finally the results are simulated with the help of statistical pie charts. On the basis of simulated results of prevalent models and approaches of negotiations, a unified approach for requirements negotiations and stakeholder collaborations is proposed where the collaboration methodologies are embeded into selected requirements negotiation model as internal parameters of the proposed process alongside some external required parameters like MBTI, opportunity analysis etc.

Assessing the nutritional quality of diets of Canadian children and adolescents using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System

OpenAIRE

Jessri, Mahsa; Nishi, Stephanie K.; L?Abbe, Mary R.

2016-01-01

Background Health Canada?s Surveillance Tool (HCST) Tier System was developed in 2014 with the aim of assessing the adherence of dietary intakes with Eating Well with Canada?s Food Guide (EWCFG). HCST uses a Tier system to categorize all foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, with Tier 4 reflecting the unhealthiest and Tier 1 the healthiest foods. This study presents the first application of the HCST to examine (i) the dietary pattern...

Multi-Objective Optimization for Equipment Capacity in Off-Grid Smart House

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuaki Miyazato

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, the off-grid smart house has been attracting attention in Japan for considering global warming. Moreover, the selling price of surplus power from the renewable energy system by Feed-In Tariff (FIT has declined. Therefore, this paper proposes an off-grid smart house with the introduced Photovoltaic (PV system, Solar Collector (SC system, Hot Water Heat Pump (HWHP, fixed battery and Electric Vehicle (EV. In this research, a multi-objective optimization problem is considered to minimize the introduced capacity and shortage of the power supply in the smart house. It can perform the electric power procurement from the EV charging station for the compensation of a shortage of power supply. From the simulation results, it is shown that the shortage of the power supply can be reduced by the compensation of the EV power. Furthermore, considering the uncertainty for PV output power, reliable simulation results can be obtained.

Evaluation of benefits of a three tier data model for WLCG analysis

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Ozerov, Dmitry

2012-01-01

One of the most crucial requirement for online storage is the fast and efficient access to data. Although smart client side caching often compensates for discomforts like latencies and server disk congestion, spinning disks, with their limited ability to serve multi stream random access patterns, seem to be the cause of most of the observed inefficiencies. With the appearance of the different variants of solid state disks (SSD), this deficiency could be overcome, however, replacing the entire experiment data repositories by SSDs is not feasible in the foreseeable future. Moreover, spinning disks are still appropriate media for controlled streaming applications. Assuming a deployment of a mixture of media, like spinning disks, SSDs and tape, at a site, the authors argue for the introduction of a three tier media structure within a single storage system with automatic transitions, based on usage patterns, in contrast to interlinking and maintaining different mediatypes in different systems with external p...

Mesenchymal stromal cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia have altered capacity to expand differentiated hematopoietic progenitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandran, Priya; Le, Yevgeniya; Li, Yuhua; Sabloff, Mitchell; Mehic, Jelica; Rosu-Myles, Michael; Allan, David S

2015-04-01

The bone marrow microenvironment may be permissive to the emergence and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Studying interactions between the microenvironment and leukemia cells should provide new insight for therapeutic advances. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are central to the maintenance of the hematopoietic niche. Here we compared the functions and gene expression patterns of MSCs derived from bone marrow aspirates of healthy donors and patients with AML. MSCs expanded from AML patients had heterogeneous morphology and displayed a wide range of proliferation capacity compared to MSCs from healthy controls. The ability of AML-MSCs to support the expansion of committed hematopoietic progenitors from umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells may be impaired while the expression of genes associated with maintaining hematopoietic quiescence appeared to be increased in AML-MSCs compared to healthy donors. These results highlight important potential differences in the biologic profile of MSCs from AML patients compared to healthy donors that may contribute to the emergence or progression of leukemia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A retrospective tiered environmental assessment of the Mount Storm Wind Energy Facility, West Virginia,USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Efroymson, Rebecca Ann [ORNL; Day, Robin [No Affiliation; Strickland, M. Dale [Western EcoSystems Technology

2012-11-01

Bird and bat fatalities from wind energy projects are an environmental and public concern, with post-construction fatalities sometimes differing from predictions. Siting facilities in this context can be a challenge. In March 2012 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines to assess collision fatalities and other potential impacts to species of concern and their habitats to aid in siting and management. The Guidelines recommend a tiered approach for assessing risk to wildlife, including a preliminary site evaluation that may evaluate alternative sites, a site characterization, field studies to document wildlife and habitat and to predict project impacts, post construction studies to estimate impacts, and other post construction studies. We applied the tiered assessment framework to a case study site, the Mount Storm Wind Energy Facility in Grant County, West Virginia, USA, to demonstrate the use of the USFWS assessment approach, to indicate how the use of a tiered assessment framework might have altered outputs of wildlife assessments previously undertaken for the case study site, and to assess benefits of a tiered ecological assessment framework for siting wind energy facilities. The conclusions of this tiered assessment for birds are similar to those of previous environmental assessments for Mount Storm. This assessment found risk to individual migratory tree-roosting bats that was not emphasized in previous preconstruction assessments. Differences compared to previous environmental assessments are more related to knowledge accrued in the past 10 years rather than to the tiered structure of the Guidelines. Benefits of the tiered assessment framework include good communication among stakeholders, clear decision points, a standard assessment trajectory, narrowing the list of species of concern, improving study protocols, promoting consideration of population-level effects, promoting adaptive management through post

Network Capacity Assessment and Increase in Systems with Intermittent Water Supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amilkar E. Ilaya-Ayza

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Water supply systems have been facing many challenges in recent decades due to the potential effects of climate change and rapid population growth. Water systems need to expand because of demographic growth. Therefore, evaluating and increasing system capacity is crucial. Specifically, we analyze network capacity as one of the main features of a system. When the network capacity starts to decrease, there is a risk that continuous supply will become intermittent. This paper discusses how network expansion carried out throughout the network life span typically reduces network capacity, thus transforming a system originally designed to work with continuous supply into a system with intermittent supply. A method is proposed to expand the network capacity in an environment of economic scarcity through a greedy algorithm that enables the definition of a schedule for pipe modification stages, and thus efficiently expands the network capacity. This method is, at the same time, an important step in the process of changing a water system from intermittent back to continuous supply—an achievement that remains one of the main challenges related to water and health in developing countries.

2-tiered antibody testing for early and late Lyme disease using only an immunoglobulin G blot with the addition of a VlsE band as the second-tier test.

Science.gov (United States)

Branda, John A; Aguero-Rosenfeld, Maria E; Ferraro, Mary Jane; Johnson, Barbara J B; Wormser, Gary P; Steere, Allen C

2010-01-01

Standard 2-tiered immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing has performed well in late Lyme disease (LD), but IgM testing early in the illness has been problematic. IgG VlsE antibody testing, by itself, improves early sensitivity, but may lower specificity. We studied whether elements of the 2 approaches could be combined to produce a second-tier IgG blot that performs well throughout the infection. Separate serum sets from LD patients and control subjects were tested independently at 2 medical centers using whole-cell enzyme immunoassays and IgM and IgG immunoblots, with recombinant VlsE added to the IgG blots. The results from both centers were combined, and a new second-tier IgG algorithm was developed. With standard 2-tiered IgM and IgG testing, 31% of patients with active erythema migrans (stage 1), 63% of those with acute neuroborreliosis or carditis (stage 2), and 100% of those with arthritis or late neurologic involvement (stage 3) had positive results. Using new IgG criteria, in which only the VlsE band was scored as a second-tier test among patients with early LD (stage 1 or 2) and 5 of 11 IgG bands were required in those with stage 3 LD, 34% of patients with stage 1, 96% of those with stage 2, and 100% of those with stage 3 infection had positive responses. Both new and standard testing achieved 100% specificity. Compared with standard IgM and IgG testing, the new IgG algorithm (with VlsE band) eliminates the need for IgM testing; it provides comparable or better sensitivity, and it maintains high specificity.

Brief Communication: CATALYST - a multi-regional stakeholder Think Tank for fostering capacity development in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terwisscha van Scheltinga, C.T.H.M.; Hare, M.P.; Bers, van C.; Keur, van der P.

2014-01-01

This brief communication presents the work and objectives of the CATALYST project on "Capacity Development for Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation" funded by the European Commission (October 2011–September 2013). CATALYST set up a multi-regional think tank covering four regions (Central America and

Error performance analysis in K-tier uplink cellular networks using a stochastic geometric approach

KAUST Repository

Afify, Laila H.

2015-09-14

In this work, we develop an analytical paradigm to analyze the average symbol error probability (ASEP) performance of uplink traffic in a multi-tier cellular network. The analysis is based on the recently developed Equivalent-in-Distribution approach that utilizes stochastic geometric tools to account for the network geometry in the performance characterization. Different from the other stochastic geometry models adopted in the literature, the developed analysis accounts for important communication system parameters and goes beyond signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio characterization. That is, the presented model accounts for the modulation scheme, constellation type, and signal recovery techniques to model the ASEP. To this end, we derive single integral expressions for the ASEP for different modulation schemes due to aggregate network interference. Finally, all theoretical findings of the paper are verified via Monte Carlo simulations.

Teaching Borges's "Garden": A Three-Tiered Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Maggie

2002-01-01

Describes how "The Garden of Forking Paths" presents teaching challenges that ultimately yield benefits worth the effort for students and instructors. Discusses a three-tiered approach: spy story, family history and character, and ideas of time and timelessness. Concludes that the three layers provide a structure to get the discussion started and…

Role of subsidies in EU fleet capacity management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindebo, Erik

2005-01-01

Fisheries in the European Union (EU) continue to be overexploited by an overcapitalised fishing fleet, despite the best intentions of two decades of capacity adjustment programmes. This paper considers the progress of fishing capacity under the Multi-annual Guidance Programme and examines the imp...... of vessel decommissioning. The Danish fishing fleet case serves as an empirical example in this regard. Comments on the future capacity management regime and the role of subsidies in EU fisheries are offered.......Fisheries in the European Union (EU) continue to be overexploited by an overcapitalised fishing fleet, despite the best intentions of two decades of capacity adjustment programmes. This paper considers the progress of fishing capacity under the Multi-annual Guidance Programme and examines...

The JINR Tier1 Site Simulation for Research and Development Purposes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korenkov V.

2016-01-01

A system for grid and cloud services simulation is developed at LIT (JINR, Dubna. This simulation system is focused on improving the effciency of the grid/cloud structures development by using the work quality indicators of some real system. The development of such kind of software is very important for making a new grid/cloud infrastructure for such big scientific experiments like the JINR Tier1 site for WLCG. The simulation of some processes of the Tier1 site is considered as an example of our application approach.

Optimization of Cycle and Expander Design of an Organic Rankine Cycle Unit using Multi-Component Working Fluids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meroni, Andrea; Andreasen, Jesper Graa; Pierobon, Leonardo

2016-01-01

Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power systems represent at-tractive solutions for power conversion from low temperatureheat sources, and the use of these power systems is gaining increasing attention in the marine industry. This paper proposesthe combined optimal design of cycle and expander...... for an organic Rankine cycle unit utilizing waste heat from low temperature heat sources. The study addresses a case where the minimum temperature of the heat source is constrained and a case where no constraint is imposed. The former case is the wasteheat recovery from jacket cooling water of a marine diesel...... engine onboard a large ship, and the latter is representative of a low-temperature geothermal, solar or waste heat recovery application. Multi-component working fluids are investigated, as they allow improving the match between the temperature pro-files in the heat exchangers and, consequently, reducing...

Archiving and retrieval of experimental data using SAN based centralized storage system for SST-1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhandarkar, Manisha, E-mail: manisha@ipr.res.in; Masand, Harish; Kumar, Aveg; Patel, Kirit; Dhongde, Jasraj; Gulati, Hitesh; Mahajan, Kirti; Chudasama, Hitesh; Pradhan, Subrata

2016-11-15

Highlights: • SAN (Storage Area Network) based centralized data storage system of SST-1 has envisaged to address the need of centrally availability of SST-1 storage system to archive/retrieve experimental data for the authenticated users for 24 × 7. • The SAN based data storage system has been designed/configured with 3-tiered architecture and GFS cluster file system with multipath support. • The adopted SAN based data storage for SST-1 is a modular, robust, and allows future expandability. • Important considerations has been taken like, Handling of varied Data writing speed from different subsystems to central storage, Simultaneous read access of the bulk experimental and as well as essential diagnostic data, The life expectancy of data, How often data will be retrieved and how fast it will be needed, How much historical data should be maintained at storage. - Abstract: SAN (Storage Area Network, a high-speed, block level storage device) based centralized data storage system of SST-1 (Steady State superconducting Tokamak) has envisaged to address the need of availability of SST-1 operation & experimental data centrally for archival as well as retrieval [2]. Considering the initial data volume requirement, ∼10 TB (Terabytes) capacity of SAN based data storage system has configured/installed with optical fiber backbone with compatibility considerations of existing Ethernet network of SST-1. The SAN based data storage system has been designed/configured with 3-tiered architecture and GFS (Global File System) cluster file system with multipath support. Tier-1 is of ∼3 TB (frequent access and low data storage capacity) comprises of Fiber channel (FC) based hard disks for optimum throughput. Tier-2 is of ∼6 TB (less frequent access and high data storage capacity) comprises of SATA based hard disks. Tier-3 will be planned later to store offline historical data. In the SAN configuration two tightly coupled storage servers (with cluster configuration) are

Archiving and retrieval of experimental data using SAN based centralized storage system for SST-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhandarkar, Manisha; Masand, Harish; Kumar, Aveg; Patel, Kirit; Dhongde, Jasraj; Gulati, Hitesh; Mahajan, Kirti; Chudasama, Hitesh; Pradhan, Subrata

2016-01-01

Highlights: • SAN (Storage Area Network) based centralized data storage system of SST-1 has envisaged to address the need of centrally availability of SST-1 storage system to archive/retrieve experimental data for the authenticated users for 24 × 7. • The SAN based data storage system has been designed/configured with 3-tiered architecture and GFS cluster file system with multipath support. • The adopted SAN based data storage for SST-1 is a modular, robust, and allows future expandability. • Important considerations has been taken like, Handling of varied Data writing speed from different subsystems to central storage, Simultaneous read access of the bulk experimental and as well as essential diagnostic data, The life expectancy of data, How often data will be retrieved and how fast it will be needed, How much historical data should be maintained at storage. - Abstract: SAN (Storage Area Network, a high-speed, block level storage device) based centralized data storage system of SST-1 (Steady State superconducting Tokamak) has envisaged to address the need of availability of SST-1 operation & experimental data centrally for archival as well as retrieval [2]. Considering the initial data volume requirement, ∼10 TB (Terabytes) capacity of SAN based data storage system has configured/installed with optical fiber backbone with compatibility considerations of existing Ethernet network of SST-1. The SAN based data storage system has been designed/configured with 3-tiered architecture and GFS (Global File System) cluster file system with multipath support. Tier-1 is of ∼3 TB (frequent access and low data storage capacity) comprises of Fiber channel (FC) based hard disks for optimum throughput. Tier-2 is of ∼6 TB (less frequent access and high data storage capacity) comprises of SATA based hard disks. Tier-3 will be planned later to store offline historical data. In the SAN configuration two tightly coupled storage servers (with cluster configuration) are

A case study on multi-lane roundabouts under congestion: Comparing software capacity and delay estimates with field data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuanwu Chen

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Existing studies on modern roundabouts performance are mostly based on data from singe lane roundabouts that are not heavily congested. For planners and designers interested in building multilane roundabouts for intersections with potential growth in future traffic, there has been a lack of existing studies with field data that provide reference values in terms of capacity and delay measurements. With the intent of providing such reference values, a case study was conducted by using the East Dowling Road Roundabouts in Anchorage, Alaska, which are currently operating with extensive queues during the evening peak hours. This research used multiple video camcorders to capture vehicle turning movements at the roundabouts as well as the progression of vehicle queues at the roundabout entrance approaches. With these video records, the number of vehicles in the queues can be accurately counted in any single minute during the peak hours. This study shows that unbalanced entrance flow patterns (i.e., one entrance has significant higher flow than others can intensify the queue and delay for the overall roundabouts. Then various software packages including RODEL, SIDRA and VISSIM were used to estimate several performance measurements, such as capacity, queue length, and delay, compared with the collected field data. With the comparison, it is found that all the three software packages overestimate multi-lane roundabout capacity before calibration. With default parameters, SIDRA and VISSIM tend to underestimate delays and queue lengths for the multi-lane roundabouts under congestion, while RODEL results in higher delay and queue length estimations at most of the entrance approaches.

An algal model for predicting attainment of tiered biological criteria of Maine's streams and rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Danielson, Thomas J.; Loftin, Cyndy; Tsomides, Leonidas; DiFranco, Jeanne L.; Connors, Beth; Courtemanch, David L.; Drummond, Francis; Davies, Susan

2012-01-01

State water-quality professionals developing new biological assessment methods often have difficulty relating assessment results to narrative criteria in water-quality standards. An alternative to selecting index thresholds arbitrarily is to include the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) in the development of the assessment method. The BCG describes tiers of biological community condition to help identify and communicate the position of a water body along a gradient of water quality ranging from natural to degraded. Although originally developed for fish and macroinvertebrate communities of streams and rivers, the BCG is easily adapted to other habitats and taxonomic groups. We developed a discriminant analysis model with stream algal data to predict attainment of tiered aquatic-life uses in Maine's water-quality standards. We modified the BCG framework for Maine stream algae, related the BCG tiers to Maine's tiered aquatic-life uses, and identified appropriate algal metrics for describing BCG tiers. Using a modified Delphi method, 5 aquatic biologists independently evaluated algal community metrics for 230 samples from streams and rivers across the state and assigned a BCG tier (1–6) and Maine water quality class (AA/A, B, C, nonattainment of any class) to each sample. We used minimally disturbed reference sites to approximate natural conditions (Tier 1). Biologist class assignments were unanimous for 53% of samples, and 42% of samples differed by 1 class. The biologists debated and developed consensus class assignments. A linear discriminant model built to replicate a priori class assignments correctly classified 95% of 150 samples in the model training set and 91% of 80 samples in the model validation set. Locally derived metrics based on BCG taxon tolerance groupings (e.g., sensitive, intermediate, tolerant) were more effective than were metrics developed in other regions. Adding the algal discriminant model to Maine's existing macroinvertebrate discriminant

Fundamentalists, Priests, Martyrs and Converts: A Typology of First Tier Management in Further Education

Science.gov (United States)

Page, Damien

2011-01-01

This article presents findings from a study of first tier managers in English Further Education colleges, a role critically neglected within the literature, despite its centrality to organisational effectiveness and learner success. The role was found to be diverse, contested and elastic and while first tier managers were found to be highly…

How two-tier boards can be more effective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

dr. Stefan Peij; Pieter-Jan Bezemer; Laura de Kruijs; Gregory Maassen

2014-01-01

Purpose – This study seeks to explore how non-executive directors address governance problems on Dutch two-tier boards. Within this board model, challenges might be particularly difficult to address due to the formal separation of management boards' decision-management from supervisory boards'

76 FR 79221 - Penske Logistics, LLC, Customer Service Department General Motors and Tier Finished Goods...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-21

..., Customer Service Department General Motors and Tier Finished Goods/Finished Goods Division; a Subsidiary of... Manpower El Paso, TX; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance... should read Penske Logistics, LLC, Customer Service Department, General Motors and Tier Finished Goods...

Performance analysis of a handoff scheme for two-tier cellular CDMA networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Hamad

2011-07-01

Full Text Available A two-tier model is used in cellular networks to improve the Quality of Service (QoS, namely to reduce the blocking probability of new calls and the forced termination probability of ongoing calls. One tier, the microcells, is used for slow or stationary users, and the other, the macrocell, is used for high speed users. In Code-Division Multiple-Access (CDMA cellular systems, soft handoffs are supported, which provides ways for further QoS improvement. In this paper, we introduce such a way; namely, a channel borrowing scheme used in conjunction with a First-In-First-Out (FIFO queue in the macrocell tier. A multidimensional Markov chain to model the resulting system is established, and an iterative technique to find the steady-state probability distribution is utilized. This distribution is then used to find the performance measures of interest: new call blocking probability, and forced termination probability.

Online Capacity Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Novel Feature Extraction and Adaptive Multi-Kernel Relevance Vector Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Zhang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Prognostics is necessary to ensure the reliability and safety of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles or satellites. This process can be achieved by capacity estimation, which is a direct fading indicator for assessing the state of health of a battery. However, the capacity of a lithium-ion battery onboard is difficult to monitor. This paper presents a data-driven approach for online capacity estimation. First, six novel features are extracted from cyclic charge/discharge cycles and used as indirect health indicators. An adaptive multi-kernel relevance machine (MKRVM based on accelerated particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to determine the optimal parameters of MKRVM and characterize the relationship between extracted features and battery capacity. The overall estimation process comprises offline and online stages. A supervised learning step in the offline stage is established for model verification to ensure the generalizability of MKRVM for online application. Cross-validation is further conducted to validate the performance of the proposed model. Experiment and comparison results show the effectiveness, accuracy, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed approach for online capacity estimation of lithium-ion batteries.

Mechanical seal having a double-tier mating ring

Science.gov (United States)

Khonsari, Michael M.; Somanchi, Anoop K.

2005-09-13

An apparatus and method to enhance the overall performance of mechanical seals in one of the following ways: by reducing seal face wear, by reducing the contact surface temperature, or by increasing the life span of mechanical seals. The apparatus is a mechanical seal (e.g., single mechanical seals, double mechanical seals, tandem mechanical seals, bellows, pusher mechanical seals, and all types of rotating and reciprocating machines) comprising a rotating ring and a double-tier mating ring. In a preferred embodiment, the double-tier mating ring comprises a first and a second stationary ring that together form an agitation-inducing, guided flow channel to allow for the removal of heat generated at the seal face of the mating ring by channeling a coolant entering the mating ring to a position adjacent to and in close proximity with the interior surface area of the seal face of the mating ring.

Transfer of a two-tiered keratinocyte assay: IL-18 production by NCTC2544 to determine the skin sensitizing capacity and epidermal equivalent assay to determine sensitizer potency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teunis, Marc; Corsini, Emanuela; Smits, Mieke

2013-01-01

. The two tiered approach may offer an unique opportunity to provide an alternative method to the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA). These assays are both based on the use of human keratinocytes, which have been shown over the last two decades, to play a key role in all phases of skin sensitization....

76 FR 18259 - Announcement Regarding Delaware Triggering “on” Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... Triggering ``on'' Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) AGENCY: Employment and...'' Tier Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law 111-312 extended provisions... the EUC08 program for qualified unemployed workers claiming benefits in high unemployment states. The...

Collusion-Aware Privacy-Preserving Range Query in Tiered Wireless Sensor Networks†

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoying; Dong, Lei; Peng, Hui; Chen, Hong; Zhao, Suyun; Li, Cuiping

2014-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are indispensable building blocks for the Internet of Things (IoT). With the development of WSNs, privacy issues have drawn more attention. Existing work on the privacy-preserving range query mainly focuses on privacy preservation and integrity verification in two-tiered WSNs in the case of compromised master nodes, but neglects the damage of node collusion. In this paper, we propose a series of collusion-aware privacy-preserving range query protocols in two-tiered WSNs. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to consider collusion attacks for a range query in tiered WSNs while fulfilling the preservation of privacy and integrity. To preserve the privacy of data and queries, we propose a novel encoding scheme to conceal sensitive information. To preserve the integrity of the results, we present a verification scheme using the correlation among data. In addition, two schemes are further presented to improve result accuracy and reduce communication cost. Finally, theoretical analysis and experimental results confirm the efficiency, accuracy and privacy of our proposals. PMID:25615731

Collusion-aware privacy-preserving range query in tiered wireless sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoying; Dong, Lei; Peng, Hui; Chen, Hong; Zhao, Suyun; Li, Cuiping

2014-12-11

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are indispensable building blocks for the Internet of Things (IoT). With the development of WSNs, privacy issues have drawn more attention. Existing work on the privacy-preserving range query mainly focuses on privacy preservation and integrity verification in two-tiered WSNs in the case of compromisedmaster nodes, but neglects the damage of node collusion. In this paper, we propose a series of collusion-aware privacy-preserving range query protocols in two-tiered WSNs. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to consider collusion attacks for a range query in tiered WSNs while fulfilling the preservation of privacy and integrity. To preserve the privacy of data and queries, we propose a novel encoding scheme to conceal sensitive information. To preserve the integrity of the results, we present a verification scheme using the correlation among data. In addition, two schemes are further presented to improve result accuracy and reduce communication cost. Finally, theoretical analysis and experimental results confirm the efficiency, accuracy and privacy of our proposals.

Collusion-Aware Privacy-Preserving Range Query in Tiered Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoying Zhang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks (WSNs are indispensable building blocks for the Internet of Things (IoT. With the development of WSNs, privacy issues have drawn more attention. Existing work on the privacy-preserving range query mainly focuses on privacy preservation and integrity verification in two-tiered WSNs in the case of compromisedmaster nodes, but neglects the damage of node collusion. In this paper, we propose a series of collusion-aware privacy-preserving range query protocols in two-tiered WSNs. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to consider collusion attacks for a range query in tiered WSNs while fulfilling the preservation of privacy and integrity. To preserve the privacy of data and queries, we propose a novel encoding scheme to conceal sensitive information. To preserve the integrity of the results, we present a verification scheme using the correlation among data. In addition, two schemes are further presented to improve result accuracy and reduce communication cost. Finally, theoretical analysis and experimental results confirm the efficiency, accuracy and privacy of our proposals.

Rhabdom evolution in butterflies: insights from the uniquely tiered and heterogeneous ommatidia of the Glacial Apollo butterfly, Parnassius glacialis.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsushita, Atsuko; Awata, Hiroko; Wakakuwa, Motohiro; Takemura, Shin-ya; Arikawa, Kentaro

2012-09-07

The eye of the Glacial Apollo butterfly, Parnassius glacialis, a 'living fossil' species of the family Papilionidae, contains three types of spectrally heterogeneous ommatidia. Electron microscopy reveals that the Apollo rhabdom is tiered. The distal tier is composed exclusively of photoreceptors expressing opsins of ultraviolet or blue-absorbing visual pigments, and the proximal tier consists of photoreceptors expressing opsins of green or red-absorbing visual pigments. This organization is unique because the distal tier of other known butterflies contains two green-sensitive photoreceptors, which probably function in improving spatial and/or motion vision. Interspecific comparison suggests that the Apollo rhabdom retains an ancestral tiered pattern with some modification to enhance its colour vision towards the long-wavelength region of the spectrum.

Multiple free-radical scavenging (MULTIS) capacity in cattle serum.

Science.gov (United States)

Sueishi, Yoshimi; Kamogawa, Erisa; Kimura, Anna; Kitahara, Go; Satoh, Hiroyuki; Asanuma, Taketoshi; Oowada, Shigeru

2017-01-01

Multiple free-radical scavenging (MULTIS) activity in cattle and human sera was evaluated with electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Scavenging rates against six active species, namely hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, alkoxyl radical, alkylperoxyl radical, methyl radical, and singlet oxygen were quantified. The difference in the electron spin resonance signal intensity in the presence and absence of the serum was converted into the scavenging rates. Comparative MULTIS measurements were made in sera from eight beef cattle, three fetal calves and fifteen healthy human volunteers. Further, we determined the MULTIS value of albumin, the most abundant component in serum. MULTIS values in cattle sera indicated higher scavenging activity against most free radical species tested than human sera. In particular, cattle serum scavenging activities against superoxide and methyl radical were higher than human serum by 2.6 and 3.7 fold, respectively. In cattle serum, albumin appears to play a dominant role in MULTIS activity, but in human serum that is not the case. Previous data indicated that the abundance of uric acid in bovine blood is nearly 80% less than humans; however, this difference does not explain the deviation in MULTIS profile.

A Tiered Control Plane Model for Service Function Chaining Isolation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Håkon Gunleifsen

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents an architecture for encryption automation in interconnected Network Function Virtualization (NFV domains. Current NFV implementations are designed for deployment within trusted domains, where overlay networks with static trusted links are utilized for enabling network security. Nevertheless, within a Service Function Chain (SFC, Virtual Network Function (VNF flows cannot be isolated and end-to-end encrypted because each VNF requires direct access to the overall SFC data-flow. This restricts both end-users and Service Providers from enabling end-to-end security, and in extended VNF isolation within the SFC data traffic. Encrypting data flows on a per-flow basis results in an extensive amount of secure tunnels, which cannot scale efficiently in manual configurations. Additionally, creating secure data plane tunnels between NFV providers requires secure exchange of key parameters, and the establishment of an east–west control plane protocol. In this article, we present an architecture focusing on these two problems, investigating how overlay networks can be created, isolated, and secured dynamically. Accordingly, we propose an architecture for automated establishment of encrypted tunnels in NFV, which introduces a novel, tiered east–west communication channel between network controllers in a multi-domain environment.

Fe_3C@carbon nanocapsules/expanded graphite as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, You-Guo; Lin, Xi-Le; Zhang, Xiao-Hui; Pan, Qi-Chang; Yan, Zhi-Xiong; Wang, Hong-Qiang; Chen, Jian-Jun; Li, Qing-Yu

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT: Fe_3C@carbonnanocapsules(*)/expanded graphite composite was successfully prepared by a new and facile method, including mix of starting materials and heat treatment of the precursor. It is featured by unique 3-D structure, where expanded graphite acts as scaffold to ensure a continuous entity, and Fe_3C particles coated by carbon nanocapsules are embedded intimately. The Fe_3C nanoparticles encased in carbon nanocapsules act as catalyst in the modification of SEI film during the cycles. The interesting 3-D architecture which aligns the conductivity paths in the planar direction with expanded graphite and in the axial direction with carbon nanocapsules minimizes the resistance and enhances the reversible capacity. The prepared composite exhibits a high reversible capacity and excellent rate performance as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The composite maintains a reversible capacity of 1226.2 mAh/g after 75 cycles at 66 mA/g. When the current density increases to 200 mA/g, the reversible capacity maintains 451.5 mAh/g. The facile synthesis method and excellent electrochemical performances make the composite expected to be one of the most potential anode material for lithium ion batteries.

Flexural Behaviour Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Containing Expanded Glass As Lightweight Aggregates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khatib Jamal

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The flexural properties of reinforced concrete beams containing expanded glass as a partial fine aggregate (sand replacement are investigated. Four concrete mixes were employed to conduct this study. The fine aggregate was replaced with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% (by volume expanded glass. The results suggest that the incorporation of 50% expanded glass increased the workability of the concrete. The compressive strength was decreasing linearly with the increasing amount of expanded glass. The ductility of the concrete beam significantly improved with the incorporation of the expanded glass. However, the load-carrying capacity of the beam and load at which the first crack occurs was reduced. It was concluded that the inclusion of expanded glass in structural concrete applications is feasible.

Professional Development to Differentiate Kindergarten Tier 1 Instruction: Can Already Effective Teachers Improve Student Outcomes by Differentiating Tier 1 Instruction?

Science.gov (United States)

Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Folsom, Jessica S.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Greulich, Luana; Waesche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol M.

2016-01-01

Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (a) to examine changes from baseline through 2 years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; and (b) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of 3 cohorts of the teachers'…

Dynamics three-tier hydraulic crane-manipulators

OpenAIRE

Lagerev I.A.; Lagerev A.V.

2018-01-01

The methods and generalized recommendations for modeling dynamic loading of load-bearing elements of steel structures of three-tier hydraulic cranes-manipulators are considered. Mathematical models have been developed to study the dynamics of moving elements of the crane-manipulator, the movement of the load-lifting machine on a stochastic uneven surface with a suspended load. The presented approaches can be used to calculate other types of jib cranes equipped with hydraulic drive.

Home/community-based services: a two-tier approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Aponte, H J; Zarski, J J; Bixenstine, C; Cibik, P

1991-07-01

A two-tier model for work with high-risk families is presented. It combines multiple-family groups in the community with home-based family therapy for individual families. The ecostructural conceptual framework of the model is discussed, and its application is illustrated by a case vignette.

Expansion of capacity of spent fuel pools and associated problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francisco, J.L. De; Lopez-Cotarelo, J.; Ramos, J.M.

1978-01-01

Expanding the spent fuel storage pool capacity is a good solution for utilities facing the current shortage in fuel reprocessing capacity. The problems more likely to be found when expanding a spent fuel storage facility by using high density storage racks are reviewed. Basically three types of problems arise: 1) Problems related with the characteristics of the new facility. 2) Problems related with the works of expansion. 3) Problems related with the long term storage of large quantities of spent fuel. (author)

Low-complexity co-tier interference reduction scheme in open-access overlaid cellular networks

KAUST Repository

Radaydeh, Redha Mahmoud Mesleh

2011-12-01

This paper addresses the effect of co-tier interference on the performance of multiuser overlaid cellular networks that share the same available resources. It assumed that each macrocell contains a number of self-configurable and randomly located femtocells that employ the open-access control strategy to reduce the effect of cross-tier interference. It is also assumed that the desired user equipment (UE) can access only one of the available channels, maintains simple decoding circuitry with single receive antenna, and has limited knowledge of the instantaneous channel state information (CSI) due to resource limitation. To mitigate the effect of co-tier interference in the absence of the CSI of the desired UE, a low-complexity switched-based scheme for single channel selection based on the predicted interference levels associated with available channels is proposed for the case of over-loaded channels. Through the analysis, new general formulation for the statistics of the resulting instantaneous interference power and some performance measures are presented. The effect of the switching threshold on the efficiency and performance of the proposed scheme is studied. Numerical and simulation results to clarify the usefulness of the proposed scheme in reducing the impact of co-tier interference are also provided. © 2011 IEEE.

The Development and Validation of a Three-Tier Diagnostic Test Measuring Pre-Service Elementary Education and Secondary Science Teachers' Understanding of the Water Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffer, Dannah Lynn

2013-01-01

The main goal of this research study was to develop and validate a three-tier diagnostic test to determine pre-service teachers' (PSTs) conceptual knowledge of the water cycle. For a three-tier diagnostic test, the first tier assesses content knowledge; in the second tier, a reason is selected for the content answer; and the third tier allows…

Development and Evaluation of a Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Undergraduate Primary Teachers' Understanding of Ecological Footprint

Science.gov (United States)

Liampa, Vasiliki; Malandrakis, George N.; Papadopoulou, Penelope; Pnevmatikos, Dimitrios

2017-08-01

This study focused on the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument about the ecological footprint. Each question in the three-tier test comprised by; (a) the content tier, assessing content knowledge; (b) the reason tier, assessing explanatory knowledge; and (c) the confidence tier that differentiates lack of knowledge from misconception through the use of a certainty response index. Based on the literature, the propositional knowledge statements and the identified misconceptions of 97 student-teachers, a first version of the test was developed and subsequently administered to another group of 219 student-teachers from Primary and Early Childhood Education Departments. Due to the complexity of the ecological footprint concept, and that it is a newly introduced concept, unknown to the public, both groups have been previously exposed to relevant instruction. Experts in the field established face and content validity. The reliability, in terms of Cronbach's alpha, was found adequate (α = 0.839), and the test-retest reliability, as indicated by Pearson r, was also satisfactory (0.554). The mean performance of the students was 56.24% in total score, 59.75% in content tiers and 48.05% in reason tiers. A variety of concepts about the ecological footprint were also observed. The test can help educators to understand the alternative views that students hold about the ecological footprint concept and assist them in developing the concept through appropriately designed teaching methods and materials.

Capacity Expansion and Reliability Evaluation on the Networks Flows with Continuous Stochastic Functional Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Hamzezadeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In many systems such as computer network, fuel distribution, and transportation system, it is necessary to change the capacity of some arcs in order to increase maximum flow value from source s to sink t, while the capacity change incurs minimum cost. In real-time networks, some factors cause loss of arc’s flow. For example, in some flow distribution systems, evaporation, erosion or sediment in pipes waste the flow. Here we define a real capacity, or the so-called functional capacity, which is the operational capacity of an arc. In other words, the functional capacity of an arc equals the possible maximum flow that may pass through the arc. Increasing the functional arcs capacities incurs some cost. There is a certain resource available to cover the costs. First, we construct a mathematical model to minimize the total cost of expanding the functional capacities to the required levels. Then, we consider the loss of flow on each arc as a stochastic variable and compute the system reliability.

Time horizon for AFV emission savings under Tier 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saricks, C. L.

2000-01-01

Implementation of the Federal Tier 2 vehicular emission standards according to the schedule presented in the December, 1999 Final Rule will result in substantial reductions of NMHC, CO, NO x , and fine particle emissions from motor vehicles. Currently, when compared to Tier 1 and even NLEV certification requirements, the emissions performance of automobiles and light-duty trucks powered by non-petroleum (especially, gaseous) fuels (i.e., vehicles collectively termed AFVs) enjoy measurable advantage over their gasoline- and diesel-fueled counterparts over the full Federal Test Procedure and, especially, in Bag 1 (cold start). For the lighter end of these vehicle classes, this advantage may disappear shortly after 2004 under the new standards, but should continue for a longer period (perhaps beyond 2008) for the heavier end as well as for heavy-duty vehicles relative to diesel-fueled counterparts. Because of the continuing commitment of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities coalitions to the acquisition and operation of AFVs of many types and size classes, it is important for them to know in which classes their acquisitions will remain clear relative to the petroleum-fueled counterparts they might otherwise procure. This paper provides an approximate timeline for and expected magnitude of such savings, assuming that full implementation of the Tier 2 standards covering both vehicular emissions and fuel sulfur limits proceeds on schedule. The pollutants of interest are primary ozone precursors and fine particulate matter from fuel combustion

Combining performance measures to investigate capacity changes in fisheries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, Thomas Talund; Pascoe, Sean

2014-01-01

the actual fishing capacity. In both cases, the relationship between effort indicators and capacity needs to be resolved in order for the manager to introduce the right interventions. Previous studies have estimated these relationships in multi-species fisheries using either a multi-output distance function......The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) aims to achieve a balance between the European fleet capacity and the resources available. This can be realized either by temporarily reducing the fishing effort (i.e. capacity utilization) or quotas in the hope of increasing the resources available or reducing...... catches of cod, plaice and Nephrops and that gross tonnage is a more consistent indicator of fishing capacity than engine power....

Controlled, cross-sectional, multi-center study of physical capacity and associated factors in women with fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Anette; Palstam, Annie; Bjersing, Jan; Löfgren, Monika; Ernberg, Malin; Kosek, Eva; Gerdle, Björn; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

2018-04-19

Health and physical capacity are commonly associated with disease, age, and socioeconomic factors. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the degree to which physical capacity, defined as muscle strength and walking ability, is decreased in women with fibromyalgia (FM), as compared to healthy women, who are matched for age and level of education. The secondary aim was to investigate whether muscle strength and walking ability are associated with age, symptom duration, activity limitations and, Body Mass Index (BMI) in women with FM and control subjects. This controlled, cross-sectional, multi-center study comprised 118 women with FM and 93 age- and education-level-matched healthy women. The outcome measures were isometric knee-extension force, isometric elbow-flexion force, isometric hand-grip force, and walking ability. Differences between the groups were calculated, and for the women with FM analyses of correlations between the measures of physical capacity and variables were performed. The women with FM showed 20% (p BMI. It seems important to address this problem and to target interventions to prevent decline in muscle strength. Assessments of muscle strength and walking ability are easy to administer and should be routinely carried out in the clinical setting for women with FM. ClinicalTrials.gov identification number: NCT01226784 , Oct 21, 2010.

Capacity of Heterogeneous Mobile Wireless Networks with D-Delay Transmission Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Feng; Zhu, Jiang; Xi, Zhipeng; Gao, Kai

2016-03-25

This paper investigates the capacity problem of heterogeneous wireless networks in mobility scenarios. A heterogeneous network model which consists of n normal nodes and m helping nodes is proposed. Moreover, we propose a D-delay transmission strategy to ensure that every packet can be delivered to its destination nodes with limited delay. Different from most existing network schemes, our network model has a novel two-tier architecture. The existence of helping nodes greatly improves the network capacity. Four types of mobile networks are studied in this paper: i.i.d. fast mobility model and slow mobility model in two-dimensional space, i.i.d. fast mobility model and slow mobility model in three-dimensional space. Using the virtual channel model, we present an intuitive analysis of the capacity of two-dimensional mobile networks and three-dimensional mobile networks, respectively. Given a delay constraint D, we derive the asymptotic expressions for the capacity of the four types of mobile networks. Furthermore, the impact of D and m to the capacity of the whole network is analyzed. Our findings provide great guidance for the future design of the next generation of networks.

76 FR 48904 - Announcement Regarding the Virgin Islands Triggering “on” Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-09

... Islands Triggering ``on'' Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). AGENCY... Islands triggering ``on'' Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public law 111... unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for...

76 FR 14102 - Announcement Regarding the Virgin Islands Triggering “Off” Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-15

... Islands Triggering ``Off'' Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) AGENCY... Islands triggering ``off'' Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law 111... unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for...

20 CFR 228.40 - Cost of living increase applicable to the tier I annuity component.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cost of living increase applicable to the... § 228.40 Cost of living increase applicable to the tier I annuity component. The tier I annuity... the Federal Register annually. The cost-of-living increase is payable beginning with the benefit for...

Aftertreatment in a pre-turbocharger position. Size and fuel consumption advantage for Tier 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruestle, Claus [Emitec, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (United States); Tomazic, Dean; Franke, Michael [FEV, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (United States)

2013-05-15

As the 2014 implementation of EPA Tier 4 fast approaches in the US A, manufacturers of large bore diesel engines face a dilemma. The stringent limits set by Tier 4 legislation require large, heavy and expensive emissions control systems but severe constraints on installation space, weight and cost exist for these systems. A viable solution is to place catalysts and filters upstream of the turbocharger. (orig.)

Examining the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K; Fien, Hank; Strand Cary, Mari

2016-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole number understanding for students at risk in mathematics. A total of 29 classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment (ROOTS) or control (standard district practices) conditions. Measures of mathematics achievement were collected at pretest and posttest. Treatment and control students did not differ on mathematics assessments at pretest. Gain scores of at-risk intervention students were significantly greater than those of control peers, and the gains of at-risk treatment students were greater than the gains of peers not at risk, effectively reducing the achievement gap. Implications for Tier 2 mathematics instruction in a response to intervention (RtI) model are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Leaders Growing Leaders: Designing a Tier-Based Leadership Program for Surgeons.

Science.gov (United States)

Torbeck, Laura; Rozycki, Grace; Dunnington, Gary

2018-02-07

Leadership has emerged as a crucial component of professional development for physicians in academic medicine. Most leadership skills can be learned and therefore best practices of delivering leadership development are in high demand. For practicing surgeons, specific strategies to teach leadership have been lacking. The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure of a tier-based leadership development program called Leaders Growing Leaders, to identify the major curricular components to each tier including measures and outcomes, and to share lessons learned for those who may want to begin a similar leadership development program. Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

VM-based infrastructure for simulating different cluster and storage solutions used on ATLAS Tier-3 sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, S; Kadochnikov, I; Korenkov, V; Kutouski, M; Oleynik, D; Petrosyan, A

2012-01-01

The current ATLAS Tier-3 infrastructure consists of a variety of sites of different sizes and with a mix of local resource management systems (LRMS) and mass storage system (MSS) implementations. The Tier-3 monitoring suite, having been developed in order to satisfy the needs of Tier-3 site administrators and to aggregate Tier-3 monitoring information on the global VO level, needs to be validated for various combinations of LRMS and MSS solutions along with the corresponding Ganglia plugins. For this purpose the testbed infrastructure, which allows simulation of various computational cluster and storage solutions, had been set up at JINR (Dubna, Russia). This infrastructure provides the ability to run testbeds with various LRMS and MSS implementations, and with the capability to quickly redeploy particular testbeds or their components. Performance of specific components is not a critical issue for development and validation, whereas easy management and deployment are crucial. Therefore virtual machines were chosen for implementation of the validation infrastructure which, though initially developed for Tier-3 monitoring project, can be exploited for other purposes. Load generators for simulation of the computing activities at the farm were developed as a part of this task. The paper will cover concrete implementation, including deployment scenarios, hypervisor details and load simulators.

STAR load balancing and tiered-storage infrastructure strategy for ultimate db access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arkhipkin, D; Lauret, J; Betts, W; Didenko, L; Van Buren, G

2011-01-01

In recent years, the STAR experiment's database demands have grown in accord not only with simple facility growth, but also with a growing physics program. In addition to the accumulated metadata from a decade of operations, refinements to detector calibrations force user analysis to access database information post data production. Users may access any year's data at any point in time, causing a near random access of the metadata queried, contrary to time-organized production cycles. Moreover, complex online event selection algorithms created a query scarcity ( s parsity ) scenario for offline production further impacting performance. Fundamental changes in our hardware approach were hence necessary to improve query speed. Initial strategic improvements were focused on developing fault-tolerant, load-balanced access to a multi-slave infrastructure. Beyond that, we explored, tested and quantified the benefits of introducing a Tiered storage architecture composed of conventional drives, solid-state disks, and memory-resident databases as well as leveraging the use of smaller database services fitting in memory. The results of our extensive testing in real life usage are presented.

Retrofitting of heat exchanger networks involving streams with variable heat capacity: Application of single and multi-objective optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreepathi, Bhargava Krishna; Rangaiah, G.P.

2015-01-01

Heat exchanger network (HEN) retrofitting improves the energy efficiency of the current process by reducing external utilities. In this work, HEN retrofitting involving streams having variable heat capacity is studied. For this, enthalpy values of a stream are fitted to a continuous cubic polynomial instead of a stepwise approach employed in the previous studies [1,2]. The former methodology is closer to reality as enthalpy or heat capacity changes gradually instead of step changes. Using the polynomial fitting formulation, single objective optimization (SOO) and multi-objective optimization (MOO) of a HEN retrofit problem are investigated. The results obtained show an improvement in the utility savings, and MOO provides many Pareto-optimal solutions to choose from. Also, Pareto-optimal solutions involving area addition in existing heat exchangers only (but no new exchangers and no structural modifications) are found and provided for comparison with those involving new exchangers and structural modifications as well. - Highlights: • HEN retrofitting involving streams with variable heat capacities is studied. • A continuous approach to handle variable heat capacity is proposed and tested. • Better and practical solutions are obtained for HEN retrofitting in process plants. • Pareto-optimal solutions provide many alternate choices for HEN retrofitting

Transporting Motivational Interviewing to School Settings to Improve the Engagement and Fidelity of Tier 2 Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Andy J.; Lee, Jon; Small, Jason W.; Seeley, John R.; Walker, Hill M.; Feil, Edward G.

2013-01-01

The majority of Tier 2 interventions are facilitated by specialized instructional support personnel, such as a school psychologists, school social workers, school counselors, or behavior consultants. Many professionals struggle to involve parents and teachers in Tier 2 behavior interventions. However, attention to the motivational issues for…

The Open Science Grid - Support for Multi-Disciplinary Team Science - the Adolescent Years

Science.gov (United States)

Bauerdick, Lothar; Ernst, Michael; Fraser, Dan; Livny, Miron; Pordes, Ruth; Sehgal, Chander; Würthwein, Frank; Open Science Grid

2012-12-01

As it enters adolescence the Open Science Grid (OSG) is bringing a maturing fabric of Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) services that supports an expanding HEP community to an increasingly diverse spectrum of domain scientists. Working closely with researchers on campuses throughout the US and in collaboration with national cyberinfrastructure initiatives, we transform their computing environment through new concepts, advanced tools and deep experience. We discuss examples of these including: the pilot-job overlay concepts and technologies now in use throughout OSG and delivering 1.4 Million CPU hours/day; the role of campus infrastructures- built out from concepts of sharing across multiple local faculty clusters (made good use of already by many of the HEP Tier-2 sites in the US); the work towards the use of clouds and access to high throughput parallel (multi-core and GPU) compute resources; and the progress we are making towards meeting the data management and access needs of non-HEP communities with general tools derived from the experience of the parochial tools in HEP (integration of Globus Online, prototyping with IRODS, investigations into Wide Area Lustre). We will also review our activities and experiences as HTC Service Provider to the recently awarded NSF XD XSEDE project, the evolution of the US NSF TeraGrid project, and how we are extending the reach of HTC through this activity to the increasingly broad national cyberinfrastructure. We believe that a coordinated view of the HPC and HTC resources in the US will further expand their impact on scientific discovery.

Refrigerator with variable capacity compressor and cycle priming action through capacity control and associated methods

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Alberto Regio; Litch, Andrew D.; Wu, Guolian

2016-03-15

A refrigerator appliance (and associated method) that includes a condenser, evaporator and a multi-capacity compressor. The appliance also includes a pressure reducing device arranged within an evaporator-condenser refrigerant circuit, and a valve system for directing or restricting refrigerant flow through the device. The appliance further includes a controller for operating the compressor upon the initiation of a compressor ON-cycle at a priming capacity above a nominal capacity for a predetermined or calculated duration.

A TSTT integrated FronTier code and its applications in computational fluid physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fix, Brian; Glimm, James; Li Xiaolin; Li Yuanhua; Liu Xinfeng; Samulyak, Roman; Xu Zhiliang

2005-01-01

We introduce the FronTier-Lite software package and its adaptation to the TSTT geometry and mesh entity data interface. This package is extracted from the original front tracking code for general purpose scientific and engineering applications. The package contains a static interface library and a dynamic front propagation library. It can be used in research of different scientific problems. We demonstrate the application of FronTier in the simulations of fuel injection jet, the fusion pellet injection and fluid mixing problems

New expanded bed adsorbents for the recovery of DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theodossiou, Irini; Olander, M. A.; Sondergaard, M.

2000-01-01

A 20-40 mum pellicular high density (similar to3.7 g cm(-3)) expanded bed material has been designed for the capture of DNA and other large macromolecules. Anion exchangers fashioned out of these supports exhibited dramatically enhanced DNA binding capacities over commercial anion exchange...

76 FR 21422 - Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact Statement

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-15

... to Prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice to Rescind a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Tiered Environmental Impact Statement. SUMMARY... Heitmann, Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, New Mexico Division Office, 4001 Office...

Assessing the Nutritional Quality of Diets of Canadian Adults Using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahsa Jessri

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool (HCST was developed to assess adherence of dietary intakes with Canada’s Food Guide. HCST classifies foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for sodium, total fat, saturated fat and sugar, with Tier 1 representing the healthiest and Tier 4 foods being the unhealthiest. This study presents the first application of HCST to assess (a dietary patterns of Canadians; and (b applicability of this tool as a measure of diet quality among 19,912 adult participants of Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. Findings indicated that even though most of processed meats and potatoes were Tier 4, the majority of reported foods in general were categorized as Tiers 2 and 3 due to the adjustable lenient criteria used in HCST. Moving from the 1st to the 4th quartile of Tier 4 and “other” foods/beverages, there was a significant trend towards increased calories (1876 kcal vs. 2290 kcal and “harmful” nutrients (e.g., sodium as well as decreased “beneficial” nutrients. Compliance with the HCST was not associated with lower body mass index. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both “positive” and “negative” nutrients, an overall score and a wider range of nutrient thresholds to better capture food product differences.

Spanish ATLAS Tier-2 facing up to Run-2 period of LHC

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez de la Hoz, Santiago; The ATLAS collaboration; Fassi, Farida; Fernandez Casani, Alvaro; Kaci, Mohammed; Lacort Pellicer, Victor Ruben; Montiel Gonzalez, Almudena Del Rocio; Oliver Garcia, Elena; Pacheco Pages, Andres; Salt, José; Villaplana Perez, Miguel; Sanchez Martinez, Victoria; Sánchez, Javier

2015-01-01

The goal of this work is to describe the way of addressing the main challenges of Run-2 by the Spanish ATLAS Tier-2. The considerable increase of energy and luminosity for the upcoming Run-2 w.r.t. Run-1 has led to a revision of the ATLAS computing model as well as some of the main ATLAS computing tools. The adaptation to these changes will be shown, with the peculiarities that it is a distributed Tier-2 composed of three sites and its members are involved on ATLAS computing tasks with a hub of research, innovation and education.

A Tool and Process that Facilitate Community Capacity Building and Social Learning for Natural Resource Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher M. Raymond

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study presents a self-assessment tool and process that facilitate community capacity building and social learning for natural resource management. The tool and process provide opportunities for rural landholders and project teams both to self-assess their capacity to plan and deliver natural resource management (NRM programs and to reflect on their capacities relative to other organizations and institutions that operate in their region. We first outline the tool and process and then present a critical review of the pilot in the South Australian Arid Lands NRM region, South Australia. Results indicate that participants representing local, organizational, and institutional tiers of government were able to arrive at a group consensus position on the strength, importance, and confidence of a variety of capacities for NRM categorized broadly as human, social, physical, and financial. During the process, participants learned a lot about their current capacity as well as capacity needs. Broad conclusions are discussed with reference to the iterative process for assessing and reflecting on community capacity.

Impaired heat shock response in cells expressing full-length polyglutamine-expanded huntingtin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidhartha M Chafekar

Full Text Available The molecular mechanisms by which polyglutamine (polyQ-expanded huntingtin (Htt causes neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD remain unclear. The malfunction of cellular proteostasis has been suggested as central in HD pathogenesis and also as a target of therapeutic interventions for the treatment of HD. We present results that offer a previously unexplored perspective regarding impaired proteostasis in HD. We find that, under non-stress conditions, the proteostatic capacity of cells expressing full length polyQ-expanded Htt is adequate. Yet, under stress conditions, the presence of polyQ-expanded Htt impairs the heat shock response, a key component of cellular proteostasis. This impaired heat shock response results in a reduced capacity to withstand the damage caused by cellular stress. We demonstrate that in cells expressing polyQ-expanded Htt the levels of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1 are reduced, and, as a consequence, these cells have an impaired a heat shock response. Also, we found reduced HSF1 and HSP70 levels in the striata of HD knock-in mice when compared to wild-type mice. Our results suggests that full length, non-aggregated polyQ-expanded Htt blocks the effective induction of the heat shock response under stress conditions and may thus trigger the accumulation of cellular damage during the course of HD pathogenesis.

Design and Implementation of an Embedded NIOS II System for JPEG2000 Tier II Encoding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M. McNichols

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel implementation of the JPEG2000 standard as a system on a chip (SoC. While most of the research in this field centers on acceleration of the EBCOT Tier I encoder, this work focuses on an embedded solution for EBCOT Tier II. Specifically, this paper proposes using an embedded softcore processor to perform Tier II processing as the back end of an encoding pipeline. The Altera NIOS II processor is chosen for the implementation and is coupled with existing embedded processing modules to realize a fully embedded JPEG2000 encoder. The design is synthesized on a Stratix IV FPGA and is shown to out perform other comparable SoC implementations by 39% in computation time.

22 CFR Appendix B to Part 513 - Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions B Appendix B to Part 513 Foreign Relations... Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion—Lower Tier Covered Transactions Instructions... is providing the certification set out below. 2. The certification in this clause is a material...

Adsorption of multi-heavy metals Zn and Cu onto surficial sediments: modeling and adsorption capacity analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shanshan; Zhang, Chen; Wang, Meng; Li, Yu

2014-01-01

Improved multiple regression adsorption models (IMRAMs) was developed to estimate the adsorption capacity of the components [Fe oxides (Fe), Mn oxides (Mn), organic materials (OMs), residuals] in surficial sediments for multi-heavy metal Zn and Cu. IMRAM is an improved version over MRAM, which introduces a computer program in the model developing process. As MRAM, Zn(Cu) IMRAM, and Cu(Zn) IMRAM again confirmed that there is significant interaction effects that control the adsorption of compounded Zn and Cu, which was neglected by additional adsorption model. The verification experiment shows that the relative deviation of the IMRAMs is less than 13%. It is revealed by the IMRAMs that Mn, which has the greatest adsorption capability for compounded Zn and Cu (54.889 and 161.180 mg/l, respectively), follows by interference adsorption capacity of Fe/Mn (-1.072 and -24.591 mg/l respectively). Zn and Cu influence each other through different mechanisms. When Zn is the adsorbate, compounded Cu mainly affects the adsorption capacities of Fe/Mn and Fe/Mn/OMs; while when Cu is the adsorbate, compounded Zn mainly exerts its effect on Mn, Fe/Mn, and Mn/OMs. It also shows that the compounded Zn or Cu weakened the interference adsorption of Fe/Mn, and meanwhile, strengthened the interference adsorption of Mn/OMs.

49 CFR Appendix D to Part 238 - Requirements for External Fuel Tanks on Tier I Locomotives

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements for External Fuel Tanks on Tier I..., App. D Appendix D to Part 238—Requirements for External Fuel Tanks on Tier I Locomotives The... properties of the locomotive fuel tank to reduce the risk of fuel spillage to acceptable levels under...

A tiered analytical approach for investigating poor quality emergency contraceptives.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Eugenia Monge

Full Text Available Reproductive health has been deleteriously affected by poor quality medicines. Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs are an important birth control method that women can use after unprotected coitus for reducing the risk of pregnancy. In response to the detection of poor quality ECPs commercially available in the Peruvian market we developed a tiered multi-platform analytical strategy. In a survey to assess ECP medicine quality in Peru, 7 out of 25 different batches showed inadequate release of levonorgestrel by dissolution testing or improper amounts of active ingredient. One batch was found to contain a wrong active ingredient, with no detectable levonorgestrel. By combining ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-IMS-MS and direct analysis in real time MS (DART-MS the unknown compound was identified as the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. Quantitation by UHPLC-triple quadrupole tandem MS (QqQ-MS/MS indicated that the wrong ingredient was present in the ECP sample at levels which could have significant physiological effects. Further chemical characterization of the poor quality ECP samples included the identification of the excipients by 2D Diffusion-Ordered Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (DOSY 1H NMR indicating the presence of lactose and magnesium stearate.

Two-Tiered Humanistic Pre-Release Interventions for Prison Inmates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Vicki E.; Lowrey, Louis; Purser, Jane

1997-01-01

Provides a rationale for a more humanistic approach to prerelease programming which focuses on the needs of inmates during this transitional period. A two-tiered educational and counseling-program model, which emphasizes education, information giving, and empowerment, is offered as an alternative to past prison programs. (RJM)

75 FR 69134 - Announcement Regarding States Triggering “off” of Tiers Three and Four of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-10

... Triggering ``off'' of Tiers Three and Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) AGENCY... triggering ``off'' of Tiers Three and Four of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program. Public... high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states...

75 FR 69133 - Announcement Regarding the Virgin Islands Triggering “on” to Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-10

... Islands Triggering ``on'' to Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) AGENCY... Islands triggering ``on'' to Tier Three of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08). Public Law... unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states qualify for...

76 FR 44611 - Announcement Regarding States Triggering “Off” of Tiers Three and Four of Emergency Unemployment...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

... Triggering ``Off'' of Tiers Three and Four of Emergency Unemployment Compensation 2008 (EUC08) AGENCY... triggering ``off'' of Tiers Three and Four of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program. Public... high unemployment states. The Department of Labor produces a trigger notice indicating which states...

Maximizing hosting capacity of renewable energy sources in distribution networks: A multi-objective and scenario-based approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabiee, Abbas; Mohseni-Bonab, Seyed Masoud

2017-01-01

Due to the development of renewable energy sources (RESs), maximization of hosting capacity (HC) of RESs has gained significant interest in the existing and future power systems. HC maximization should be performed considering various technical constraints like power flow equations, limits on the distribution feeders' voltages and currents, as well as economic constraints such as the cost of energy procurement from the upstream network and power generation by RESs. RESs are volatile and uncertain in nature. Thus, it is necessary to handle their inherent uncertainties in the HC maximization problem. Wind power is now the fastest growing RESs around the world. Hence, in this paper a stochastic multi-objective optimization model is proposed to maximize the distribution network's HC for wind power and minimize the energy procurement costs in a wind integrated power system. The following objective functions are considered: 1) Cost of the purchased energy from upstream network (to be minimized) and 2) Operation and maintenance cost of wind farms. The proposed model is examined on a standard radial 69 bus distribution feeder and a practical 152 bus distribution system. The numerical results substantiate that the proposed model is an effective tool for distribution network operators (DNOs) to consider both technical and economic aspects of distribution network's HC for RESs. - Highlights: • Hosting capacity of wind power is improved in distribution feeders. • A stochastic multi-objective optimization model is proposed. • Wind power and load uncertainties are modeled by scenario based approach. • Purchased energy cost from upstream network and O&M cost of wind farms are used.

Cleavage-Independent HIV-1 Trimers From CHO Cell Lines Elicit Robust Autologous Tier 2 Neutralizing Antibodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shridhar Bale

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Native flexibly linked (NFL HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env trimers are cleavage-independent and display a native-like, well-folded conformation that preferentially displays broadly neutralizing determinants. The NFL platform simplifies large-scale production of Env by eliminating the need to co-transfect the precursor-cleaving protease, furin that is required by the cleavage-dependent SOSIP trimers. Here, we report the development of a CHO-M cell line that expressed BG505 NFL trimers at a high level of homogeneity and yields of ~1.8 g/l. BG505 NFL trimers purified by single-step lectin-affinity chromatography displayed a native-like closed structure, efficient recognition by trimer-preferring bNAbs, no recognition by non-neutralizing CD4 binding site-directed and V3-directed antibodies, long-term stability, and proper N-glycan processing. Following negative-selection, formulation in ISCOMATRIX adjuvant and inoculation into rabbits, the trimers rapidly elicited potent autologous tier 2 neutralizing antibodies. These antibodies targeted the N-glycan “hole” naturally present on the BG505 Env proximal to residues at positions 230, 241, and 289. The BG505 NFL trimers that did not expose V3 in vitro, elicited low-to-no tier 1 virus neutralization in vivo, indicating that they remained intact during the immunization process, not exposing V3. In addition, BG505 NFL and BG505 SOSIP trimers expressed from 293F cells, when formulated in Adjuplex adjuvant, elicited equivalent BG505 tier 2 autologous neutralizing titers. These titers were lower in potency when compared to the titers elicited by CHO-M cell derived trimers. In addition, increased neutralization of tier 1 viruses was detected. Taken together, these data indicate that both adjuvant and cell-type expression can affect the elicitation of tier 2 and tier 1 neutralizing responses in vivo.

Design of expanded bed supports for the recovery of plasmid DNA by anion exchange adsorption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theodossiou, Irini; Søndergaard, M.; Thomas, Owen R. T.

2001-01-01

In this study we detail the rational design of new chromatographic adsorbents tailored for the capture of plasmid DNA. Features present on current chromatographic supports that can significantly enhance plasmid binding capacity have been identified in packed bed chromatography experiments...... and blueprints for improved expanded bed adsorbents have been put forward. The characterisation and testing of small (20-40 mum) high density (>3.7 g cm(-3)) pellicular expanded bed materials functionalised with various anion exchange structures is presented. In studies with calf thymus DNA, dynamic binding...... capacities of 1.2 and 3.4 mg ml(-1) were recorded for prototype diethylaminoethyl-and polyethylene imine-linked adsorbents which were respectively 25 and 70 fold higher than those of equivalently derivatised commercial expanded bed materials. The prototype polyethylene imine-coupled material exhibited severe...

Managing Demand and Capacity Using Multi-Sector Planning and Flexible Airspace: Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation of NextGen

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Paul U.; Smith, Nancy M.; Prevot, Thomas; Homola, Jeffrey R.

2010-01-01

When demand for an airspace sector exceeds capacity, the balance can be re-established by reducing the demand, increasing the capacity, or both. The Multi-Sector Planner (MSP) concept has been proposed to better manage traffic demand by modifying trajectories across multiple sectors. A complementary approach to MSP, called Flexible Airspace Management (FAM), reconfigures the airspace such that capacity can be reallocated dynamically to balance the traffic demand across multiple sectors, resulting in fewer traffic management initiatives. The two concepts have been evaluated with a series of human-in-the-loop simulations at the Airspace Operations Laboratory to examine and refine the roles of the human operators in these concepts, as well as their tools and procedural requirements. So far MSP and FAM functions have been evaluated individually but the integration of the two functions is desirable since there are significant overlaps in their goals, geographic/temporal scope of the problem space, and the implementation timeframe. Ongoing research is planned to refine the humans roles in the integrated concept.

Validity and reliability of an application review process using dedicated reviewers in one stage of a multi-stage admissions model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeeman, Jacqueline M; McLaughlin, Jacqueline E; Cox, Wendy C

2017-11-01

With increased emphasis placed on non-academic skills in the workplace, a need exists to identify an admissions process that evaluates these skills. This study assessed the validity and reliability of an application review process involving three dedicated application reviewers in a multi-stage admissions model. A multi-stage admissions model was utilized during the 2014-2015 admissions cycle. After advancing through the academic review, each application was independently reviewed by two dedicated application reviewers utilizing a six-construct rubric (written communication, extracurricular and community service activities, leadership experience, pharmacy career appreciation, research experience, and resiliency). Rubric scores were extrapolated to a three-tier ranking to select candidates for on-site interviews. Kappa statistics were used to assess interrater reliability. A three-facet Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM) determined reviewer severity, candidate suitability, and rubric construct difficulty. The kappa statistic for candidates' tier rank score (n = 388 candidates) was 0.692 with a perfect agreement frequency of 84.3%. There was substantial interrater reliability between reviewers for the tier ranking (kappa: 0.654-0.710). Highest construct agreement occurred in written communication (kappa: 0.924-0.984). A three-facet MFRM analysis explained 36.9% of variance in the ratings, with 0.06% reflecting application reviewer scoring patterns (i.e., severity or leniency), 22.8% reflecting candidate suitability, and 14.1% reflecting construct difficulty. Utilization of dedicated application reviewers and a defined tiered rubric provided a valid and reliable method to effectively evaluate candidates during the application review process. These analyses provide insight into opportunities for improving the application review process among schools and colleges of pharmacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-dimensional simulations of the expanding supernova remnant of SN 1987A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potter, T. M.; Staveley-Smith, L. [International center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); Reville, B. [Center for Plasma Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Ng, C.-Y. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Bicknell, G. V.; Sutherland, R. S. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia); Wagner, A. Y., E-mail: tobympotter@gmail.com [Center for Computational Sciences, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577 (Japan)

2014-10-20

The expanding remnant from SN 1987A is an excellent laboratory for investigating the physics of supernovae explosions. There is still a large number of outstanding questions, such as the reason for the asymmetric radio morphology, the structure of the pre-supernova environment, and the efficiency of particle acceleration at the supernova shock. We explore these questions using three-dimensional simulations of the expanding remnant between days 820 and 10,000 after the supernova. We combine a hydrodynamical simulation with semi-analytic treatments of diffusive shock acceleration and magnetic field amplification to derive radio emission as part of an inverse problem. Simulations show that an asymmetric explosion, combined with magnetic field amplification at the expanding shock, is able to replicate the persistent one-sided radio morphology of the remnant. We use an asymmetric Truelove and McKee progenitor with an envelope mass of 10 M {sub ☉} and an energy of 1.5 × 10{sup 44} J. A termination shock in the progenitor's stellar wind at a distance of 0.''43-0.''51 provides a good fit to the turn on of radio emission around day 1200. For the H II region, a minimum distance of 0.''63 ± 0.''01 and maximum particle number density of (7.11 ± 1.78) × 10{sup 7} m{sup –3} produces a good fit to the evolving average radius and velocity of the expanding shocks from day 2000 to day 7000 after explosion. The model predicts a noticeable reduction, and possibly a temporary reversal, in the asymmetric radio morphology of the remnant after day 7000, when the forward shock left the eastern lobe of the equatorial ring.

Assessing the nutritional quality of diets of Canadian children and adolescents using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessri, Mahsa; Nishi, Stephanie K; L'Abbe, Mary R

2016-05-10

Health Canada's Surveillance Tool (HCST) Tier System was developed in 2014 with the aim of assessing the adherence of dietary intakes with Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (EWCFG). HCST uses a Tier system to categorize all foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, with Tier 4 reflecting the unhealthiest and Tier 1 the healthiest foods. This study presents the first application of the HCST to examine (i) the dietary patterns of Canadian children, and (ii) the applicability and relevance of HCST as a measure of diet quality. Data were from the nationally-representative, cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. A total of 13,749 participants aged 2-18 years who had complete lifestyle and 24-hour dietary recall data were examined. Dietary patterns of Canadian children and adolescents demonstrated a high prevalence of Tier 4 foods within the sub-groups of processed meats and potatoes. On average, 23-31 % of daily calories were derived from "other" foods and beverages not recommended in EWCFG. However, the majority of food choices fell within the Tier 2 and 3 classifications due to lenient criteria used by the HCST for classifying foods. Adherence to the recommendations presented in the HCST was associated with closer compliance to meeting nutrient Dietary Reference Intake recommendations, however it did not relate to reduced obesity as assessed by body mass index (p > 0.05). EWCFG recommendations are currently not being met by most children and adolescents. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both positive and negative nutrients and an overall score. In addition, a wider range of nutrient thresholds should be considered for HCST to better capture product differences, prevent categorization of most foods as Tiers 2-3 and provide incentives for product reformulation.

The Open Science Grid – Support for Multi-Disciplinary Team Science – the Adolescent Years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauerdick, Lothar; Ernst, Michael; Fraser, Dan; Livny, Miron; Pordes, Ruth; Sehgal, Chander; Würthwein, Frank

2012-01-01

As it enters adolescence the Open Science Grid (OSG) is bringing a maturing fabric of Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) services that supports an expanding HEP community to an increasingly diverse spectrum of domain scientists. Working closely with researchers on campuses throughout the US and in collaboration with national cyberinfrastructure initiatives, we transform their computing environment through new concepts, advanced tools and deep experience. We discuss examples of these including: the pilot-job overlay concepts and technologies now in use throughout OSG and delivering 1.4 Million CPU hours/day; the role of campus infrastructures- built out from concepts of sharing across multiple local faculty clusters (made good use of already by many of the HEP Tier-2 sites in the US); the work towards the use of clouds and access to high throughput parallel (multi-core and GPU) compute resources; and the progress we are making towards meeting the data management and access needs of non-HEP communities with general tools derived from the experience of the parochial tools in HEP (integration of Globus Online, prototyping with IRODS, investigations into Wide Area Lustre). We will also review our activities and experiences as HTC Service Provider to the recently awarded NSF XD XSEDE project, the evolution of the US NSF TeraGrid project, and how we are extending the reach of HTC through this activity to the increasingly broad national cyberinfrastructure. We believe that a coordinated view of the HPC and HTC resources in the US will further expand their impact on scientific discovery.

A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Lourdes Sanchez

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background: In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs. Objective: This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH. The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Methods: Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ. In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. Results: The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. Conclusions: The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its

A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Ana Lourdes; Canales, Maritza; Enriquez, Lourdes; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Zelaya, Ada Argentina; Espinoza, Vilma Esther; Fontecha, Gustavo Adolfo

2013-01-01

Background In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS) has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Objective This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Methods Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ). In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. Results The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. Conclusions The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its potential contribution

A research capacity strengthening project for infectious diseases in Honduras: experience and lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Ana Lourdes; Canales, Maritza; Enriquez, Lourdes; Bottazzi, Maria Elena; Zelaya, Ada Argentina; Espinoza, Vilma Esther; Fontecha, Gustavo Adolfo

2013-08-07

In Honduras, research capacity strengthening (RCS) has not received sufficient attention, but an increase in research competencies would enable local scientists to advance knowledge and contribute to national priorities, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This project aimed at strengthening research capacity in infectious diseases in Honduras, focusing on the School of Microbiology of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The primary objective was the creation of a research-based graduate program for the continued training of researchers. Parallel objectives included institutional strengthening and the facilitation of partnerships and networks. Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, an RCS workplan was designed and undertaken from 2007 to 2012. Due to unexpected adverse circumstances, the first 2 years were heavily dedicated to implementing the project's flagship, an MSc program in infectious and zoonotic diseases (MEIZ). In addition, infrastructure improvements and demand-driven continuing education opportunities were facilitated; biosafety and research ethics knowledge and practices were enhanced, and networks fostering collaborative work were created or expanded. The project coincided with the peak of UNAH's radical administrative reform and an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Challenges notwithstanding, in September 2009, MEIZ admitted the first cohort of students, all of whom undertook MDG-related projects graduating successfully by 2012. Importantly, MEIZ has been helpful in expanding the School of Microbiology's traditional etiology-based, disciplinary model to infectious disease teaching and research. By fulfilling its objectives, the project contributed to a stronger research culture upholding safety and ethical values at the university. The resources and strategic vision afforded by the project enhanced UNAH's overall research capacity and its potential contribution to the MDGs. Furthermore, increased research

A multi-timescale estimator for battery state of charge and capacity dual estimation based on an online identified model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, Zhongbao; Zhao, Jiyun; Ji, Dongxu; Tseng, King Jet

2017-01-01

Highlights: •SOC and capacity are dually estimated with online adapted battery model. •Model identification and state dual estimate are fully decoupled. •Multiple timescales are used to improve estimation accuracy and stability. •The proposed method is verified with lab-scale experiments. •The proposed method is applicable to different battery chemistries. -- Abstract: Reliable online estimation of state of charge (SOC) and capacity is critically important for the battery management system (BMS). This paper presents a multi-timescale method for dual estimation of SOC and capacity with an online identified battery model. The model parameter estimator and the dual estimator are fully decoupled and executed with different timescales to improve the model accuracy and stability. Specifically, the model parameters are online adapted with the vector-type recursive least squares (VRLS) to address the different variation rates of them. Based on the online adapted battery model, the Kalman filter (KF)-based SOC estimator and RLS-based capacity estimator are formulated and integrated in the form of dual estimation. Experimental results suggest that the proposed method estimates the model parameters, SOC, and capacity in real time with fast convergence and high accuracy. Experiments on both lithium-ion battery and vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) verify the generality of the proposed method on multiple battery chemistries. The proposed method is also compared with other existing methods on the computational cost to reveal its superiority for practical application.

40 CFR 158.510 - Tiered testing options for nonfood pesticides.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... pesticides. 158.510 Section 158.510 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS DATA REQUIREMENTS FOR PESTICIDES Toxicology § 158.510 Tiered testing options for nonfood pesticides. For nonfood use pesticides only, applicants have two options for generating and submitting...

Development and Application of a Novel Rasch-Based Methodology for Evaluating Multi-Tiered Assessment Instruments: Validation and Utilization of an Undergraduate Diagnostic Test of the Water Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Romine, William L.; Schaffer, Dane L.; Barrow, Lloyd

2015-01-01

We describe the development and validation of a three-tiered diagnostic test of the water cycle (DTWC) and use it to evaluate the impact of prior learning experiences on undergraduates' misconceptions. While most approaches to instrument validation take a positivist perspective using singular criteria such as reliability and fit with a measurement…

Adjustment to Monetary Policy and Devaluation Under Two-Tier and Fixed Exchange Rate Regimes

OpenAIRE

Joshua Aizenman

1983-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether a two-tier exchange rate regime is more effective than a fixed rate regime in increasing acountry's ability to pursue an independent monetary policy in the short run.The analysis compares adjustment to a monetary policy and to a devaluation in the two exchange rate regimes in a portfolio model under imperfect asset substitutability. It is shown that the two policies have in the short run larger effects on interest rates under a two-tier regime...

Thermodynamic Analysis on of Skid-Mounted Coal-bed Methane Liquefaction Device using Cryogenic Turbo-Expander

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shuangtao; Niu, Lu; Zeng, Qiang; Li, Xiaojiang; Lou, Fang; Chen, Liang; Hou, Yu

2017-12-01

Coal-bed methane (CBM) reserves are rich in Sinkiang of China, and liquefaction is a critical step for the CBM exploration and utilization. Different from other CBM gas fields in China, CBM distribution in Sinkiang is widespread but scattered, and the pressure, flow-rate and nitrogen content of CBM feed vary significantly. The skid-mounted liquefaction device is suggested as an efficient and economical way to recover methane. Turbo-expander is one of the most important parts which generates the cooling capacity for the cryogenic liquefaction system. Using turbo-expander, more cooling capacity and higher liquefied fraction can be achieved. In this study, skid-mounted CBM liquefaction processes based on Claude cycle are established. Cryogenic turbo-expander with high expansion ratio is employed to improve the efficiency of CBM liquefaction process. The unit power consumption per liquefaction mole flow-rate for CBM feed gas is used as the object function for process optimization, compressor discharge pressure, flow ratio of feed gas to turbo-expander and nitrogen friction are analyzed, and optimum operation range of the liquefaction processes are obtained.

Validation of the modified 4-tiered categorization system through comparison with the 5-tiered categorization system of the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines for classifying small thyroid nodules on ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji Hye; Han, Kyunghwa; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Park, Vivian Y; Kwak, Jin Young

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to validate the modified 4-tiered categorization system and to compare stratification of malignancy risk in small thyroid nodules with the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) management guidelines. From January 2015 to December 2015, 737 thyroid nodules measured ≥ 1 cm and categorization, which combines very low suspicion and low suspicion nodules into the "revised low suspicion" category. Specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy were higher with the modified 4-tiered categorization system (P categorization system allows more efficient management with better diagnostic performance than the 2015 ATA categorization system in small thyroid nodules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Smart specialisation as a process tool in lower-tier territories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drejer, Ina; Laursen, Lea Louise Holst

The paper focuses on the potential of combining the smart specialization – and the associated quadruple helix – framework with a place-specific planning perspective in proposing as process tool for organizing business development in small and medium-sized non-urban, lower-tier territories...

Tier 3 batch system data locality via managed caches

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Max; Giffels, Manuel; Jung, Christopher; Kühn, Eileen; Quast, Günter

2015-05-01

Modern data processing increasingly relies on data locality for performance and scalability, whereas the common HEP approaches aim for uniform resource pools with minimal locality, recently even across site boundaries. To combine advantages of both, the High- Performance Data Analysis (HPDA) Tier 3 concept opportunistically establishes data locality via coordinated caches. In accordance with HEP Tier 3 activities, the design incorporates two major assumptions: First, only a fraction of data is accessed regularly and thus the deciding factor for overall throughput. Second, data access may fallback to non-local, making permanent local data availability an inefficient resource usage strategy. Based on this, the HPDA design generically extends available storage hierarchies into the batch system. Using the batch system itself for scheduling file locality, an array of independent caches on the worker nodes is dynamically populated with high-profile data. Cache state information is exposed to the batch system both for managing caches and scheduling jobs. As a result, users directly work with a regular, adequately sized storage system. However, their automated batch processes are presented with local replications of data whenever possible.

Expanding services in a shrinking economy: desktop document delivery in a dental school library.

Science.gov (United States)

Gushrowski, Barbara A

2011-07-01

How can library staff develop and promote a document delivery service and then expand the service to a wide audience? The setting is the library at the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD), Indianapolis. A faculty survey and a citation analysis were conducted to determine potential use of the service. Volume of interlibrary loan transactions and staff and equipment capacity were also studied. IUSD Library staff created a desktop delivery service (DDSXpress) for faculty and then expanded the service to practicing dental professionals and graduate students. The number of faculty using DDSXpress remains consistent. The number of practicing dental professionals using the service is low. Graduate students have been quick to adopt the service. Through careful analysis of capacity and need for the service, staff successfully expanded document delivery service without incurring additional costs. Use of DDSXpress is continually monitored, and opportunities to market the service to practicing dental professionals are being investigated.

Study on paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhengguo; Fang Xiaoming

2006-01-01

A paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change thermal energy storage material was prepared by absorbing the paraffin into an expanded graphite that has an excellent absorbability. In such a composite, the paraffin serves as a latent heat storage material and the expanded graphite acts as the supporting material, which prevents leakage of the melted paraffin from its porous structure due to the capillary and surface tension forces. The inherent structure of the expanded graphite did not change in the composite material. The solid-liquid phase change temperature of the composite PCM was the same as that of the paraffin, and the latent heat of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite material was equivalent to the calculated value based on the mass ratio of the paraffin in the composite. The heat transfer rate of the paraffin/expanded graphite composite was obviously higher than that of the paraffin due to the combination with the expanded graphite that had a high thermal conductivity. The prepared paraffin/expanded graphite composite phase change material had a large thermal storage capacity and improved thermal conductivity and did not experience liquid leakage during its solid-liquid phase change

Genetic Dissection of Maize Embryonic Callus Regenerative Capacity Using Multi-Locus Genome-Wide Association Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Langlang Ma

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The regenerative capacity of the embryonic callus, a complex quantitative trait, is one of the main limiting factors for maize transformation. This trait was decomposed into five traits, namely, green callus rate (GCR, callus differentiating rate (CDR, callus plantlet number (CPN, callus rooting rate (CRR, and callus browning rate (CBR. To dissect the genetic foundation of maize transformation, in this study multi-locus genome-wide association studies (GWAS for the five traits were performed in a population of 144 inbred lines genotyped with 43,427 SNPs. Using the phenotypic values in three environments and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP values, as a result, a total of 127, 56, 160, and 130 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs were identified by mrMLM, FASTmrEMMA, ISIS EM-BLASSO, and pLARmEB, respectively. Of these QTNs, 63 QTNs were commonly detected, including 15 across multiple environments and 58 across multiple methods. Allele distribution analysis showed that the proportion of superior alleles for 36 QTNs was <50% in 31 elite inbred lines. Meanwhile, these superior alleles had obviously additive effect on the regenerative capacity. This indicates that the regenerative capacity-related traits can be improved by proper integration of the superior alleles using marker-assisted selection. Moreover, a total of 40 candidate genes were found based on these common QTNs. Some annotated genes were previously reported to relate with auxin transport, cell fate, seed germination, or embryo development, especially, GRMZM2G108933 (WOX2 was found to promote maize transgenic embryonic callus regeneration. These identified candidate genes will contribute to a further understanding of the genetic foundation of maize embryonic callus regeneration.

A Simple, High-Throughput Assay for Fragile X Expanded Alleles Using Triple Repeat Primed PCR and Capillary Electrophoresis

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, Elaine; Laver, Thomas; Yu, Ping; Jama, Mohamed; Young, Keith; Zoccoli, Michael; Marlowe, Natalia

2010-01-01

Population screening has been proposed for Fragile X syndrome to identify premutation carrier females and affected newborns. We developed a PCR-based assay capable of quickly detecting the presence or absence of an expanded FMR1 allele with high sensitivity and specificity. This assay combines a triplet repeat primed PCR with high-throughput automated capillary electrophoresis. We evaluated assay performance using archived samples sent for Fragile X diagnostic testing representing a range of Fragile X CGG-repeat expansions. Two hundred five previously genotyped samples were tested with the new assay. Data were analyzed for the presence of a trinucleotide “ladder” extending beyond 55 repeats, which was set as a cut-off to identify expanded FMR1 alleles. We identified expanded FMR1 alleles in 132 samples (59 premutation, 71 full mutation, 2 mosaics) and normal FMR1 alleles in 73 samples. We found 100% concordance with previous results from PCR and Southern blot analyses. In addition, we show feasibility of using this assay with DNA extracted from dried-blood spots. Using a single PCR combined with high-throughput fragment analysis on the automated capillary electrophoresis instrument, we developed a rapid and reproducible PCR-based laboratory assay that meets many of the requirements for a first-tier test for population screening. PMID:20431035

Implementation of a 4-tier cloud-based architecture for collaborative ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING ... Amongst the issues are ill-advised methods of data storage and unreliable ... four phases (4-Tier); a User Authentication and Access Control Engine (UAACE) which ... standard encryption/decoding techniques to ensure privacy of such records.

Caesarean delivery in urban second tier missionary hospital in Nigeria

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the current trend of Caesarean and highlight the role of a major operative obstetric practice in materno-foetal medicine. Design: Descriptive case study. Setting: St Philomena Catholic Hospital (SPCH), an urban second tier missionary hospital. Subjects: One thousand and fourteen (1014) Caesarean ...

NUCLEAR TRANSFER IN TIER CELLS OF BOSTRYCHIA-RADICANS (RHODOMELACEAE, RHODOPHYTA)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

GOFF, LJ; WEST, JA; OLSEN, JL

1992-01-01

In the male gametophytes of the marine alga Bostrychia radicans (Montagne) Montagne (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta), axial cells and the initial pericentral cells are uninucleate (4C DNA value). Each pericentral cell of axial segment 5 cuts off a uninucleate (2C) tier cell from the upper surface. In

Using Tiered Assignments to Engage Learners in Advanced Placement Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Geddes, Kimberly A.

2010-01-01

This article presents lesson plans that incorporate tiered objectives and brainstorming techniques as means for differentiating instruction and ensuring that learners are challenged at levels commensurate with their abilities even though they are developing an understanding of the same physics concepts. A listing of materials and resources…

NUCLEAR TRANSFER IN TIER CELLS OF BOSTRYCHIA-RADICANS (RHODOMELACEAE, RHODOPHYTA)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

GOFF, LJ; WEST, JA; OLSEN, JL

In the male gametophytes of the marine alga Bostrychia radicans (Montagne) Montagne (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta), axial cells and the initial pericentral cells are uninucleate (4C DNA value). Each pericentral cell of axial segment 5 cuts off a uninucleate (2C) tier cell from the upper surface. In

Assessing the nutritional quality of diets of Canadian children and adolescents using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahsa Jessri

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health Canada’s Surveillance Tool (HCST Tier System was developed in 2014 with the aim of assessing the adherence of dietary intakes with Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (EWCFG. HCST uses a Tier system to categorize all foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, with Tier 4 reflecting the unhealthiest and Tier 1 the healthiest foods. This study presents the first application of the HCST to examine (i the dietary patterns of Canadian children, and (ii the applicability and relevance of HCST as a measure of diet quality. Methods Data were from the nationally-representative, cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. A total of 13,749 participants aged 2–18 years who had complete lifestyle and 24-hour dietary recall data were examined. Results Dietary patterns of Canadian children and adolescents demonstrated a high prevalence of Tier 4 foods within the sub-groups of processed meats and potatoes. On average, 23–31 % of daily calories were derived from “other” foods and beverages not recommended in EWCFG. However, the majority of food choices fell within the Tier 2 and 3 classifications due to lenient criteria used by the HCST for classifying foods. Adherence to the recommendations presented in the HCST was associated with closer compliance to meeting nutrient Dietary Reference Intake recommendations, however it did not relate to reduced obesity as assessed by body mass index (p > 0.05. Conclusions EWCFG recommendations are currently not being met by most children and adolescents. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both positive and negative nutrients and an overall score. In addition, a wider range of nutrient thresholds should be considered for HCST to better capture product differences, prevent categorization of most foods as Tiers 2–3 and provide incentives for product reformulation.

Identification student’s misconception of heat and temperature using three-tier diagnostic test

Science.gov (United States)

Suliyanah; Putri, H. N. P. A.; Rohmawati, L.

2018-03-01

The objective of this research is to develop a Three-Tier Diagnostic Test (TTDT) to identify the student's misconception of heat and temperature. Stages of development include: analysis, planning, design, development, evaluation and revise. The results of this study show that (1) the quality of the three-tier type diagnostic test instrument developed has been expressed well with the following details: (a) Internal validity of 88.19% belonging to the valid category. (b) External validity of empirical construct validity test using Pearson Product Moment obtained 0.43 is classified and result of empirical construct validity test obtained false positives 6.1% and false negatives 5.9% then the instrument was valid. (c) Test reliability by using Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.98 which means acceptable. (d) The 80% difficulty level test is quite difficult. (2) Student misconceptions on the temperature of heat and displacement materials based on the II test the highest (84%), the lowest (21%), and the non-misconceptions (7%). (3) The highest cause of misconception among students is associative thinking (22%) and the lowest is caused by incomplete or incomplete reasoning (11%). Three-Tier Diagnostic Test (TTDT) could identify the student's misconception of heat and temperature.

12 CFR Appendix D to Part 225 - Capital Adequacy Guidelines for Bank Holding Companies: Tier 1 Leverage Measure

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Consolidated Financial Statements (FR Y-9C Report), less goodwill; amounts of mortgage servicing assets... part. b. The tier 1 leverage guidelines apply on a consolidated basis to any bank holding company with consolidated assets of $500 million or more. The tier 1 leverage guidelines also apply on a consolidated basis...

Evaluation of the Texas tier system for seal coat binder specification.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-01

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) instituted a change in their seal coat binder specification in 2010 which allowed districts to select multiple binders within specified traffic levels or tiers for the purposes of allowing contractors to...

Differences in Cartilage-Forming Capacity of Expanded Human Chondrocytes From Ear and Nose and Their Gene Expression Profiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellingman, C.A.; Verwiel, E.T.P.; Slagt, I.; Koevoet, W.; Poublon, R.M.L.; Nolst-Trenite, G.J.; de Jong, R.J.B.; Jahr, H.; van Osch, G.J.V.M.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of culture-expanded human auricular and nasoseptal chondrocytes as cell source for regeneration of stable cartilage and to analyze the differences in gene expression profile of expanded chondrocytes from these specific locations. Auricular

Differences in cartilage-forming capacity of expanded human chondrocytes from ear and nose and their gene expression profiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellingman, Catharine A.; Verwiel, Eugène T. P.; Slagt, Inez; Koevoet, Wendy; Poublon, René M. L.; Nolst-Trenité, Gilbert J.; Baatenburg de Jong, Robert J.; Jahr, Holger; van Osch, Gerjo J. V. M.

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of culture-expanded human auricular and nasoseptal chondrocytes as cell source for regeneration of stable cartilage and to analyze the differences in gene expression profile of expanded chondrocytes from these specific locations. Auricular

AUDIOME: a tiered exome sequencing-based comprehensive gene panel for the diagnosis of heterogeneous nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Qiaoning; Balciuniene, Jorune; Cao, Kajia; Fan, Zhiqian; Biswas, Sawona; Wilkens, Alisha; Gallo, Daniel J; Bedoukian, Emma; Tarpinian, Jennifer; Jayaraman, Pushkala; Sarmady, Mahdi; Dulik, Matthew; Santani, Avni; Spinner, Nancy; Abou Tayoun, Ahmad N; Krantz, Ian D; Conlin, Laura K; Luo, Minjie

2018-03-29

PurposeHereditary hearing loss is highly heterogeneous. To keep up with rapidly emerging disease-causing genes, we developed the AUDIOME test for nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) using an exome sequencing (ES) platform and targeted analysis for the curated genes.MethodsA tiered strategy was implemented for this test. Tier 1 includes combined Sanger and targeted deletion analyses of the two most common NSHL genes and two mitochondrial genes. Nondiagnostic tier 1 cases are subjected to ES and array followed by targeted analysis of the remaining AUDIOME genes.ResultsES resulted in good coverage of the selected genes with 98.24% of targeted bases at >15 ×. A fill-in strategy was developed for the poorly covered regions, which generally fell within GC-rich or highly homologous regions. Prospective testing of 33 patients with NSHL revealed a diagnosis in 11 (33%) and a possible diagnosis in 8 cases (24.2%). Among those, 10 individuals had variants in tier 1 genes. The ES data in the remaining nondiagnostic cases are readily available for further analysis.ConclusionThe tiered and ES-based test provides an efficient and cost-effective diagnostic strategy for NSHL, with the potential to reflex to full exome to identify causal changes outside of the AUDIOME test.Genetics in Medicine advance online publication, 29 March 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2018.48.

Development and Application of a Four-Tier Test to Assess Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Misconceptions about Geometrical Optics

Science.gov (United States)

Kaltakci-Gurel, Derya; Eryilmaz, Ali; McDermott, Lillian Christie

2017-01-01

Background: Correct identification of misconceptions is an important first step in order to gain an understanding of student learning. More recently, four-tier multiple choice tests have been found to be effective in assessing misconceptions. Purpose: The purposes of this study are (1) to develop and validate a four-tier misconception test to…

78 FR 32223 - Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-29

...-OAR-2011-0135; FRL-9818-5] RIN 2060-A0 Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor... extension of the public comment period for the proposed rule ``Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards'' (the proposed rule is hereinafter referred to as...

Expanded function allied dental personnel and dental practice productivity and efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Beazoglou, Tryfon J; Chen, Lei; Lazar, Vickie F; Brown, L Jackson; Ray, Subhash C; Heffley, Dennis R; Berg, Rob; Bailit, Howard L

2012-08-01

This study examined the impact of expanded function allied dental personnel on the productivity and efficiency of general dental practices. Detailed practice financial and clinical data were obtained from a convenience sample of 154 general dental practices in Colorado. In this state, expanded function dental assistants can provide a wide range of reversible dental services/procedures, and dental hygienists can give local anesthesia. The survey identified practices that currently use expanded function allied dental personnel and the specific services/procedures delegated. Practice productivity was measured using patient visits, gross billings, and net income. Practice efficiency was assessed using a multivariate linear program, Data Envelopment Analysis. Sixty-four percent of the practices were found to use expanded function allied dental personnel, and on average they delegated 31.4 percent of delegatable services/procedures. Practices that used expanded function allied dental personnel treated more patients and had higher gross billings and net incomes than those practices that did not; the more services they delegated, the higher was the practice's productivity and efficiency. The effective use of expanded function allied dental personnel has the potential to substantially expand the capacity of general dental practices to treat more patients and to generate higher incomes for dental practices.

The Impact of Income and Taxation in a Price-Tiered Cigarette Market - findings from the ITC Bangladesh Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Huq, Iftekharul; Nargis, Nigar; Lkhagvasuren, Damba; Hussain, Akm Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T

2018-04-25

Taxing tobacco is among the most effective measures of tobacco control. However, in a tiered market structure where multiple tiers of taxes coexist, the anticipated impact of tobacco taxes on consumption is complex. This paper investigates changing smoking behaviour in lieu of changing prices and changing income. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of change in prices (through taxes) and change in income in a price-tiered cigarette market. A panel dataset from the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh surveys is used for analysis. For preliminary analysis transition matrices are developed. Next, probit and multinomial logit regression models are used to identify the effects of changes in prices and changes in income along with other control variables. Transition matrices show significant movement of smokers across price tiers from one wave to another. Regression results show that higher income raises the probability to up-trade and decreases the probability to down-trade. Results also show that higher prices raises the probability to up-trade and reduces the probability to down-trade. Although not significant, there exists a negative relationship between the probability to down-trade and the probability to intend to quit. It is evident from the results that a price-tiered market provides smokers more opportunities to accommodate their smoking behaviour when faced with price and income change. Therefore, tiered structure of the tax system should be replaced with uniform taxes. Moreover, overall cigarette taxes need to be raised to an extent so that it off-sets any positive effects of income growth. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Refrigeration generation using expander-generator units

Science.gov (United States)

Klimenko, A. V.; Agababov, V. S.; Koryagin, A. V.; Baidakova, Yu. O.

2016-05-01

The problems of using the expander-generator unit (EGU) to generate refrigeration, along with electricity were considered. It is shown that, on the level of the temperatures of refrigeration flows using the EGU, one can provide the refrigeration supply of the different consumers: ventilation and air conditioning plants and industrial refrigerators and freezers. The analysis of influence of process parameters on the cooling power of the EGU, which depends on the parameters of the gas expansion process in the expander and temperatures of cooled environment, was carried out. The schematic diagram of refrigeration generation plant based on EGU is presented. The features and advantages of EGU to generate refrigeration compared with thermotransformer of steam compressive and absorption types were shown, namely: there is no need to use the energy generated by burning fuel to operate the EGU; beneficial use of the heat delivered to gas from the flow being cooled in equipment operating on gas; energy production along with refrigeration generation, which makes it possible to create, using EGU, the trigeneration plants without using the energy power equipment. It is shown that the level of the temperatures of refrigeration flows, which can be obtained by using the EGU on existing technological decompression stations of the transported gas, allows providing the refrigeration supply of various consumers. The information that the refrigeration capacity of an expander-generator unit not only depends on the parameters of the process of expansion of gas flowing in the expander (flow rate, temperatures and pressures at the inlet and outlet) but it is also determined by the temperature needed for a consumer and the initial temperature of the flow of the refrigeration-carrier being cooled. The conclusion was made that the expander-generator units can be used to create trigeneration plants both at major power plants and at small energy.

ExpandED Options: Learning beyond High School Walls

Science.gov (United States)

ExpandED Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

Through ExpandED Options by TASC, New York City high school students get academic credit for learning career-related skills that lead to paid summer jobs. Too many high school students--including those most likely to drop out--are bored or see classroom learning as irrelevant. ExpandED Options students live the connection between mastering new…

Aerobic exercise capacity in post-polio syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voorn, E.L.

2015-01-01

The aim of this thesis was to expand the body of knowledge on the diminished aerobic capacity of individuals with post-polio syndrome (PPS). The studies described in this thesis were based on the assumption that, besides a reduced muscle mass, deconditioning contributes to the severely diminished

Variation of stemness markers expression in tumor nodules from synchronous multi-focal hepatocellular carcinoma - an immunohistochemical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Regina Cheuk-Lam; Leung, Carmen Oi-Ning; Chok, Kenneth Siu-Ho; Ng, Irene Oi-Lin

2017-08-01

Advancing knowledge in molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) opens up new horizons in the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic perspectives. Assessing the expression of molecular targets prior to definitive treatment is gaining importance in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated the variation in expression pattern of stemness markers in synchronous multi-focal HCC. In the first cohort, 21 liver explants with multi-focal HCC were examined for expression of stemness markers EpCAM, Sox9 and CK19 by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Expression data of 50 tumor nodules were analyzed to determine the concordance of expression among nodules in the same livers. In the second cohort, 14 tumor nodules from 6 multi-focal HCC cases proven as intra-hepatic metastasis were examined for Soc9 immunoexpression. In the first cohort, thirty nodules from 16 cases expressed one or more markers, with Sox9 being most frequently expressed. Complete concordance of expression pattern for all 3 markers was observed in 6 cases. Discrepancy of staining degree was noted in 4 cases for EpCAM, 14 cases for Sox9, and 6 cases for CK19. A two-tier or three-tier difference in staining scores was noted in 5 cases for Sox9 and one case for CK19. With Sox9, identical tumor morphology in terms of Edmondson grading and growth pattern did not infer the same degree of immunoexpression; and the largest tumor nodule was not representative of highest IHC score. In the second cohort of intra-hepatic metastasis, complete concordance of Sox9 expression level was observed in 5 out of 6 cases; while the remaining case showed a 1-tier difference of positive staining. Our findings suggested that clonality of tumor nodules is apparently an important factor to infer immunoexpression pattern. When there is limited information to discern multiple primaries versus intra-hepatic metastasis in multi-focal HCC, discordant degree of stemness markers expression among tumor nodules was commonly

Instructions for the Tier I Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act Tier I form is to provide State and local officials and the public with information on the general chemical hazard types and locations at your facility, if above reporting thresholds.

Novel two-tiered approach of ecological risk assessment for pesticide mixtures based on joint effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Dayong; Mao, Haichen; Lv, Huichao; Zheng, Yong; Peng, Conghu; Hou, Shaogang

2018-02-01

Ecological risk assessments for mixtures have attracted considerable attention. In this study, 38 pesticides in the real environment were taken as objects and their toxicities to different organisms from three trophic levels were employed to assess the ecological risk of the mixture. The first tier assessment was based on the CA effect and the obtained sum of risk quotients (SRQ species-CA ) were 3.06-9.22. The second tier assessment was based on non-CA effects and the calculated SRQ species-TU are 5.37-9.29 using joint effects (TU sum ) as modified coefficients, which is higher than SRQ species-CA and indicates that ignoring joint effects might run the risk of underestimating the actual impact of pesticide mixtures. Due to the influences of synergistic and antagonistic effects, risk contribution of components to mixture risks based on non-CA effects are different from those based on the CA effect. Moreover, it was found that the top 8 dominating components explained 95.5%-99.8% of mixture risks in this study. The dominating components are similar in the two tiers for a given species. Accordingly, a novel two-tiered approach was proposed to assess the ecological risks of mixtures based on joint effects. This study provides new insights for ecological risk assessments with the consideration of joint effects of components in the pesticide mixtures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the tier-1 effect assessment for herbicides protective for aquatic algae and vascular plant communities?

Science.gov (United States)

van Wijngaarden, René P A; Arts, Gertie H P

2018-01-01

In the aquatic tier-1 effect assessment for plant protection products with an herbicidal mode of action in Europe, it is usually algae and/or vascular plants that determine the environmental risks. This tier includes tests with at least 2 algae and 1 macrophyte (Lemna). Although such tests are considered to be of a chronic nature (based on the duration of the test in relation to the life cycle of the organism), the measurement endpoints derived from the laboratory tests with plants (including algae) and used in the first-tier effect assessment for herbicides are acute effect concentrations affecting 50% of the test organisms (EC50 values) and not no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) or effect concentrations affecting 10% of the test organisms (EC10) values. Other European legislative frameworks (e.g., the Water Framework Directive) use EC10 values. The present study contributes to a validation of the tiered herbicide risk assessment approach by comparing the standard first-tier effect assessment with results of microcosm and mesocosm studies. We evaluated EC50 and EC10 values for standard test algae and macrophytes based on either the growth rate endpoint (E r C50) or the lowest available endpoint for growth rate or biomass/yield (E r /E y C50). These values were compared with the regulatory acceptable concentrations for the threshold option as derived from microcosm and mesocosm studies. For these studies, protection is maintained if growth rate is taken as the regulatory endpoint instead of the lowest value of either growth rate or biomass/yield in conjunction with the standard assessment factor of 10. Based on a limited data set of 14 herbicides, we did not identify a need to change the current practice. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:175-183. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Searches for beyond the Standard Model physics with boosted topologies in the ATLAS experiment using the Grid-based Tier-3 facility at IFIC-Valencia

CERN Document Server

Villaplana Pérez, Miguel; Vos, Marcel

Both the LHC and ATLAS have been performing well beyond expectation since the start of the data taking by the end of 2009. Since then, several thousands of millions of collision events have been recorded by the ATLAS experiment. With a data taking efficiency higher than 95% and more than 99% of its channels working, ATLAS supplies data with an unmatched quality. In order to analyse the data, the ATLAS Collaboration has designed a distributed computing model based on GRID technologies. The ATLAS computing model and its evolution since the start of the LHC is discussed in section 3.1. The ATLAS computing model groups the different types of computing centers of the ATLAS Collaboration in a tiered hierarchy that ranges from Tier-0 at CERN, down to the 11 Tier-1 centers and the nearly 80 Tier-2 centres distributed world wide. The Spanish Tier-2 activities during the first years of data taking are described in section 3.2. Tier-3 are institution-level non-ATLAS funded or controlled centres that participate presuma...

Statistics of the uplink co-tier interference in closed access heterogeneous networks

KAUST Repository

Tabassum, Hina; Dawy, Zaher; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2013-01-01

penetration loss, user distributions, random locations, and density of the femtocells. Firstly, we derive the analytical expressions for the probability density function (PDF) and moment generating function (MGF) of the co-tier interference considering a

40 CFR Appendix III to Part 266 - Tier II Emission Rate Screening Limits for Free Chlorine and Hydrogen Chloride

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Tier II Emission Rate Screening Limits for Free Chlorine and Hydrogen Chloride III Appendix III to Part 266 Protection of Environment... to Part 266—Tier II Emission Rate Screening Limits for Free Chlorine and Hydrogen Chloride Terrain...

Korea: an expanding economy trying to gain energy independence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrott, M.

1980-01-01

South Korea expects to have 6426 MW of power installed by 1986, representing 30.7% of its capacity. Following a summary of nuclear activities in South Korea the current situation is discussed. Prospects for energy supply and demand are shown. The difficulties associated with the expanding nuclear programme are mainly on the international front, eg those relating to fuel supply, or to proliferation issue. (UK)

Idaho's Three-Tiered System for Speech-Language Paratherapist Training and Utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Longhurst, Thomas M.

1997-01-01

Discusses the development and current implementation of Idaho's three-tiered system of speech-language paratherapists. Support personnel providing speech-language services to learners with special communication needs in educational settings must obtain one of three certification levels: (1) speech-language aide, (2) associate degree…

A “Linkage-Based” Approach to Combating Militant Islamist Propaganda: A Two-Tiered Framework for Practitioners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haroro J. Ingram

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This Policy Brief outlines a “linkage-based” approach to combating militant Islamist propaganda tailored for practitioners. It argues for a two-tiered approach to counter-terrorism strategic communications that addresses a spectrum of target audience motivations: antis, curious, engaged, tacit supporters and active supporters. The first tier undermines the key arguments at the heart of militant Islamist narratives and offers alternative narratives. This approach is designed to dismantle the “systems of meaning” at the heart of militant Islamist propaganda via the deployment of pragmatic- and identity-choice messages tailored to dissolve the linkages violent extremists draw between themselves and solutions and their enemies and crisis. The second tier uses strategies of network disruption and disengagement strategies to catalyse behavioural changes in target audiences away from joining or acting on behalf of violent extremist groups like al Qaeda or so-called Islamic State (IS. These tiers are mutually reinforcing: the first degrades the appeal of violent extremist messaging in an effort to constrict those who may become engaged in or even supporters of violent extremists while the second disturbs the trajectory of individuals from tacit to active supporters. The framework is designed to not only assist practitioners with synchronising campaign planning and message design but provides a way to categorise messaging and facilitate metric collection for better informed decision-making.

Multi-level governance and adaptive capacity in West Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Brockhaus

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In most regions in West Africa, livelihoods depend heavily on forest ecosystem goods and services, often in interplay with agricultural and livestock production systems. Numerous drivers of change are creating a range of fundamental economic, ecological, social and political challenges for the governance of forest commons. Climate change and its impacts on countries’ and regions’ development add a new dimension to an already challenging situation. Governance systems are challenged to set a frame for formulating, financing and implementing adaptation strategies at multiple layers, often in a context of ongoing institutional changes such as decentralisation. A deeper understanding of actors, institutions and networks is needed to overcome barriers in socio-ecological systems to adaptation and enable or enhance adaptive capacity. In this paper, we explore the relationship between governance and adaptive capacity, and characterise and assess the effects of a set of variables and indicators related to two core variables: Institutional flexibility, and individual and organisational understandings and perceptions. We present a comparative analysis with multiple methods based on a number of case studies undertaken at different levels in Burkina Faso and Mali. One of the key findings indicates the importance and influence of discourses and narratives, and how they affect adaptive capacity at different levels. Revealing the ideological character of discourses can help to enable adaptive capacity, as it would break the influence of the actors that employ these narratives to pursuit their own interests.

Portfolio theory as a management tool to guide conservation and restoration of multi-stock fish populations

Science.gov (United States)

DuFour, Mark R.; May, Cassandra J.; Roseman, Edward F.; Ludsin, Stuart A.; Vandergoot, Christopher S.; Pritt, Jeremy J.; Fraker, Michael E.; Davis, Jeremiah J.; Tyson, Jeffery T.; Miner, Jeffery G.; Marschall, Elizabeth A.; Mayer, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Habitat degradation and harvest have upset the natural buffering mechanism (i.e., portfolio effects) of many large-scale multi-stock fisheries by reducing spawning stock diversity that is vital for generating population stability and resilience. The application of portfolio theory offers a means to guide management activities by quantifying the importance of multi-stock dynamics and suggesting conservation and restoration strategies to improve naturally occurring portfolio effects. Our application of portfolio theory to Lake Erie Sander vitreus (walleye), a large population that is supported by riverine and open-lake reef spawning stocks, has shown that portfolio effects generated by annual inter-stock larval fish production are currently suboptimal when compared to potential buffering capacity. Reduced production from riverine stocks has resulted in a single open-lake reef stock dominating larval production, and in turn, high inter-annual recruitment variability during recent years. Our analyses have shown (1) a weak average correlation between annual river and reef larval production (ρ̄ = 0.24), suggesting that a natural buffering capacity exists in the population, and (2) expanded annual production of larvae (potential recruits) from riverine stocks could stabilize the fishery by dampening inter-annual recruitment variation. Ultimately, our results demonstrate how portfolio theory can be used to quantify the importance of spawning stock diversity and guide management on ecologically relevant scales (i.e., spawning stocks) leading to greater stability and resilience of multi-stock populations and fisheries.

Capacity constrained blue-noise sampling on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Sen

2015-11-27

We present a novel method for high-quality blue-noise sampling on mesh surfaces with prescribed cell-sizes for the underlying tessellation (capacity constraint). Unlike the previous surface sampling approach that only uses capacity constraints as a regularizer of the Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation (CVT) energy, our approach enforces an exact capacity constraint using the restricted power tessellation on surfaces. Our approach is a generalization of the previous 2D blue noise sampling technique using an interleaving optimization framework. We further extend this framework to handle multi-capacity constraints. We compare our approach with several state-of-the-art methods and demonstrate that our results are superior to previous work in terms of preserving the capacity constraints.

Taking a Multi-pronged Approach to Expand the Reach of Climate Research Results

Science.gov (United States)

Hauser, R.; Unger, M.; Eastburn, T.; Rockwell, A.; Laursen, K. K.; National CenterAtmospheric Research

2011-12-01

Recognizing the importance of tailoring content to a variety of audiences, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) takes a multi-pronged approach to expand the reach of climate research results. The center's communications and education and outreach teams leverage Web 1.0 and 2.0 functionality - Google searches, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube - as well as face-to-face interactions and traditional media outlets to ensure climate change messages effectively connect with multiple audiences. Key to these efforts, NCAR seeks to frame messages that emphasize cultural cognition, that is, in a manner that recognizes and resonates with different audiences' values and thus their identities. Among the basic communications approaches NCAR uses to engage the public are one-on-one interactions with the visiting public, which ranges from school children and tourists, to dignitaries and journalists. As an example, the NCAR Journalism Fellowship brings a competitively selected group of internatoinal journalists to NCAR. During a week-long visit and ongoing contact, journalists are provided with a close-up, nuanced view of the science and individuals working on the bigger-picture research that drives climate-related sound bites reported by the press. NCAR provides media training for its scientists, giving them tools and practice in effectively handling interviews for print, Web and radio outlets. The institution hosts public events like "Super Science Saturday," and NCAR staff participate in external activities such as school science fairs, community events and continuing education sessions. In addition to interactive displays that allow the public to "experience" science directly and informally, NCAR develops educational programs and curricula targeted to specific age groups and levels of expertise. We will explore the importance of analogies, images and anecdotes in explaining complicated subjects to such a varied set of audiences, and identify key concepts in simplifying

CERN apprenticeships honoured at the Cité des Métiers

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

Florian Métral, an electronics apprentice at CERN, accepting his prize at the award ceremony.CERN's exhibition stand at the Cité des Métiers et des Formations. CERN has just taken part in the Cité des Métiers et des Formations for the first time. This job and training fair, designed to assist both young people and adults in their choice of profession, training or career change, was held at Palexpo, Geneva's main exhibition centre, from 13 to 19 November. CERN had its own stand, where the Laboratory's activities and its many different trades and training opportunities were on display. Throughout the week and the weekend, a series of guides and members of the HR Department took it in turns to present CERN and the wide range of training it offers students and apprentices. Apprentices came into the spotlight on 13 November, when the Union Industrielle Genevoise awarded prizes to the eight most meritorious apprentices in the field of mecatronics (mechanical and electronics engineering) in the Canton of Gene...

Operation of an organic Rankine cycle dependent on pumping flow rates and expander torques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xufei; Xu, Jinliang; Miao, Zheng; Zou, Jinghuang; Yu, Chao

2015-01-01

An ORC (organic Rankine cycle) was developed with R123 as the working fluid. The heat capacity is in ∼100 kW. The match between pump and expander is investigated. Lower pump frequencies (f 10 Hz) adapt low expander torques only, and cause unstable flow and pump cavitation for larger expander torques. Ultra-low expander torques generate sufficiently high vapor superheatings to decrease expander efficiencies. Ultra-high expander torques achieve saturation vapor at the expander inlet, causing liquid droplets induced shock wave to worsen expander performance. An optimal range of expander torques exists to have better expander performance. A liquid subcooling of 20 °C is necessary to avoid pump cavitation. Expander powers and efficiencies show parabola shapes versus expander torques, or vapor superheatings at the expander inlet. The optimal vapor superheating is 13 °C. The cavitation mechanisms and measures to avoid cavitation are analyzed. This paper notes the overestimation of ORC performance by equilibrium thermodynamic analysis. Assumptions should be dependent on experiments. Future studies are suggested on organic fluid flow, heat transfer and energy conversion in various components. - Highlights: • The match between pump and expander is investigated. • A liquid subcooling of 20 °C is needed at pump inlet. • A vapor superheating of 13 °C is necessary at expander inlet. • Cavitation in pumps and expanders are analyzed. • The equilibrium thermodynamics overestimate ORC performances.

SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE ANALYSIS: A BRAZILIAN AUTOMOTIVE CASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Felipe Scavarda

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Supply chain (SC resilience and flexibility are important research topics receiving growing attention. However, the academic literature needs empirical studies on SC resilience capable of investigating the inter-organizational components of flexibility along different tiers. Therefore, this paper analyzes the main lack of flexibilities in three Brazilian automotive SCs that limit their resilience and therefore their capacity to better support and meet the demand changes in the marketplace. A multi-tier case study approach is adopted. Research findings identify lack of flexibilities in different tiers that inhibit the SC resilience as well as manufacturing and SC flexibilities that build SC resilience. The findings also highlight that the same SC may have the flexibility to be resilient for one of its products but not for another product, what sheds new lights on the academic literature. Finally, flexible SCs should be designed to increase SC resilience to cope with mishaps as significant demand changes.

School Mental Health: The Impact of State and Local Capacity-Building Training

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Sharon; Paternite, Carl; Grimm, Lindsey; Hurwitz, Laura

2014-01-01

Despite a growing number of collaborative partnerships between schools and community-based organizations to expand school mental health (SMH) service capacity in the United States, there have been relatively few systematic initiatives focused on key strategies for large-scale SMH capacity building with state and local education systems. Based on a…

Middle Tier Services Accessing the Chandra X-Ray Center Data Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Patz, A.; Harbo, P.; Moran, J.; van Stone, D.; Zografou, P.

The Chandra Data Archive team at the Chandra X-ray Center has developed middle tier services that are used by both our search and retrieval applications to uniformly access our data repository. Accessible through an HTTP URL interface, these services can be called by our J2EE web application (WebChaser) and our Java Swing application (Chaser), as well as any other HTTP client. Programs can call the services to retrieve observation data such as a single FITS file, a proposal abstract or a detailed report of observation parameters. Having a central interface to the archive, shared by client applications, facilitates code reusability and easier maintenance. These middle tier services have been written in Java and packaged into a single J2EE application called the Search and Retrieval (SR) Services. The package consists of a web application front-end and an Enterprise Java Beans back-end. This paper describes the design and use of the SR Services.

Iteration particle swarm optimization for contract capacities selection of time-of-use rates industrial customers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Tsung-Ying; Chen, Chun-Lung

2007-01-01

This paper presents a new algorithm for solving the optimal contract capacities of a time-of-use (TOU) rates industrial customer. This algorithm is named iteration particle swarm optimization (IPSO). A new index, called iteration best is incorporated into particle swarm optimization (PSO) to improve solution quality and computation efficiency. Expanding line construction cost and contract recovery cost are considered, as well as demand contract capacity cost and penalty bill, in the selection of the optimal contract capacities. The resulting optimal contract capacity effectively reaches the minimum electricity charge of TOU rates users. A significant reduction in electricity costs is observed. The effects of expanding line construction cost and contract recovery cost on the selection of optimal contract capacities can also be estimated. The feasibility of the new algorithm is demonstrated by a numerical example, and the IPSO solution quality and computation efficiency are compared to those of other algorithms

Network Capacity Assessment and Increase in Systems with Intermittent Water Supply

OpenAIRE

Ilaya-Ayza, Amilkar Ernesto; Campbell-Gonzalez, Enrique; Pérez García, Rafael; Izquierdo Sebastián, Joaquín

2016-01-01

[EN] Water supply systems have been facing many challenges in recent decades due to the potential effects of climate change and rapid population growth. Water systems need to expand because of demographic growth. Therefore, evaluating and increasing system capacity is crucial. Specifically, we analyze network capacity as one of the main features of a system. When the network capacity starts to decrease, there is a risk that continuous supply will become intermittent. This paper discusses how...

The Effect of Tier 2 Intervention for Phonemic Awareness in a Response-to-Intervention Model in Low-Income Preschool Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Koutsoftas, Anthony D.; Harmon, Mary Towle; Gray, Shelley

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study assessed the effectiveness of a Tier 2 intervention that was designed to increase the phonemic awareness skills of low-income preschoolers who were enrolled in Early Reading First classrooms. Method: Thirty-four preschoolers participated in a multiple baseline across participants treatment design. Tier 2 intervention for…

Development of Three-Tier Heat, Temperature and Internal Energy Diagnostic Test

Science.gov (United States)

Gurcay, Deniz; Gulbas, Etna

2015-01-01

Background: Misconceptions are major obstacles to learning physics, and the concepts of heat and temperature are some of the common misconceptions that are encountered in daily life. Therefore, it is important to develop valid and reliable tools to determine students' misconceptions about basic thermodynamics concepts. Three-tier tests are…

Evaluation of a 5-tier scheme proposed for classification of sequence variants using bioinformatic and splicing assay data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walker, Logan C; Whiley, Phillip J; Houdayer, Claude

2013-01-01

BRCA1 and 176 BRCA2 unique variants, from 77 publications. At least six independent reviewers from research and/or clinical settings comprehensively examined splicing assay methods and data reported for 22 variant assays of 21 variants in four publications, and classified the variants using the 5-tier......Splicing assays are commonly undertaken in the clinical setting to assess the clinical relevance of sequence variants in disease predisposition genes. A 5-tier classification system incorporating both bioinformatic and splicing assay information was previously proposed as a method to provide...... of results, and the lack of quantitative data for the aberrant transcripts. We propose suggestions for minimum reporting guidelines for splicing assays, and improvements to the 5-tier splicing classification system to allow future evaluation of its performance as a clinical tool....

Energy efficient distributed cluster head scheduling scheme for two tiered wireless sensor network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Kannan

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Network (WSN provides a significant contribution in the emerging fields such as ambient intelligence and ubiquitous computing. In WSN, optimization and load balancing of network resources are critical concern to provide the intelligence for long duration. Since clustering the sensor nodes can significantly enhance overall system scalability and energy efficiency this paper presents a distributed cluster head scheduling (DCHS algorithm to achieve the network longevity in WSN. The major novelty of this work is that the network is divided into primary and secondary tiers based on received signal strength indication of sensor nodes from the base station. The proposed DCHS supports for two tier WSN architecture and gives suggestion to elect the cluster head nodes and gateway nodes for both primary and secondary tiers. The DCHS mechanism satisfies an ideal distribution of the cluster head among the sensor nodes and avoids frequent selection of cluster head, based on Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI and residual energy level of the sensor nodes. Since the RSSI is the key parameter for this paper, the practical experiment was conducted to measure RSSI value by using MSP430F149 processor and CC2500 transceiver. The measured RSSI values were given input to the event based simulator to test the DCHS mechanism. The real time experimental study validated the proposed scheme for various scenarios.

Estimating Implementation and Operational Costs of an Integrated Tiered CD4 Service including Laboratory and Point of Care Testing in a Remote Health District in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Cassim, Naseem; Coetzee, Lindi M.; Schnippel, Kathryn; Glencross, Deborah K.

2014-01-01

Background An integrated tiered service delivery model (ITSDM) has been proposed to provide ‘full-coverage’ of CD4 services throughout South Africa. Five tiers are described, defined by testing volumes and number of referring health-facilities. These include: (1) Tier-1/decentralized point-of-care service (POC) in a single site; Tier-2/POC-hub servicing processing 600 samples/day and serving >100 or >200 health-clinics, respectively. The objective of this study was to establish costs of existing and ITSDM-tiers 1, 2 and 3 in a remote, under-serviced district in South Africa. Methods Historical health-facility workload volumes from the Pixley-ka-Seme district, and the total volumes of CD4 tests performed by the adjacent district referral CD4 laboratories, linked to locations of all referring clinics and related laboratory-to-result turn-around time (LTR-TAT) data, were extracted from the NHLS Corporate-Data-Warehouse for the period April-2012 to March-2013. Tiers were costed separately (as a cost-per-result) including equipment, staffing, reagents and test consumable costs. A one-way sensitivity analyses provided for changes in reagent price, test volumes and personnel time. Results The lowest cost-per-result was noted for the existing laboratory-based Tiers- 4 and 5 ($6.24 and $5.37 respectively), but with related increased LTR-TAT of >24–48 hours. Full service coverage with TAT cost-per-result of $32.32 and $15.88 respectively. A single district Tier-3 laboratory also ensured ‘full service coverage’ and Implementing a single Tier-3/community laboratory to extend and improve delivery of services in Pixley-ka-Seme, with an estimated local ∼12–24-hour LTR-TAT, is ∼$2 more than existing referred services per-test, but 2–4 fold cheaper than implementing eight Tier-2/POC-hubs or providing twenty-seven Tier-1/POCT CD4 services. PMID:25517412

Reconsidering the Capacity Credit of Wind Power: Application of Cumulative Prospect Theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilton, E.; Delarue, E.; D'haeseleer, W.; Sark, W.G.J.H.M. van

2014-01-01

The capacity credit is often erroneously considered to be a time-invariant quantity. A multi-year analysis of the incident wind profile of various potential wind sites uncovered that there exist large differences between annual capacity credit figures. The uniformity of these capacity credit

Reconsidering the capacity credit of wind power : Application of cumulative prospect theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilton, Edgar; Delarue, Erik; D'haeseleer, William; van Sark, Wilfried

The capacity credit is often erroneously considered to be a time-invariant quantity. A multi-year analysis of the incident wind profile of various potential wind sites uncovered that there exist large differences between annual capacity credit figures. The uniformity of these capacity credit figures

Decreasing Disability Processing Days for Soldiers in the U.S. Army Through Initiatives in Human Resource Management Support Systems: A Two-Tiered, Three Year Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Kerr, Jr.

2005-02-01

Full Text Available This essay highlights the findings of a two tiered, three year evaluation. The first tier studied human resource and quality management initiatives at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC Washington, DC from 1992-1994. The second tier researched disability records through the United States Army Physical Disability Agency, Bethesda, Maryland in 1996. The first tier found that Total Quality Management reduced the average length of stay (ALOS and size of the disability population from 220 days and 240 disability cases to 65 days and 57 disability cases over 24 months. The second tier studied 8,301 soldiers whose disability records were processed in Fiscal Year 1996. The research shows only administrative variables affect ALOS. The authors recommend a program of disability case management and increasing emphasis on transition assistance programs to reduce ALOS in the PDES.

A cooperative online learning scheme for resource allocation in 5G systems

KAUST Repository

Alqerm, Ismail; Shihada, Basem

2016-01-01

The demand on mobile Internet related services has increased the need for higher bandwidth in cellular networks. The 5G technology is envisioned as a solution to satisfy this demand as it provides high data rates and scalable bandwidth. The multi-tier heterogeneous structure of 5G with dense base station deployment, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) communications intends to serve users with different QoS requirements. However, the multi-tier structure causes severe interference among the multi-tier users which further complicates the resource allocation problem. In this paper, we propose a cooperative scheme to tackle the interference problem, including both cross-tier interference that affects macro users from other tiers and co-tier interference, which is among users belong to the same tier. The scheme employs an online learning algorithm for efficient spectrum allocation with power and modulation adaptation capability. Our evaluation results show that our online scheme outperforms others and achieves significant improvements in throughput, spectral efficiency, fairness, and outage ratio. © 2016 IEEE.

A cooperative online learning scheme for resource allocation in 5G systems

KAUST Repository

Alqerm, Ismail

2016-07-26

The demand on mobile Internet related services has increased the need for higher bandwidth in cellular networks. The 5G technology is envisioned as a solution to satisfy this demand as it provides high data rates and scalable bandwidth. The multi-tier heterogeneous structure of 5G with dense base station deployment, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) communications intends to serve users with different QoS requirements. However, the multi-tier structure causes severe interference among the multi-tier users which further complicates the resource allocation problem. In this paper, we propose a cooperative scheme to tackle the interference problem, including both cross-tier interference that affects macro users from other tiers and co-tier interference, which is among users belong to the same tier. The scheme employs an online learning algorithm for efficient spectrum allocation with power and modulation adaptation capability. Our evaluation results show that our online scheme outperforms others and achieves significant improvements in throughput, spectral efficiency, fairness, and outage ratio. © 2016 IEEE.

ATLAS Tier-2 at the Compute Resource Center GoeGrid in Göttingen

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Jörg; Quadt, Arnulf; Weber, Pavel; ATLAS Collaboration

2011-12-01

GoeGrid is a grid resource center located in Göttingen, Germany. The resources are commonly used, funded, and maintained by communities doing research in the fields of grid development, computer science, biomedicine, high energy physics, theoretical physics, astrophysics, and the humanities. For the high energy physics community, GoeGrid serves as a Tier-2 center for the ATLAS experiment as part of the world-wide LHC computing grid (WLCG). The status and performance of the Tier-2 center is presented with a focus on the interdisciplinary setup and administration of the cluster. Given the various requirements of the different communities on the hardware and software setup the challenge of the common operation of the cluster is detailed. The benefits are an efficient use of computer and personpower resources.

A comparative study of the removal of trivalent chromium from aqueous solutions by bentonite and expanded perlite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakir, Achraf; Bessiere, Jacques; Kacemi, Kacem EL.; Marouf, Bouchaieb

2002-01-01

Local bentonite and expanded perlite (Morocco) have been characterised and used for the removal of trivalent chromium from aqueous solutions. The kinetic study had showed that the uptake of Cr(III) by bentonite is very rapid compared to expanded perlite. To calculate the sorption capacities of the two sorbents, at different pH, the experimental data points have been fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir models, respectively, for bentonite and expanded perlite. For both sorbents the sorption capacity increases with increasing the pH of the suspensions. The removal efficiency has been calculated for both sorbents resulting that bentonite (96% of Cr(III) was removed) is more effective in removing trivalent chromium from aqueous solution than expanded perlite (40% of Cr(III) was removed). In the absence of Cr(III) ions, both bentonite and expanded perlite samples yield negative zeta potential in the pH range of 2-11. The changes of expanded perlite charge, from negative to positive, observed after contact with trivalent chromium(III) solutions was related to Cr(III) sorption on the surface of the solid. Thus, it was concluded that surface complexation plays an important role in the sorption of Cr(III) species on expanded perlite. In the case of bentonite, cation-exchange is the predominate mechanism for sorption of trivalent chromium ions, wherefore no net changes of zeta potential was observed after Cr(III) sorption. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, at different pH values, were also made to corroborate the zeta potential results

Building Post-Crisis Capacity in the Solomon Islands

OpenAIRE

Laura Bailey

2009-01-01

This capacity development brief summarizes the results of a multi-donor team review of four examples of post-crisis capacity development interventions in the Solomon Islands in 2005-08 whose performance was frequently cited as successful by local stakeholders. Although not based on post-project evaluations, the review found a number of patterns and potential lessons: (1) responding to imme...

Retailer private-label margins : The role of supplier and quality-tier differentiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ter Braak, A.M.; Dekimpe, M.G.; Geyskens, I.

2013-01-01

The authors show how new realities in the private-label (PL) landscape, including differential PL-sourcing relationships and differentiated, three-tiered PL portfolios, affect the gross margins that retailers realize on their PLs. In addition, they examine the moderating role of the identity of the

Uranium requirements for advanced fuel cycles in expanding nuclear power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, S.; Tamm, H.

1978-01-01

When considering advanced fuel cycle strategies in rapidly expanding nuclear power systems, equilibrium analyses do not apply. A computer simulation that accounts for system delay times and fissile inventories has been used to study the effects of different fuel cycles and different power growth rates on uranium consumption. The results show that for a given expansion rate of installed capacity, the main factors that affect resource requirements are the fissile inventory needed to introduce the advanced fuel cycle and the conversion (or breeding) ratio. In rapidly expanding systems, the effect of fissile inventory dominates, whereas in slowly expanding systems, conversion or breeding ratio dominates. Heavy-water-moderated and -cooled reactors, with their high conversion ratios, appear to be adaptable vehicles for accommodating fuel cycles covering a wide range of initial fissile inventories. They are therefore particularly suitable for conserving uranium over a wide range of nuclear power system expansion rates

WHALE, a management tool for Tier-2 LCG sites

Science.gov (United States)

Barone, L. M.; Organtini, G.; Talamo, I. G.

2012-12-01

The LCG (Worldwide LHC Computing Grid) is a grid-based hierarchical computing distributed facility, composed of more than 140 computing centers, organized in 4 tiers, by size and offer of services. Every site, although indipendent for many technical choices, has to provide services with a well-defined set of interfaces. For this reason, different LCG sites need frequently to manage very similar situations, like jobs behaviour on the batch system, dataset transfers between sites, operating system and experiment software installation and configuration, monitoring of services. In this context we created WHALE (WHALE Handles Administration in an LCG Environment), a software actually used at the T2_IT_Rome site, an LCG Tier-2 for the CMS experiment. WHALE is a generic, site independent tool written in Python: it allows administrator to interact in a uniform and coherent way with several subsystems using a high level syntax which hides specific commands. The architecture of WHALE is based on the plugin concept and on the possibility of connecting the output of a plugin to the input of the next one, in a pipe-like system, giving the administrator the possibility of making complex functions by combining the simpler ones. The core of WHALE just handles the plugin orchestrations, while even the basic functions (eg. the WHALE activity logging) are performed by plugins, giving the capability to tune and possibly modify every component of the system. WHALE already provides many plugins useful for a LCG site and some more for a Tier-2 of the CMS experiment, especially in the field of job management, dataset transfer and analysis of performance results and availability tests (eg. Nagios tests, SAM tests). Thanks to its architecture and the provided plugins WHALE makes easy to perform tasks that, even if logically simple, are technically complex or tedious, like eg. closing all the worker nodes with a job-failure rate greater than a given threshold. Finally, thanks to the

Quantum reading capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirandola, Stefano; Braunstein, Samuel L; Lupo, Cosmo; Mancini, Stefano; Giovannetti, Vittorio

2011-01-01

The readout of a classical memory can be modelled as a problem of quantum channel discrimination, where a decoder retrieves information by distinguishing the different quantum channels encoded in each cell of the memory (Pirandola 2011 Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 090504). In the case of optical memories, such as CDs and DVDs, this discrimination involves lossy bosonic channels and can be remarkably boosted by the use of nonclassical light (quantum reading). Here we generalize these concepts by extending the model of memory from single-cell to multi-cell encoding. In general, information is stored in a block of cells by using a channel-codeword, i.e. a sequence of channels chosen according to a classical code. Correspondingly, the readout of data is realized by a process of ‘parallel’ channel discrimination, where the entire block of cells is probed simultaneously and decoded via an optimal collective measurement. In the limit of a large block we define the quantum reading capacity of the memory, quantifying the maximum number of readable bits per cell. This notion of capacity is nontrivial when we suitably constrain the physical resources of the decoder. For optical memories (encoding bosonic channels), such a constraint is energetic and corresponds to fixing the mean total number of photons per cell. In this case, we are able to prove a separation between the quantum reading capacity and the maximum information rate achievable by classical transmitters, i.e. arbitrary classical mixtures of coherent states. In fact, we can easily construct nonclassical transmitters that are able to outperform any classical transmitter, thus showing that the advantages of quantum reading persist in the optimal multi-cell scenario. (paper)

Expanding the Use of Time-Based Metering: Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Steven J.; Farley, Todd; Hoang, Ty

2005-01-01

Time-based metering is an efficient air traffic management alternative to the more common practice of distance-based metering (or "miles-in-trail spacing"). Despite having demonstrated significant operational benefit to airspace users and service providers, time-based metering is used in the United States for arrivals to just nine airports and is not used at all for non-arrival traffic flows. The Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor promises to bring time-based metering into the mainstream of air traffic management techniques. Not constrained to operate solely on arrival traffic, Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor is flexible enough to work in highly congested or heavily partitioned airspace for any and all traffic flows in a region. This broader and more general application of time-based metering is expected to bring the operational benefits of time-based metering to a much wider pool of beneficiaries than is possible with existing technology. It also promises to facilitate more collaborative traffic management on a regional basis. This paper focuses on the operational concept of the Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor, touching also on its system architecture, field test results, and prospects for near-term deployment to the United States National Airspace System.

Low-complexity co-tier interference reduction scheme in open-access overlaid cellular networks

KAUST Repository

Radaydeh, Redha Mahmoud Mesleh; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2011-01-01

This paper addresses the effect of co-tier interference on the performance of multiuser overlaid cellular networks that share the same available resources. It assumed that each macrocell contains a number of self-configurable and randomly located

Optimizing the Capacity and Operation of U.S. Army Ammunition Production Facilities

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bayram, Vedat

2002-01-01

.... The Army must also manage and maintain capacity to replenish ammunition consumed by major theater wars without expanding the industrial base, The combined organic and inorganic industrial base...

Building a cluster computer for the computing grid of tomorrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wezel, J. van; Marten, H.

2004-01-01

The Grid Computing Centre Karlsruhe takes part in the development, test and deployment of hardware and cluster infrastructure, grid computing middleware, and applications for particle physics. The construction of a large cluster computer with thousands of nodes and several PB data storage capacity is a major task and focus of research. CERN based accelerator experiments will use GridKa, one of only 8 world wide Tier-1 computing centers, for its huge computer demands. Computing and storage is provided already for several other running physics experiments on the exponentially expanding cluster. (orig.)

Uplink capacity of multi-class IEEE 802.16j relay networks with adaptive modulation and coding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Hua; Xiong, C; Iversen, Villy Bæk

2009-01-01

The emerging IEEE 802.16j mobile multi-hop relay (MMR) network is currently being developed to increase the user throughput and extend the service coverage as an enhancement of existing 802.16e standard. In 802.16j, the intermediate relay stations (RSs) help the base station (BS) communicate...... with those mobile stations (MSs) that are either too far away from the BS or placed in an area where direct communication with BS experiences unsatisfactory level of service. In this paper, we investigate the uplink Erlang capacity of a two-hop 802.16j relay system supporting both voice and data traffics...... with adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) scheme applied in the physical layer. We first develop analytical models to calculate the blocking probability in the access zone and the outage probability in the relay zone, respectively. Then a joint algorithm is proposed to determine the bandwidth distribution...

Changing the batch system in a Tier 1 computing center: why and how

Science.gov (United States)

Chierici, Andrea; Dal Pra, Stefano

2014-06-01

At the Italian Tierl Center at CNAF we are evaluating the possibility to change the current production batch system. This activity is motivated mainly because we are looking for a more flexible licensing model as well as to avoid vendor lock-in. We performed a technology tracking exercise and among many possible solutions we chose to evaluate Grid Engine as an alternative because its adoption is increasing in the HEPiX community and because it's supported by the EMI middleware that we currently use on our computing farm. Another INFN site evaluated Slurm and we will compare our results in order to understand pros and cons of the two solutions. We will present the results of our evaluation of Grid Engine, in order to understand if it can fit the requirements of a Tier 1 center, compared to the solution we adopted long ago. We performed a survey and a critical re-evaluation of our farming infrastructure: many production softwares (accounting and monitoring on top of all) rely on our current solution and changing it required us to write new wrappers and adapt the infrastructure to the new system. We believe the results of this investigation can be very useful to other Tier-ls and Tier-2s centers in a similar situation, where the effort of switching may appear too hard to stand. We will provide guidelines in order to understand how difficult this operation can be and how long the change may take.

Evaluating Secondary Students' Scientific Reasoning in Genetics Using a Two-Tier Diagnostic Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Tsui, Chi-Yan; Treagust, David

2010-05-01

While genetics has remained as one key topic in school science, it continues to be conceptually and linguistically difficult for students with the concomitant debates as to what should be taught in the age of biotechnology. This article documents the development and implementation of a two-tier multiple-choice instrument for diagnosing grades 10 and 12 students' understanding of genetics in terms of reasoning. The pretest and posttest forms of the diagnostic instrument were used alongside other methods in evaluating students' understanding of genetics in a case-based qualitative study on teaching and learning with multiple representations in three Western Australian secondary schools. Previous studies have shown that a two-tier diagnostic instrument is useful in probing students' understanding or misunderstanding of scientific concepts and ideas. The diagnostic instrument in this study was designed and then progressively refined, improved, and implemented to evaluate student understanding of genetics in three case schools. The final version of the instrument had Cronbach's alpha reliability of 0.75 and 0.64, respectively, for its pretest and the posttest forms when it was administered to a group of grade 12 students (n = 17). This two-tier diagnostic instrument complemented other qualitative data collection methods in this research in generating a more holistic picture of student conceptual learning of genetics in terms of scientific reasoning. Implications of the findings of this study using the diagnostic instrument are discussed.

RE-AIM Checklist for Integrating and Sustaining Tier 2 Social-Behavioral Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Cheney, Douglas A.; Yong, Minglee

2014-01-01

Even though evidence-based Tier 2 programs are now more commonly available, integrating and sustaining these interventions in schools remain challenging. RE-AIM, which stands for Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance, is a public health framework used to maximize the effectiveness of health promotion programs in…

Training in two-tier labor markets : The role of job match quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Yusuf Emre; van Huizen, Thomas

2015-01-01

This study examines training investments in two-tier labor markets, focusing on the role of job match quality. Temporary workers are in general more likely than permanent workers to leave their employer and therefore are less likely to receive employer-funded training. However, as firms prefer to

Efficient Computation of Buffer Capacities for Cyclo-Static Dataflow Graphs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiggers, M.H.; Bekooij, Marco Jan Gerrit; Bekooij, Marco J.G.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

A key step in the design of cyclo-static real-time systems is the determination of buffer capacities. In our multi-processor system, we apply back-pressure, which means that tasks wait for space in output buffers. Consequently buffer capacities affect the throughput. This requires the derivation of

Efficient Computation of Buffer Capacities for Cyclo-Static Dataflow Graphs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiggers, M.H.; Bekooij, Marco Jan Gerrit; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

2006-01-01

A key step in the design of cyclo-static real-time systems is the determination of buffer capacities. In our multi-processor system, we apply back-pressure, which means that tasks wait for space in output buffers. Consequently buffer capacities affect the throughput. This requires the derivation of

Tiered co-payments, pricing, and demand in reference price markets for pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Herr, Annika; Suppliet, Moritz

2017-12-01

Health insurance companies curb price-insensitive behavior and the moral hazard of insureds by means of cost-sharing, such as tiered co-payments or reference pricing in drug markets. This paper evaluates the effect of price limits - below which drugs are exempt from co-payments - on prices and on demand. First, using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that the new policy decreases prices by 5 percent for generics and increases prices by 4 percent for brand-name drugs in the German reference price market. Second, estimating a nested-logit demand model, we show that consumers appreciate co-payment exempt drugs and calculate lower price elasticities for brand-name drugs than for generics. This explains the different price responses of brand-name and generic drugs and shows that price-related co-payment tiers are an effective tool to steer demand to low-priced drugs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Uji Unjuk Kerja Pompa Pedal Multi Piston

OpenAIRE

Sukwanputra, Firman Yoko; Soegihardjo, Oegik

2003-01-01

Multi piston pedal pump is classified under reciprocating pump. This pump is generally designed for applications that require high capacity with low head. This pump is used for shallow well or to pump water in the system with low static and dynamic head. This experiment will examine the performance of multi piston pedal pump with capacity 3000 liter/hour. Two parameters, volumetric efficiency and overall efficiency will be examined during the experiment. The goal is to know the actual perform...

The LHC Tier1 at PIC: Experience from first LHC run

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flix, J.; Perez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Accion, E.; Acin, V.; Acosta, C.; Bernabeu, G.; Bria, A.; Casals, J.; Caubet, M.; Cruz, R.; Delfino, M.; Espinal, X.; Lanciotti, E.; Lopez, F.; Martinez, F.; Mendez, V.; Merino, G.; Pacheco, A.; Planas, E.; Porto, M. C.; Rodriguez, B.; Sedov, A.

2013-01-01

This paper summarizes the operational experience of the Tier1 computer center at Port d'Informacio Cientifica (PIC) supporting the commissioning and first run (Run1) of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The evolution of the experiment computing models resulting from the higher amounts of data expected after there start of the LHC are also described. (authors)

Results of Laboratory Testing of 15 Cookstove Designs in Accordance with the ISO/IWA Tiers of Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Still, Dean; Bentson, Samuel; Li, Haixi

2015-03-01

The widespread adoption and sustained use of modern cookstoves has the potential to reduce harmful effects to climate, health, and the well-being of approximately one-third of the world's population that currently rely on biomass fuel for cooking and heating. In an effort to understand and develop cleaner burning and more efficient cookstoves, 15 stove design and fuel/loading combinations were evaluated in the laboratory using the International Workshop Agreement's five-tiered (0-4) rating system for fuel use and emissions. The designs evaluated include rocket-type combustion chamber models including reduced firepower, sunken pots, and chimneys (three stoves); gasifier-type combustion chambers using prepared fuels in the form of wood pellets (four stoves); forced draft stoves with a small electric fan (five stoves); and a single insulated charcoal stove with preheated secondary air. It was found that a charcoal burning stove was the only stove to meet all the Tier 4 levels of performance. Achieving over 40% thermal efficiency at high power was made possible by reducing firepower and gaps around the pot, although batch-fed stoves generally do not "turn down" for optimal low power performance. While all stoves met Tier 4 for carbon monoxide, only stoves equipped with electrical fans reduced respirable particulate matter to Tier 4 levels. Finally, stoves with chimneys and integrated pots were fuel efficient and virtually eliminated indoor emissions. It is hoped that these design techniques will be useful in further development and evolution of high-performance cookstove designs.

EDSP Tier 2 test (T2T) guidances and protocols are delivered, including web-based guidance for diagnosing and scoring, and evaluating EDC-induced pathology in fish and amphibian

Science.gov (United States)

The Agency’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) consists of two tiers. The first tier provides information regarding whether a chemical may have endocrine disruption properties. Tier 2 tests provide confirmation of ED effects and dose-response information to be us...

Replacing the Transfusion of 1–2 Units of Blood with Plasma Expanders that Increase Oxygen Delivery Capacity: Evidence from Experimental Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy G. Tsai

2014-10-01

Full Text Available At least a third of the blood supply in the world is used to transfuse 1–2 units of packed red blood cells for each intervention and most clinical trials of blood substitutes have been carried out at this level of oxygen carrying capacity (OCC restoration. However, the increase of oxygenation achieved is marginal or none at all for molecular hemoglobin (Hb products, due to their lingering vasoactivity. This has provided the impetus for the development of “oxygen therapeutics” using Hb-based molecules that have high oxygen affinity and target delivery of oxygen to anoxic areas. However it is still unclear how these oxygen carriers counteract or mitigate the functional effects of anemia due to obstruction, vasoconstriction and under-perfusion. Indeed, they are administered as a low dosage/low volume therapeutic Hb (subsequently further diluted in the circulatory pool and hence induce extremely small OCC changes. Hyperviscous plasma expanders provide an alternative to oxygen therapeutics by increasing the oxygen delivery capacity (ODC; in anemia they induce supra-perfusion and increase tissue perfusion (flow by as much as 50%. Polyethylene glycol conjugate albumin (PEG-Alb accomplishes this by enhancing the shear thinning behavior of diluted blood, which increases microvascular endothelial shear stress, causes vasodilation and lowering peripheral vascular resistance thus facilitating cardiac function. Induction of supra-perfusion takes advantage of the fact that ODC is the product of OCC and blood flow and hence can be maintained by increasing either or both. Animal studies suggest that this approach may save a considerable fraction of the blood supply. It has an additional benefit of enhancing tissue clearance of toxic metabolites.

CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteoma using a multi-tined expandable electrode system.

Science.gov (United States)

Costanzo, Alessandro; Sandri, Andrea; Regis, Dario; Trivellin, Giacomo; Pierantoni, Silvia; Samaila, Elena; Magnan, Bruno

2017-10-18

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic osteoid osteoma (OO) as RFA yields both a high success and low complication rate. It has been widely utilized over the years, but recurrences of OO after this treatment have been documented. These recurrences may be the result of various factors, including incomplete tumor ablation, and are significantly higher in lesions greater than 10 mm. Thus, the need to induce thermal ablation in a wider area led us to use a Multi-Tined Expandable Electrode System (MTEES). In this study we examined the efficacy and safety of RFA using a MTEES in symptomatic OO. Between January 2005 and June 2007, 16 patients with symptomatic OO were treated by CT-guided percutaneous RFA using a MTEES. The diameter of OO ranged from 6 to 15 mm (mean 10±2.6 mm). Patients were evaluated for clinical outcomes, complications and recurrence. Pain evaluation was assessed preoperatively, 2 weeks postoperatively and at last follow-up. Clinical follow-up was available for all patients at a mean of 84.3 months (range 73-96 months). Mean preoperative VAS score was 7.4 (range 5-9), two weeks after the procedure mean VAS score was 0.3 (range 0-1) with a mean change of -7.06 points (p<0.0001). At the last follow-up a complete relief from pain has been observed in all patients. No major and minor complications were observed nor recurrences. RFA using a MTEES has been effective, safe and reliable for the treatment of OOs. This system, by increasing the size of the necrosis, could be a viable alternative to the single needle electrode in lesions larger than 10 mm, reducing the risk of recurrence.

Multi-canister overpack operations and maintenance manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

PIERCE, S.R.

1999-01-01

This manual provides general operating and maintenance instructions for the Multi-Canister Overpack. Procedure outlines included are conceptual in nature and will be modified, expanded, and refined during preparation of detailed operating procedures

Resolving the organization of the third tier visual cortex in primates: a hypothesis-based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelucci, Alessandra; Rosa, Marcello G P

2015-01-01

As highlighted by several contributions to this special issue, there is still ongoing debate about the number, exact location, and boundaries of the visual areas located in cortex immediately rostral to the second visual area (V2), i.e., the "third tier" visual cortex, in primates. In this review, we provide a historical overview of the main ideas that have led to four models of third tier cortex organization, which are at the center of today's debate. We formulate specific predictions of these models, and compare these predictions with experimental evidence obtained primarily in New World primates. From this analysis, we conclude that only one of these models (the "multiple-areas" model) can accommodate the breadth of available experimental evidence. According to this model, most of the third tier cortex in New World primates is occupied by two distinct areas, both representing the full contralateral visual quadrant: the dorsomedial area (DM), restricted to the dorsal half of the third visual complex, and the ventrolateral posterior area (VLP), occupying its ventral half and a substantial fraction of its dorsal half. DM belongs to the dorsal stream of visual processing, and overlaps with macaque parietooccipital (PO) area (or V6), whereas VLP belongs to the ventral stream and overlaps considerably with area V3 proposed by others. In contrast, there is substantial evidence that is inconsistent with the concept of a single elongated area V3 lining much of V2. We also review the experimental evidence from macaque monkey and humans, and propose that, once the data are interpreted within an evolutionary-developmental context, these species share a homologous (but not necessarily identical) organization of the third tier cortex as that observed in New World monkeys. Finally, we identify outstanding issues, and propose experiments to resolve them, highlighting in particular the need for more extensive, hypothesis-driven investigations in macaque and humans.

Has the Nordic Welfare Model Been Transformed?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greve, Bent; Kvist, Jon

2011-01-01

The Nordic welfare model is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Using Denmark we show how a universal welfare state model is gradually being transformed into an emergent multi-tiered welfare state. Whereas the Danish pension system's having become multi-tiered in the 1990s, with private...... and the sick. Although Denmark still offers universal coverage in core welfare state areas, the increased use of occupational and fiscal welfare as well as changes in public schemes has gradually transformed the nation into a multi-tiered welfare state that is more dualistic and individualistic...

Multi-core processing and scheduling performance in CMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernández, J M; Evans, D; Foulkes, S

2012-01-01

Commodity hardware is going many-core. We might soon not be able to satisfy the job memory needs per core in the current single-core processing model in High Energy Physics. In addition, an ever increasing number of independent and incoherent jobs running on the same physical hardware not sharing resources might significantly affect processing performance. It will be essential to effectively utilize the multi-core architecture. CMS has incorporated support for multi-core processing in the event processing framework and the workload management system. Multi-core processing jobs share common data in memory, such us the code libraries, detector geometry and conditions data, resulting in a much lower memory usage than standard single-core independent jobs. Exploiting this new processing model requires a new model in computing resource allocation, departing from the standard single-core allocation for a job. The experiment job management system needs to have control over a larger quantum of resource since multi-core aware jobs require the scheduling of multiples cores simultaneously. CMS is exploring the approach of using whole nodes as unit in the workload management system where all cores of a node are allocated to a multi-core job. Whole-node scheduling allows for optimization of the data/workflow management (e.g. I/O caching, local merging) but efficient utilization of all scheduled cores is challenging. Dedicated whole-node queues have been setup at all Tier-1 centers for exploring multi-core processing workflows in CMS. We present the evaluation of the performance scheduling and executing multi-core workflows in whole-node queues compared to the standard single-core processing workflows.

The Effects of a Tier 3 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of Second Grade Students With Severe Mathematics Difficulties.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Brian R; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Porterfield, Jennifer; Dennis, Minyi Shih; Falcomata, Terry; Valentine, Courtney; Brewer, Chelsea; Bell, Kathy

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a systematic, explicit, intensive Tier 3 (tertiary) intervention on the mathematics performance of students in second grade with severe mathematics difficulties. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants showed improved mathematics performance on number and operations concepts and procedures, which are the foundation for later mathematics success. In the previous year, 12 participants had experienced two doses (first and second semesters) of a Tier 2 intervention. In second grade, the participants continued to demonstrate low performance, falling below the 10th percentile on a researcher-designed universal screener and below the 16th percentile on a distal measure, thus qualifying for the intensive intervention. A project interventionist, who met with the students 5 days a week for 10 weeks (9 weeks for one group), conducted the intensive intervention. The intervention employed more intensive instructional design features than the previous Tier 2 secondary instruction, and also included weekly games to reinforce concepts and skills from the lessons. Spring results showed significantly improved mathematics performance (scoring at or above the 25th percentile) for most of the students, thus making them eligible to exit the Tier 3 intervention. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Tissue expander infections in children: look beyond the expander pocket.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, A C; Davison, S P; Manders, E K

1999-11-01

Infection of the expander pocket is the most common complication encountered with soft-tissue expansion. It is usually due to direct inoculation with skin flora either at the time of expander insertion or from extrusion of the device. The authors report two cases of infection of tissue expanders in which the children had concomitant infected sites distant from the prosthesis. Etiological bacteria of common pediatric infections like otitis media and pharyngitis were cultured from the infected expander pocket, raising suspicion that translocation of the organism to the expander had occurred. Aggressive antibiotic treatment, removal of the prosthesis, and flap advancement is advocated.

Is Walking Capacity in Subjects with Multiple Sclerosis Primarily Related to Muscle Oxidative Capacity or Maximal Muscle Strength? A Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Hansen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose. Walking capacity is reduced in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS. To develop effective exercise interventions to enhance walking capacity, it is important to determine the impact of factors, modifiable by exercise intervention (maximal muscle strength versus muscle oxidative capacity, on walking capacity. The purpose of this pilot study is to discriminate between the impact of maximal muscle strength versus muscle oxidative capacity on walking capacity in subjects with MS. Methods. From 24 patients with MS, muscle oxidative capacity was determined by calculation of exercise-onset oxygen uptake kinetics (mean response time during submaximal exercise bouts. Maximal muscle strength (isometric knee extension and flexion peak torque was assessed on dynamometer. All subjects completed a 6-minute walking test. Relationships between walking capacity (as a percentage of normal value and muscle strength (of knee flexors and extensors versus muscle oxidative capacity were assessed in multivariate regression analyses. Results. The expanded disability status score (EDSS showed a significant univariate correlation (r=-0.70, P<0.004 with walking capacity. In multivariate regression analyses, EDSS and mean response time, but not muscle strength, were independently related to walking capacity (P<0.05. Conclusions. Walking distance is, next to disability level and not taking neurologic symptoms/deficits into account, primarily related to muscle oxidative capacity in subjects with MS. Additional study is needed to further examine/verify these findings.

78 FR 20881 - Control of Air Pollution From Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-08

...The EPA is announcing two public hearings to be held for the proposed rule ``Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards'' (the proposed rule is hereinafter referred to as ``Tier 3''), which will be published separately in the Federal Register. The hearings will be held in Philadelphia, PA on April 24, 2013 and in Chicago, IL on April 29, 2013. The comment period for the proposed rulemaking will end on June 13, 2013.

Commercial expanded graphite as a low-cost, long-cycling life anode for potassium-ion batteries with conventional carbonate electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yongling; Fei, Huifang; Zeng, Guifang; Ci, Lijie; Xi, Baojuan; Xiong, Shenglin; Feng, Jinkui

2018-02-01

Design and synthesis of capable anode materials that can store the large size K+ is the key of development for potassium-ion batteries. The low-cost and commercial expanded graphite with large particles is a graphite-derived material with good conductivity and enlarged interlayer spaces to boost the potassium ion diffusion coefficient during charge/discharge process. Thus, we achieve excellent anode performance for potassium-ion batteries based on an expanded graphite. It can deliver a capacity of 263 mAh g-1 at the rate of 10 mA g-1 and the reversible capacity remains almost unchanged after 500 cycles at a high rate of 200 mA g-1 with a coulombic efficiency of around 100%. The potassium storage mechanism is investigated by the ex situ XRD technique. This excellent potassium storage performance will make the expanded graphite promising anode candidate for potassium ion batteries.

Synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/{beta}-FeOOH nanocomposites with high adsorption capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song Haojie, E-mail: shj6922@163.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University (China); Liu Lei [Pharmaceutic College of Henan University (China); Jia Xiaohua; Min Chunying [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University (China)

2012-12-15

A hybrid nanostructure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and {beta}-ferric oxyhydroxide ({beta}-FeOOH) nanoparticles is synthesized by ultrasonic-assisted in situ hydrolysis of the precursor ferric chloride and CNTs. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy , and transmission electron microscopy establishes the nanohybrid structure of the synthesized sample. The results revealed that the surface of CNTs was uniformly assembled by numerous {beta}-FeOOH nanoparticles and had an average diameter of 3 nm. The formation route of anchoring {beta}-FeOOH nanoparticles onto CNTs was proposed as the intercalation and adsorption of iron ions onto the wall of CNTs, followed by the nucleation and growth of {beta}-FeOOH nanoparticles. The values of remanent magnetization (M{sub r}) and coercivity (H{sub c}) of the as-synthesized CNTs/{beta}-FeOOH nanocomposites were 0.1131 emu g, and 490.824 Oe, respectively. Furthermore, CNTs/{beta}-FeOOH nanocomposites showed a very high adsorption capacity of Congo red and thus these nanocomposites can be used as good adsorbents and can be used for the removal of the dye of Congo red from the waste water system.

Single-tier city logistics model for single product

Science.gov (United States)

Saragih, N. I.; Nur Bahagia, S.; Suprayogi; Syabri, I.

2017-11-01

This research develops single-tier city logistics model which consists of suppliers, UCCs, and retailers. The problem that will be answered in this research is how to determine the location of UCCs, to allocate retailers to opened UCCs, to assign suppliers to opened UCCs, to control inventory in the three entities involved, and to determine the route of the vehicles from opened UCCs to retailers. This model has never been developed before. All the decisions will be simultaneously optimized. Characteristic of the demand is probabilistic following a normal distribution, and the number of product is single.

21 CFR 1404.445 - What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 9 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or disqualified person? 1404.445 Section 1404.445 Food... § 1404.445 What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded...

A tiered approach for the human health risk assessment for consumption of vegetables from with cadmium-contaminated land in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swartjes, Frank A.; Versluijs, Kees W.; Otte, Piet F.

2013-01-01

Consumption of vegetables that are grown in urban areas takes place worldwide. In developing countries, vegetables are traditionally grown in urban areas for cheap food supply. In developing and developed countries, urban gardening is gaining momentum. A problem that arises with urban gardening is the presence of contaminants in soil, which can be taken up by vegetables. In this study, a scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables from cadmium-contaminated land. Starting from a contaminated site, the procedure follows a tiered approach which is laid out as follows. In Tier 0, the plausibility of growing vegetables is investigated. In Tier 1 soil concentrations are compared with the human health-based Critical soil concentration. Tier 2 offers the possibility for a detailed site-specific human health risk assessment in which calculated exposure is compared to the toxicological reference dose. In Tier 3, vegetable concentrations are measured and tested following a standardized measurement protocol. To underpin the derivation of the Critical soil concentrations and to develop a tool for site-specific assessment the determination of the representative concentration in vegetables has been evaluated for a range of vegetables. The core of the procedure is based on Freundlich-type plant–soil relations, with the total soil concentration and the soil properties as variables. When a significant plant–soil relation is lacking for a specific vegetable a geometric mean of BioConcentrationFactors (BCF) is used, which is normalized according to soil properties. Subsequently, a ‘conservative’ vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor is calculated as basis for the Critical soil concentration (Tier 1). The tool to perform site-specific human health risk assessment (Tier 2) includes the calculation of a ‘realistic worst case’ site-specific vegetable

A tiered approach for the human health risk assessment for consumption of vegetables from with cadmium-contaminated land in urban areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swartjes, Frank A., E-mail: frank.swartjes@rivm.nl; Versluijs, Kees W.; Otte, Piet F.

2013-10-15

Consumption of vegetables that are grown in urban areas takes place worldwide. In developing countries, vegetables are traditionally grown in urban areas for cheap food supply. In developing and developed countries, urban gardening is gaining momentum. A problem that arises with urban gardening is the presence of contaminants in soil, which can be taken up by vegetables. In this study, a scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables from cadmium-contaminated land. Starting from a contaminated site, the procedure follows a tiered approach which is laid out as follows. In Tier 0, the plausibility of growing vegetables is investigated. In Tier 1 soil concentrations are compared with the human health-based Critical soil concentration. Tier 2 offers the possibility for a detailed site-specific human health risk assessment in which calculated exposure is compared to the toxicological reference dose. In Tier 3, vegetable concentrations are measured and tested following a standardized measurement protocol. To underpin the derivation of the Critical soil concentrations and to develop a tool for site-specific assessment the determination of the representative concentration in vegetables has been evaluated for a range of vegetables. The core of the procedure is based on Freundlich-type plant–soil relations, with the total soil concentration and the soil properties as variables. When a significant plant–soil relation is lacking for a specific vegetable a geometric mean of BioConcentrationFactors (BCF) is used, which is normalized according to soil properties. Subsequently, a ‘conservative’ vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor is calculated as basis for the Critical soil concentration (Tier 1). The tool to perform site-specific human health risk assessment (Tier 2) includes the calculation of a ‘realistic worst case’ site-specific vegetable

High Performance Electrical Modeling and Simulation Verification Test Suite - Tier I; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SCHELLS, REGINA L.; BOGDAN, CAROLYN W.; WIX, STEVEN D.

2001-01-01

This document describes the High Performance Electrical Modeling and Simulation (HPEMS) Global Verification Test Suite (VERTS). The VERTS is a regression test suite used for verification of the electrical circuit simulation codes currently being developed by the HPEMS code development team. This document contains descriptions of the Tier I test cases

Tiered co-payments, pricing, and demand in reference price markets for pharmaceuticals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Herr, Annika; Suppliet, Moritz

2017-01-01

Health insurance companies curb price-insensitive behavior and the moral hazard of insureds by means of cost-sharing, such as tiered co-payments or reference pricing in drug markets. This paper evaluates the effect of price limits –below which drugs are exempt from co-payments– on prices and on

Dual capacity reciprocating compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Robert W.

1984-01-01

A multi-cylinder compressor 10 particularly useful in connection with northern climate heat pumps and in which different capacities are available in accordance with reversing motor 16 rotation is provided with an eccentric cam 38 on a crank pin 34 under a fraction of the connecting rods, and arranged for rotation upon the crank pin between opposite positions 180.degree. apart so that with cam rotation on the crank pin such that the crank throw is at its normal maximum value all pistons pump at full capacity, and with rotation of the crank shaft in the opposite direction the cam moves to a circumferential position on the crank pin such that the overall crank throw is zero. Pistons 24 whose connecting rods 30 ride on a crank pin 36 without a cam pump their normal rate with either crank rotational direction. Thus a small clearance volume is provided for any piston that moves when in either capacity mode of operation.

CERN’s job diversity on display at the Cité des Métiers

CERN Multimedia

Corinne Pralavorio

2015-01-01

From 3 to 8 November, CERN took part in the Cité des Métiers careers fair in Geneva. Almost 10,000 people stopped by the Organization’s stand, where they were introduced to the wide range of professions practised at CERN.   Stefano Agosta, a telecommunications expert from the IT department, performs a geolocalisation demonstration with digital radio receivers for visitors to the CERN stand. Network engineering, computer graphics, geomatics, translation, video production, fire and rescue, law, computer-aided design… People often don’t realise how varied the job opportunities are at CERN. More than one hundred professions are present at the Laboratory. This was the message conveyed by representatives of various departments, including human resources and the visits service, at the CERN stand at the Cité des Métiers careers fair, from 3 to 8 November. CERN’s stand was part of the International Geneva section of the ...

A Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions about Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Harika Ozge; Cigdemoglu, Ceyhan; Moseley, Christine

2012-01-01

This study describes the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test, the atmosphere-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT), to reveal common misconceptions of global warming (GW), greenhouse effect (GE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and acid rain (AR). The development of a two-tier diagnostic test…

Professional development to differentiate kindergarten Tier 1 instruction: Can already effective teachers improve student outcomes by differentiating Tier 1 instruction?

Science.gov (United States)

Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Folsom, Jessica S; Wanzek, Jeannie; Greulich, Luana; Wasche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol

Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students ( n = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development.

The microbial community of a biofilm contact reactor for the treatment of winery wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

de Beer, D M; Botes, M; Cloete, T E

2018-02-01

To utilize a three-tiered approach to provide insight into the microbial community structure, the spatial distribution and the metabolic capabilities of organisms of a biofilm in the two towers of a high-rate biological contact reactor treating winery wastewater. Next-generation sequencing indicated that bacteria primarily responsible for the removal of carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol were more abundant in tower 1 than tower 2 while nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were more abundant in tower 2. Yeast populations differed in each tower. Fluorescent in situ hybridization coupled with confocal microscopy showed distribution of organisms confirming an oxygen gradient across the biofilm depth. The Biolog system (ECO plates) specified the different carbon-metabolizing profiles of the two biofilms. The three-tiered approach confirmed that the addition of a second subunit to the bioreactor, expanded the treatment capacity by augmenting the microbial and metabolic diversity of the system, improving the treatment scope of the system. A three-tiered biofilm analysis provided data required to optimize the design of a bioreactor to provide favourable conditions for the development of a microbial consortium, which has optimal waste removal properties for the treatment requirements at hand. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Evaluating capacity-building for mental health system strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for service users and caregivers, service planners and researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanlon, C; Semrau, M; Alem, A; Abayneh, S; Abdulmalik, J; Docrat, S; Evans-Lacko, S; Gureje, O; Jordans, M; Lempp, H; Mugisha, J; Petersen, I; Shidhaye, R; Thornicroft, G

2018-02-01

Efforts to support the scale-up of integrated mental health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to focus on building human resource capacity in health system strengthening, as well as in the direct provision of mental health care. In a companion editorial, we describe a range of capacity-building activities that are being implemented by a multi-country research consortium (Emerald: Emerging mental health systems in low- and middle-income countries) for (1) service users and caregivers, (2) service planners and policy-makers and (3) researchers in six LMICs (Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda). In this paper, we focus on the methodology being used to evaluate the impact of capacity-building in these three target groups. We first review the evidence base for approaches to evaluation of capacity-building, highlighting the gaps in this area. We then describe the adaptation of best practice for the Emerald capacity-building evaluation. The resulting mixed method evaluation framework was tailored to each target group and to each country context. We identified a need to expand the evidence base on indicators of successful capacity-building across the different target groups. To address this, we developed an evaluation plan to measure the adequacy and usefulness of quantitative capacity-building indicators when compared with qualitative evaluation. We argue that evaluation needs to be an integral part of capacity-building activities and that expertise needs to be built in methods of evaluation. The Emerald evaluation provides a potential model for capacity-building evaluation across key stakeholder groups and promises to extend understanding of useful indicators of success.

Piloting Blended Strategies to Resolve Laboratory Capacity Issues in a First-Semester General Chemistry Course

Science.gov (United States)

Burchett, Shayna; Hayes, Jack; Pfaff, Annalise; Satterfield, Emmalou T.; Skyles, Amy; Woelk, Klaus

2016-01-01

Laboratory capacity is an issue that has plagued education for more than a century. New buildings, late night classes, and virtual laboratories have offered transitory relief at great expense. Missouri University of Science and Technology is employing blended strategies to increase capacity and student success. Blended strategies expand learning…

An Improved Multi-Evaporator Adsorption Desalination Cycle for GCC Countries

KAUST Repository

Shahzad, Muhammad Wakil

2017-03-29

In Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, cogeneration based desalination processes consume almost 25% of the total annual energy and it is increasing at 2.2% annually. The high fresh water demand is attributed to high gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, 24%, and the high water languishes, more than 10%. Over the past two decades, GCC countries have spent tens of billion dollars to expand their present and planned desalination capacities. It is foreseeable that with business-as-usual scenario, the domestic oil consumption of Saudi Arabia may exceed its production capacity by 2040. Innovative and sustainable water production solutions are needed urgently for future water supplies without environment impact. In this paper, a hybrid desalination cycle is proposed by integrating multi cascaded-evaporators (CE) with an adsorption cycle (AD). In this new innovative cycle, AD desorbed vapors are supplied to the CE to exploit the latent condensation energy within the evaporators arranged in both pressures-temperatures cascaded manner to improves the performance ratio (PR) of the cycle. Hybrid cycle shows more than 10 folds water production improvement as compared to conventional AD cycle due to synergetic effect. This concept is demonstrated in a laboratory pilot plant using a 3 cascaded evaporators pilot and simulation of 8 evaporators hybrid cycle.

Outage capacity of multicarrier systems

KAUST Repository

Yilmaz, Ferkan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2010-01-01

The probability density function and the cumulative distribution function of the product of shifted Gamma variates are obtained in terms of the generalized Fox's H function. Using these new results, the exact outage capacity of multi carrier transmission through a slow Nakagami-m fading channel is presented. Moreover, it is shown that analytical and simulation results are in perfect agreement. © 2009 IEEE.

MultiSimPC: a multilevel logic simulator for microcomputers

OpenAIRE

Kelly, John S.

1986-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis describes extensions to a multilevel VLSI logic simulator named MultiSim. Originally developed by Dr. Ausif Mahmood of the Washington State University for large minicomputers such as the VAX-11/780; MultiSim is now operational on desktop microcomputers costing only a few thousand dollars. In addition, MultiSim has been expanded to include provisions for adding user-defined primitive cells to the circuit library, true mu...

WHALE, a management tool for Tier-2 LCG sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barone, L M; Organtini, G; Talamo, I G

2012-01-01

The LCG (Worldwide LHC Computing Grid) is a grid-based hierarchical computing distributed facility, composed of more than 140 computing centers, organized in 4 tiers, by size and offer of services. Every site, although indipendent for many technical choices, has to provide services with a well-defined set of interfaces. For this reason, different LCG sites need frequently to manage very similar situations, like jobs behaviour on the batch system, dataset transfers between sites, operating system and experiment software installation and configuration, monitoring of services. In this context we created WHALE (WHALE Handles Administration in an LCG Environment), a software actually used at the T2 I T R ome site, an LCG Tier-2 for the CMS experiment. WHALE is a generic, site independent tool written in Python: it allows administrator to interact in a uniform and coherent way with several subsystems using a high level syntax which hides specific commands. The architecture of WHALE is based on the plugin concept and on the possibility of connecting the output of a plugin to the input of the next one, in a pipe-like system, giving the administrator the possibility of making complex functions by combining the simpler ones. The core of WHALE just handles the plugin orchestrations, while even the basic functions (eg. the WHALE activity logging) are performed by plugins, giving the capability to tune and possibly modify every component of the system. WHALE already provides many plugins useful for a LCG site and some more for a Tier-2 of the CMS experiment, especially in the field of job management, dataset transfer and analysis of performance results and availability tests (eg. Nagios tests, SAM tests). Thanks to its architecture and the provided plugins WHALE makes easy to perform tasks that, even if logically simple, are technically complex or tedious, like eg. closing all the worker nodes with a job-failure rate greater than a given threshold. Finally, thanks to the

Development of Two-Tier Diagnostic Test Pictorial-Based for Identifying High School Students Misconceptions on the Mole Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Siswaningsih, W.; Firman, H.; Zackiyah; Khoirunnisa, A.

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to develop the two-tier pictorial-based diagnostic test for identifying student misconceptions on mole concept. The method of this study is used development and validation. The development of the test Obtained through four phases, development of any items, validation, determination key, and application test. Test was developed in the form of pictorial consisting of two tier, the first tier Consist of four possible answers and the second tier Consist of four possible reasons. Based on the results of content validity of 20 items using the CVR (Content Validity Ratio), a number of 18 items declared valid. Based on the results of the reliability test using SPSS, Obtained 17 items with Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0703, the which means that items have accepted. A total of 10 items was conducted to 35 students of senior high school students who have studied the mole concept on one of the high schools in Cimahi. Based on the results of the application test, student misconceptions were identified in each label concept in mole concept with the percentage of misconceptions on the label concept of mole (60.15%), Avogadro’s number (34.28%), relative atomic mass (62, 84%), relative molecule mass (77.08%), molar mass (68.53%), molar volume of gas (57.11%), molarity (71.32%), chemical equation (82.77%), limiting reactants (91.40%), and molecular formula (77.13%).

Intercontinental Multi-Domain Monitoring for the LHC Optical Private Network

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2012-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is currently running at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Physicists are using LHC to recreate the conditions just after the Big Bang, by colliding two beams of particles and heavy ions head-on at very high energy. The project is expected to generate 27 TB of raw data per day, plus 10 TB of "event summary data". This data is sent out from CERN to eleven Tier 1 academic institutions in Europe, Asia, and North America using a multi-gigabits Optical Private Network (OPN), the LHCOPN. Network monitoring on such complex network architecture to ensure robust and reliable operation is of crucial importance. The chosen approach for monitoring the OPN is based on the perfSONAR MDM framework (http://perfsonar.geant.net), which is designed for multi-domain monitoring environments. perfSONAR (www.perfsonar.net) is an infrastructure for performance monitoring data exchange between networks, making it easier to solve performance problems occurring between network measurement points interconne...

An appraisal of the performance of the 5th republic third tier ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The third tier of government in Nigeria, most times referred to as Local Government, is basically a government structure that provides administration at the local or grass root level. This presupposes the existence of other levels of governance; and in Nigeria, the federal and state governments readily come to mind as the first ...

Tier 2 guidelines and remediation of Tebuthiuron on a native prairie site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bessie, K.; Harckham, N.; Dance, T. [EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Burk, A. [EnCana Corp., Calgary, AB (Canada); Stephenson, G. [Stantec Consulting, Guelph, ON (Canada); Corbet, B. [Access Analytical Laboratories Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2009-10-01

Tebuthiuron is a sterilant used to control vegetation at upstream and midstream petroleum sites. This article discussed the remediation processes used to reclaim a native prairie site contaminated with tebuthiuron. The site was located within a dry mixed grass natural area. A literature review was conducted to establish soil eco-contact guidelines specific to tebuthiuron. A site-specific ecotoxicity assessment was then conducted using a liquid chromatograph to detect tebuthiuron limits in the contaminated soils. A soil sampling technique was used to delineate the affected areas at the site. Site soils were spiked with various concentrations of tebuthiuron ranging from 0.00003 mg/kg to 3000 mg/kg. Test species included a Folsomia candida, an earthworm, and 4 plant species. The study showed that the invertebrate species were less sensitive to tebuthiuron than the plant species. A groundwater assessment showed that tebuthiuron levels exceeded Tier 1 groundwater remediation guidelines. A multilayer hydro-geological model showed that remediation guidelines were orders of magnitude greater than Tier 1 groundwater remediation. A thermal desorption technique was used to remediate the site. 7 refs., 8 figs.

Political Representation and Governance: The Case of Second-Tier Councilors in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina STĂNUȘ

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The notion of governance stresses interaction and co-operation between many interdependent actors and, as such, poses a challenge to political leadership and the traditional electoral- based notion of political representation. Governance-oriented reforms bring about new roles for all actors involved in local politics and policy-making, starting with the elected officials. Among these actors, councilors on both tiers of local government are called upon to take on a new role as goal-steering decision-makers, while accepting a clear separation between politics and administration and the increased interdependence with non-state actors. This paper reflects on the difficulties of accommodating the representational role orientations of local elected officials with the introduction of governance-oriented policy-making mechanisms. It explores two inter-related questions in the context provided by the second tier of local government in Romania: (1 How does the representational role orientation of Romanian councilors look like? and (2 How do Romanian councilors reconcile their representational role orientation with the introduction of governance elements in the Romanian public sector?

A Two-Tier Energy-Aware Resource Management for Virtualized Cloud Computing System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Huang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The economic costs caused by electric power take the most significant part in total cost of data center; thus energy conservation is an important issue in cloud computing system. One well-known technique to reduce the energy consumption is the consolidation of Virtual Machines (VMs. However, it may lose some performance points on energy saving and the Quality of Service (QoS for dynamic workloads. Fortunately, Dynamic Frequency and Voltage Scaling (DVFS is an efficient technique to save energy in dynamic environment. In this paper, combined with the DVFS technology, we propose a cooperative two-tier energy-aware management method including local DVFS control and global VM deployment. The DVFS controller adjusts the frequencies of homogenous processors in each server at run-time based on the practical energy prediction. On the other hand, Global Scheduler assigns VMs onto the designate servers based on the cooperation with the local DVFS controller. The final evaluation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our two-tier method in energy saving.

Testing the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention: A Conceptual Replication Study

Science.gov (United States)

Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Kosty, Derek B.; Kurtz-Nelson, Evangeline; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this closely aligned conceptual replication study was to investigate the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention. The replication study differed from the initial randomized controlled trial on three important elements: geographical region, timing of the intervention, and instructional context of the…

Explicit Instructional Interactions: Exploring the Black Box of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Stoolmiller, Mike; Kosty, Derek B.; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

2017-01-01

A critical aspect of intervention research is investigating the active ingredients that underlie intensive interventions and their theories of change. This study explored the rate of instructional interactions within treatment groups to determine whether they offered explanatory power of an empirically validated Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics…

Higher tier field research in ecological risk assessment: a case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faber, J. [Alterra, Wageningen (Netherlands)

2003-07-01

A newly developed basic procedure for site-specific ecological risk assessment in The Netherlands was followed in practice for the first time. In line with conventional Triade approaches, the procedure includes multidisciplinary parameters from environmental chemistry, toxicology and ecology to provide multiple weight of evidence. However, land use at the contaminated site and its vicinity is given more importance, and research parameters are selected in accordance to specific objectives for land use in order to test for harmful effects to underlying ecosystem services. Moreover, the approach is characterized by repetitive interactions between stakeholders and researching consultants, in particular with respect to the choice of parameters and criteria to assess the results. The approach was followed in an ecological risk assessment to test the assumptions underlying a soil management plant for a rural area in The Netherlands, called 'Krimpenerwaard'. Throughout this region some 5000 polder ditches have been filled with waste materials originating from local households, waterway sludge, industrial wastes, car shredders, and more. Several sites are severely polluted by heavy metals, cyanide, PAH or chlorinated hydrocarbons and require remediation or clean up. However, the exact distribution of these wastes over the entire region is scarcely known, and the Krimpenerwaard as a whole is treated as one case of serious soil pollution. A soil management plan was constructed by 13 stakeholding parties, aiming for a 'functional clean up' in view of land use, by means of covering 'suspected' categories of wastes with a 30-cm layer of local type soil. The ecological risk assessment aims to verify the assumptions in the soil management plan regarding the prevention of possible undesirable effects induced by the various waste materials. A tiered approach is followed, including a screening for bioavailable contaminants, a testing for general effects

Key Strategies for Building Research Capacity of University Faculty Members

Science.gov (United States)

Huenneke, Laura F.; Stearns, Diane M.; Martinez, Jesse D.; Laurila, Kelly

2017-01-01

Universities are under pressure to increase external research funding, and some federal agencies offer programs to expand research capacity in certain kinds of institutions. However, conflicts within faculty roles and other aspects of university operations influence the effectiveness of particular strategies for increasing research activity. We…

Fundamental Limits of Parallel Optical Wireless Channels: Capacity Results and Outage Formulation

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas; Rezki, Zouheir; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2016-01-01

Multi-channel (MC) optical wireless communication (OWC) systems employing wave-division multiplexing for outdoors free-space optical communications, or multi-user timedivision multiple access for indoors visible-light communications, e.g., can be modeled as parallel channels. Multi-input multioutput OWC systems can also be transformed, possibly with some performance loss, to parallel channels using pre-/postcoding. Studying the performance of such MC-OWC systems requires characterizing the capacity of the underlying parallel channels. In this paper, upper and lower bounds on the capacity of constant parallel OWC channels with a total average intensity constraint are derived. Then, the paper focuses on finding intensity allocations that maximize the lower bounds given channel-state information at the transmitter (CSIT). Due to its nonconvexity, the KKT conditions are used to describe a list of candidate allocations. Instead searching exhaustively for the best solution, low-complexity near-optimal algorithms are proposed. The resulting optimized lower bound nearly coincides with capacity at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Under a quasi-static channel model and in the absence of CSIT, outage probability upper and lower bounds are derived. Those bounds also meet at high SNR, thus characterizing the outage capacity in this regime. Finally, the results are extended to a system with both average and peak intensity constraints.

Fundamental Limits of Parallel Optical Wireless Channels: Capacity Results and Outage Formulation

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas

2016-10-26

Multi-channel (MC) optical wireless communication (OWC) systems employing wave-division multiplexing for outdoors free-space optical communications, or multi-user timedivision multiple access for indoors visible-light communications, e.g., can be modeled as parallel channels. Multi-input multioutput OWC systems can also be transformed, possibly with some performance loss, to parallel channels using pre-/postcoding. Studying the performance of such MC-OWC systems requires characterizing the capacity of the underlying parallel channels. In this paper, upper and lower bounds on the capacity of constant parallel OWC channels with a total average intensity constraint are derived. Then, the paper focuses on finding intensity allocations that maximize the lower bounds given channel-state information at the transmitter (CSIT). Due to its nonconvexity, the KKT conditions are used to describe a list of candidate allocations. Instead searching exhaustively for the best solution, low-complexity near-optimal algorithms are proposed. The resulting optimized lower bound nearly coincides with capacity at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Under a quasi-static channel model and in the absence of CSIT, outage probability upper and lower bounds are derived. Those bounds also meet at high SNR, thus characterizing the outage capacity in this regime. Finally, the results are extended to a system with both average and peak intensity constraints.

41 CFR 105-68.455 - What may I do if a lower tier participant fails to disclose the information required under § 105...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Regulations System (Continued) GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Regional Offices-General Services... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What may I do if a lower tier participant fails to disclose the information required under § 105-68.355 to the next higher tier...

77 FR 44047 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-26

... from hackers or inadvertently disclosed by a contracting officer. Response: The correct interpretation... benefit two or more contracts.'' Another respondent believed that the definition for ``first-tier... potential for contractors reporting vendor agreements that benefit multiple contracts and/or are generally...

‘Une page est une image’: Text as Image in Arts et métiers graphiques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristof Van Gansen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Arts et métiers graphiques (1927–39 was a French graphic arts periodical published by type founder Charles Peignot. It tried to address all aspects of graphic design and the art of the book in articles written by prominent art critics, graphic designers, book historians, and literary authors. These contents were presented curiously: on fine paper with an intricate page layout and multiple fonts, and with offset inserts serving as illustrations or samples of technical innovations such as colour printing, all of which would please the bibliophile readership. Apart from advocating the renaissance of the beau livre and bibliophilism, Arts et métiers graphiques tried to redefine or adjust the traditional view of the literary text. A literary text was not only a thing to be read, it was also a visual and material object, hence the editors’ virtually exclusive focus on material aspects of the books they discussed. In doing so, they wanted to broaden the scope of literary criticism to include such aspects. After a historical overview of the magazine and a discussion of the editors’ views on bibliophilism, this article aims to investigate the visual and material conception of the text in Arts et métiers graphiques.

‘Une page est une image.’ Tekst als beeld in Arts et Métiers Graphiques