32,409 research outputs found
Characterization of Pinus ectomycorrhizas from mixed conifer and pygmy forests using morphotyping and molecular methods
Published versio
ASIdE: Using Autocorrelation-Based Size Estimation for Scheduling Bursty Workloads.
Temporal dependence in workloads creates peak congestion that can make service unavailable and reduce system performance. To improve system performability under conditions of temporal dependence, a server should quickly process bursts of requests that may need large service demands. In this paper, we propose and evaluateASIdE, an Autocorrelation-based SIze Estimation, that selectively delays requests which contribute to the workload temporal dependence. ASIdE implicitly approximates the shortest job first (SJF) scheduling policy but without any prior knowledge of job service times. Extensive experiments show that (1) ASIdE achieves good service time estimates from the temporal dependence structure of the workload to implicitly approximate the behavior of SJF; and (2) ASIdE successfully counteracts peak congestion in the workload and improves system performability under a wide variety of settings. Specifically, we show that system capacity under ASIdE is largely increased compared to the first-come first-served (FCFS) scheduling policy and is highly-competitive with SJF. © 2012 IEEE
Flexible conformable hydrophobized surfaces for turbulent flow drag reduction
In recent years extensive work has been focused onto using superhydrophobic surfaces for drag reduction applications. Superhydrophobic surfaces retain a gas layer, called a plastron, when submerged underwater in the Cassie-Baxter state with water in contact with the tops of surface roughness features. In this state the plastron allows slip to occur across the surface which results in a drag reduction. In this work we report flexible and relatively large area superhydrophobic surfaces produced using two different methods: Large roughness features were created by electrodeposition on copper meshes; Small roughness features were created by embedding carbon nanoparticles (soot) into Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Both samples were made into cylinders with a diameter under 12 mm. To characterize the samples, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and confocal microscope images were taken. The confocal microscope images were taken with each sample submerged in water to show the extent of the plastron. The hydrophobized electrodeposited copper mesh cylinders showed drag reductions of up to 32% when comparing the superhydrophobic state with a wetted out state. The soot covered cylinders achieved a 30% drag reduction when comparing the superhydrophobic state to a plain cylinder. These results were obtained for turbulent flows with Reynolds numbers 10,000 to 32,500
Flux Noise in MgB2 Thin Films
We have performed flux noise and AC-susceptibility measurements on two 400 nm
thick MgB films. Both measurement techniques give information about the
vortex dynamics in the sample, and hence the superconducting transition, and
can be linked to each other through the fluctuation-dissipation-theorem. The
transition widths for the two films are 0.3 and 0.8 K, respectively, and the
transitions show a multi step-like behavior in the AC-susceptibility
measurements. The same phenomenon is observed in the flux noise measurements
through a change in the frequency dependence of the spectral density at each
step in the transition. The results are discussed and interpreted in terms of
vortices carrying an arbitrary fraction of a flux quantum as well as in terms
of different macroscopic regions in the films having slightly different
compositions, and hence, different critical temperatures.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, conference contribution to "Fluctuations and
Noise", Santa Fe, New mexico 1-4 june 200
The explicit expression of the fugacity for weakly interacting Bose and Fermi gases
In this paper, we calculate the explicit expression for the fugacity for two-
and three-dimensional weakly interacting Bose and Fermi gases from their
equations of state in isochoric and isobaric processes, respectively, based on
the mathematical result of the boundary problem of analytic functions --- the
homogeneous Riemann-Hilbert problem. We also discuss the Bose-Einstein
condensation phase transition of three-dimensional hard-sphere Bose gases.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figure
Lead and Cadmium Levels of Five Commonly and Widely Consumed Leafy Vegetables in Kano State, Nigeria
The levels of the hazardous metals (Pb and Cd) in five different leafy vegetable plant samples ( viz: Hibiscus cannabinus, Cassia tora, Vernonia amygdalina, Corchorus olitorius, and Corchorus tridens) consumed by Kano inhabitants were investigated and found to be at concentration below the environmental lead action level set by US EPA/WHO. Cadmium was not detected in the samples. Low concentration of Pb and absence of Cd in all the plant samples analyzed are clear indication that these may not exhibit toxicity effects due to any of these metals. The consumers are therefore safe from their toxicity effect.Keywords: Lead, Cadmium, Leafy Vegetables, Kano, NigeriaNigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science (2011), 19(2): 304-30
Noise-Induced Linearisation and Delinearisation
It is demonstrated, by means of analogue electronic simulation and
theoretically, that external noise can markedly change the character of the
response of a nonlinear system to a low-frequency periodic field. In general,
noise of sufficient intensity {\it linearises} the response. For certain
parameter ranges in particular cases, however, an increase in the noise
intensity can sometime have the opposite effect and is shown to {\it
delinearise} the response. The physical origins of these contrary behaviours
are discussed.Comment: 17 pages. No special macros. Figures on reques
Growth of superconducting MgB2 thin films via postannealing techniques
We report the effect of annealing on the superconductivity of MgB2 thin films
as functions of the postannealing temperature in the range from 700 C to 950 C
and of the postannealing time in the range from 30 min to 120 min. On annealing
at 900 C for 30 min, we obtained the best-quality MgB2 films with a transition
temperature of 39 K and a critical current density of ~ 10^7 A/cm^2. Using the
scanning electron microscopy, we also investigated the film growth mechanism.
The samples annealed at higher temperatures showed the larger grain sizes,
well-aligned crystal structures with preferential orientations along the
c-axis, and smooth surface morphologies. However, a longer annealing time
prevented the alignment of grains and reduced the superconductivity, indicating
a strong interfacial reaction between the substrate and the MgB2 film.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures include
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