System Description for a Scalable, Fault-Tolerant, Distributed Garbage Collector

We describe an efficient and fault-tolerant algorithm for distributed cyclic garbage collection. The algorithm imposes few requirements on the local machines and allows for flexibility in the choice of local collector and distributed acyclic garbage collector to use with it. We have emphasized reducing the number and size of network messages without sacrificing the promptness of collection throughout the algorithm. Our proposed collector is a variant of back tracing to avoid extensive synchronization between machines. We have added an explicit forward tracing stage to the standard back tracing stage and designed a tuned heuristic to reduce the total amount of work done by the collector. Of particular note is the development of fault-tolerant cooperation between traces and a heuristic that aggressively reduces the set of suspect objects.Comment: 47 pages, LaTe

The directional contact distance of two ellipsoids: Coarse-grained potentials for anisotropic interactions

Copyright @ 2005 American Institute of Physics.We obtain the distance of closest approach of the surfaces of two arbitrary ellipsoids valid at any orientation and separation measured along their intercenter vector. This directional distance is derived from the elliptic contact function. The geometric meaning behind this approach is clarified. An elliptic pair potential for modeling arbitrary mixtures of elliptic particles, whether hard or soft, is proposed based on this distance. Comparisons with Gay-Berne potentials are discussed. Analytic expressions for the forces and torques acting on the elliptic particles are given.This research has been supported by GlaxoSmith-Klin

Use of colour for hand-filled form analysis and recognition

Colour information in form analysis is currently under utilised. As technology has advanced and computing costs have reduced, the processing of forms in colour has now become practicable. This paper describes a novel colour-based approach to the extraction of filled data from colour form images. Images are first quantised to reduce the colour complexity and data is extracted by examining the colour characteristics of the images. The improved performance of the proposed method has been verified by comparing the processing time, recognition rate, extraction precision and recall rate to that of an equivalent black and white system

Environmental problems and opportunities of the peri-urban interface and their impact upon the poor

The objective of this document is to provide an overview of the problems and opportunities of the peri-urban interface (PUI) with regard to the broad concerns of environmentalsustainability and poverty

Efficiency of Financial Institutions: International Survey and Directions for Future Research

This paper surveys 130 studies that apply frontier efficiency analysis to financial institutions in 21 countries. The primary goals are to summarize and critically review empirical estimates of financial institution efficiency and to attempt to arrive at a consensus view. We find that the various efficiency methods do not necessarily yield consistent results and suggest some ways that these methods might be improved to bring about findings that are more consistent, accurate, and useful. Secondary goals are to address the implications of efficiency results for financial institutions in the areas of government policy, research, and managerial performance. Areas needing additional research are also outlined.

Global integration in the banking industry

Lowered regulatory barriers and advances in technology have reduced the cost of supplying banking services across borders. At the same time, growth in activity by multinational corporations has increased the demand for international financial services. As a result, many observers believe that global integration is under way in the banking industry, that banks are expanding their reach across borders, and that many banking markets will therefore develop large foreign components. The authors report on a study conducted by them, along with Qinglei Dai and Steven Ongena, that examined the nationality and international reach of banks that provide short-term financial services across Europe to affiliates of multinational corporations. The present article also looks at time-series data that provide a more recent look at the progress of integration in Europe. Based on a 1996 survey of more than 2,000 affiliates, the study found that an affiliate is most likely to choose a bank headquartered in the nation in which it is operating (a host-nation bank) rather than a bank headquartered in the home country of the affiliate or in a third nation. The affiliate is also more likely to select a bank limited to local or regional operations rather than one with global reach. The findings are consistent with the proposition that affiliates most value a bank that understands the culture, business practices, and regulatory conditions of the country in which the affiliate operates, and that host-nation banks possess a competitive advantage over other banks in this regard. The time-series data--on syndicated loans, foreign bank claims, and the dispersion of consumer goods prices across Europe--are also consistent with the picture drawn from the 1996 survey. The article concludes that banking markets evidently need not become more integrated even as economic activity otherwise becomes increasingly global.Banks and banking ; International finance

Efficiency and productivity change in the U.S. commercial banking industry: a comparison of the 1980s and 1990s

The authors investigate efficiency and productivity growth of the U.S. banking industry over the latter part of the 1980s and first part of the 1990s using comprehensive data on U.S. commercial banks. Cost efficiency decreased slightly between the 1980s and 1990s, and large banks showed a sizable decline in profit efficiency. Total predicted production costs increased over both the 1980s and 1990s, reflecting cost productivity declines. Changes in business conditions led to cost declines over both periods. Total predicted profits increased in the 1980s and 1990s, with the entire change reflecting increased profit productivity. Changing business conditions led to small declines in profits.Banks and banking ; Productivity