Some Challenges of Specifying Concurrent Program Components

The purpose of this paper is to address some of the challenges of formally specifying components of shared-memory concurrent programs. The focus is to provide an abstract specification of a component that is suitable for use both by clients of the component and as a starting point for refinement to an implementation of the component. We present some approaches to devising specifications, investigating different forms suitable for different contexts. We examine handling atomicity of access to data structures, blocking operations and progress properties, and transactional operations that may fail and need to be retried.Comment: In Proceedings Refine 2018, arXiv:1810.0873

ERTS wideband tape recorder

The ERTS video bandwith tape recorder uses a rotary head to run the tape in transverse mode; the head wheel gives a head-to-tape surface speed of nearly 5080 centimeter per second. The electronics unit handles 15 megabit per second rate with a bit-error rate of 0.00001. An operational unit onboard ERTS A returned images from the 85 to 90 percent of the earth that are not available in real time

Reconciling visions and realities of virtual working: findings from the UK chemicals industry

The emergence of advanced technologies such as Grid computing will, some suggest, allow the final realisation of visions of virtual organisations. This will, according to its advocates, have entirely positive impacts, creating communities of experts, increasing flexibility, reducing the need for travel and making communications more efficient by crossing boundaries of time and space. Such predictions about future patterns of virtual working are, unfortunately, rarely grounded in real working practices, and often neglect to account for both the rich and varied interpretations that may exist of what constitutes virtual working and the constraints and concerns of those who would do it. This chapter gives attention to the consequences of different views over what virtuality might mean in practice and, in particular, considers virtuality in relation to customer and supplier relationships in a competitive and commercial context. The discussion is based upon a three year study that investigated contrasting visions of what was technically feasible and might be organisationally desirable in the UK Chemicals industry. Through interviews with managers and staff of companies both large and small that research provided insights into the different meanings that organisations attribute to the virtuality of work and to the acceptability of potential implementations of a middleware technology. It was found that interpretations of virtuality amongst the potential users and participants were strongly influenced by established work practices and by previous experiences of relationships-at-a-distance with suppliers and customers. There was a sharp contrast with the enthusiastic visions of virtual working that were already being encapsulated in the middleware by the technical developers; visions of internet-only interaction were perceived as rigid, alienating from well-established ways of working with suppliers and customers and unworkable. In this chapter we shall capture these differences by making a distinction amongst compet

Isotopic Biogeochemistry

An overview is provided of the biogeochemical research. The funding, productivity, personnel and facilities are reviewed. Some of the technical areas covered are: carbon isotopic records; isotopic studies of banded iron formations; isotope effects in microbial systems; studies of organic compounds in ancient sediments; and development in isotopic geochemistry and analysis

THE CHINESE MARKET FOR U.S. PORK EXPORTS

China feeds twenty-two percent of the world's population on seven percent of its arable land. In contrast, the U.S. and Canada own seventeen percent of the world's arable land, but feed only five percent of its people. As China's income increases, its people will demand more livestock products, including poultry, dairy, beef, and eggs, and more alcohol. Potential Chinese import demand for pork is examined in this paper. The question facing Chinese policymakers is whether to follow their current policy of food self-sufficiency or allow imports of pork muscle and variety meats. Projections of Chinese production and consumption indicate that, by the year 2007, China could import up to 9.1 million metric tons (product weight equivalent) of pork. The current Chinese government is very opposed to food imports of any kind. However, China has applied for entry into the World Trade Organization. Negotiations on China's entry could include access to China's pork market, and it is most likely that access could be gained to the variety meat market. The implications of two opposing scenarios are examined in this paper: first, China continues its policy of self-sufficiency; or second, China allows imports of pork variety meats. Self-Sufficiency Scenario: The anticipated increase in livestock production will cause feed grain consumption in China to increase more rapidly than production. Once China becomes a permanent net importer of feed grains, its prices will rise to reflect world feed grain prices plus transportation costs. This development will make China's pork products more expensive than imports. This simple line of argument means that China is about to modernize and expand the world's largest pork industry in the wrong place. Expanding pork production in China instead of allowing imports from efficient producers will cause an enormous misallocation of world resources. The Chinese people would benefit more if China concentrated on labor intensive crops and allowed for the free importation of livestock products. Import Access Scenario: Where the pork market is concerned, U.S. and Chinese consumers complement each other. Chinese people like variety meats, whereas U.S. consumers prefer pork muscle meats. Because of its dominance in the world market, China would be able to determine world prices if it allowed free importation of variety meats. The drop credit, which is the value of the pork variety package, is estimated to increase by 45 percent. However, the increase in the value of the pork variety package would not imply an increase in prices in the U.S. domestic market which largely consumes pork muscle meats. Implications for U.S. Producers: Even if China does not allow imports of pork, U.S. producers will still benefit from increased Chinese demand. Due to projected increased consumption over the next ten years, it is likely that China will stop exporting its current level of 150,000 to 200,000 tons of pork muscle meat. If China does allow free importation of pork variety meats, the increased value of the U.S. drop credit would add $4.72 to the value of each hog carcass or about$1.90 per hundredweight. For the U.S. pork industry, the net annual benefit of access to the Chinese market would be approximately $300 million per year. Hayes argues that opening this market may be feasible as part of negotiations over China's entry to the World Trade Organization. Regardless of how Chinese pork market policy evolves, the demand for U.S. feed grain will increase, causing some movement of land in the U.S. from wheat production into feed grain production.China trade, livestock, feedgrains, meat, International Relations/Trade, F1,

Effect of whey protein isolate on strength, body composition and muscle hypertrophy during resistance training

Purpose of Review: Sarcopenia (skeletal muscle wasting with aging) is thought to underlie a number of serious age-related health issues. While it may be seen as inevitable, decreasing this gradual loss of muscle is vital for healthy aging. Thus, it is imperative to investigate exercise and nutrition-based strategies designed to build a reservoir of muscle mass as early as possible. Recent Findings: Elderly individuals are still able to respond to both resistance training and the anabolic signals provided by protein ingestion, provided specific amino acids, such as leucine, are present. Whey proteins are a rich source of these essential amino acids and rapidly elevate plasma amino acids, thus providing the foundations for preservation of muscle mass. Several studies involving supplementation with whey protein have shown to be effective in augmenting the effects of resistance exercise, in particular when supplementation occurs in the hours surrounding the exercise training. Summary: While further work is required, particularly in elderly people, simple dietary and exercise strategies that may improve the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass will likely result in a decrease in the overall burden of a number of diseases and improve the quality of life as we age

Labor Guide to Labor Law

[Excerpt] This book is a practical guide to labor law in the private sector. The first 8 chapters present a discussion of legal principles primarily based on the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), 1947, as amended, commonly referred to as the “Act.” The remaining chapters discuss principles based on the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as on the LMRA