Compact routing in fault-tolerant distributed systems

A compact routing algorithm is a routing algorithm which reduces the space complexity of all-pairs shortest path routing. Compact routing protocols in distributed systems have been studied extensively as an attractive alternative to the traditional method of all-pairs shortest path routing. The use of compact routing protocols have several advantages. Compact routing schemes are not only more memory-efficient, but provide faster routing table lookup, more efficient broadcast scheme, and allow for a more scalable network. These routing schemes still maintain optimal or near-optimal routing paths. However, most of the compact routing protocols are not fault-tolerant. This thesis will first report the recent developments in the compact routing research. Several new methods for compact routing in fault-tolerant distributed systems will be presented and analyzed. The most important feature of the algorithms presented in this thesis is that they are self-stabilizing. The self-stabilization paradigm has been shown to be the most unified and all-inclusive approach to the design of fault-tolerant system. Additionally, these algorithms will address and solve several problems left unsolved by previous works. Relabelable and non-relabelable networks will be considered for both specific and arbitrary topologies

The Calling Network: A Global Telephone Utility

There is a very large demand for basic telephone service in developing nations, and remote parts of industrialized nations, which cannot be met by conventional wireline and cellular systems. This is the world\u27s largest unserved market. We describe a system which uses recent advances in active phased arrays, fast-packet switching technology, adaptive routing, and light spacecraft technology, in part based on the work of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and on recently-declassified work done on the Strategic Defense Initiative, to make it possible to address this market with a global telephone network based on a large low-Earth-orbit constellation of identical satellites. A telephone utility can use such a network to provide the same modem basic and enhanced telephone services offered by telephone utilities in the urban centers of fully-industrialized nations. Economies of scale permit capital and operating costs per subscriber low enough to provide service to all subscribers, regardless of location, at prices comparable to the same services in urban areas of industrialized nations, while generating operating profits great enough to attract the capital needed for its construction. The bandwidth needed to support the capacity needed to gain those economies of scale require that the system use Ka-band frequencies. This choice of frequencies places unusual constraints on the network design, and in particular forces the use of a large number of satellites. Global demand for basic and enhanced telephone service is great enough to support at least three networks of the size described herein. The volume of advanced components, and services such as launch services, required to construct and replace these networks is sufficient to propel certain industries to market leadership positions in the early 21st Century

Economic Impacts of Farm Program Payment Limits

The high levels of government payments to farmers resulting from the 1985 farm bill have once again led the Congress to examine the payment limit issue. Payment limits were initially established in 1970 and have since been revised several times. In this report, policy and farm management economists analyze the consequences of alternative payment limits on economic efficiency, economic viability of family-size farms, international competitiveness, and consumer food costs. Effective payment limits encourage reduced farm size and in the presence of economies of size, tend to increase production costs for program crops. The Agricultural and Food Policy Center is charged with evaluating economic impacts of policy alternatives -- not recommending, advocating, or opposing particular policies. The Center's orientation is toward Texas agriculture -- evaluating policy impacts on its producers and consumers. Farm prices and income, however, are determined in world markets that are influenced by national economic policy and farm programs. Texas impacts, therefore, must be evaluated in a much broader national and international market and policy context.Agricultural and Food Policy,

WASTE SHELL CEMENT COMPOSITES

The project purpose was to test the usability of seashell waste in concrete. Testing consisted of eight mix proportions that contained conch or oyster shells. Shells were used as a substitute for 10% or 25% sand, and 5% cement powder pending the mix proportion. Four mixes contained vinegar treated shells to determine if that affected the strength. Mixes were all compared to the control and each other through a series of tests including: 3-point bend, compressive, split-tensile, and shrinkage

A Cross-sectional study to determine the Attitudes of Pregnant Women attending Antenatal Clinic at Lira Regional Referral Hospital towards Physical Activity during Pregnancy.

Background.  Physical activity during pregnancy provides many health benefits not only to pregnant mothers but also to the fetuses. This study assessed the attitude of pregnant women towards PA in pregnancy among pregnant women attending ANC in Lira Regional Referral Hospital. Methods. The cross-sectional study of 152 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic visits in Lira Regional referral Hospital, northern Uganda. Data were obtained on socio-demographic characteristics of mothers’ attitudes towards PA in pregnancy. Results.  We found that 80% of pregnant mothers had a positive attitude toward physical activity during pregnancy. The attitude was associated with marital status (p=0.049), the number of children they had to care for, a busy schedule, fear of PA, and lack of information were the principal reasons not to do Physical Activity. Conclusion. The majority of women (80%) had a positive attitude toward PA during pregnancy Recommendations.  Based on the findings that some small percentages had a negative attitude towards PA in pregnancy, health educators should be encouraged to avail the information to the community members, this will enable the community to develop good feelings towards antenatal exercises. Pregnant women should be encouraged to form exercise groups in their communities so they provide moral support for each other.  Based on findings from other studies that there is a low practice of PA in pregnancy, further studies should be done in Uganda to come up with the prevalence of PA during pregnancy in Uganda

Peritoneal and hemodialysis: I. Differences in patient characteristics at initiation

Peritoneal and hemodialysis: I. Differences in patient characteristics at initiation.BackgroundComparisons of mortality outcomes between peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients have shown varying results, which may be caused by the unequally distributed clinical conditions of patients at initiation. To address this issue, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of 105,954 patients at the initiation of PD and HD, using the U.S. national incidence data on treated end-stage renal disease from the Medical Evidence Form, 1995 to 1997.MethodsA general linear model was used to analyze differences of age, albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and hematocrit; categorical data analysis to evaluate body mass index (BMI), grouped into four categories: !19, 19–25 (!25), 25–30 (!30), and 30+; and logistic regression to assess the likelihood of initiating PD versus HD. Diabetics (DM) were analyzed separately from non-diabetics (NDM). Explanatory variables in the logistic regression included incidence year, race, gender, age, BMI, albumin, creatinine, BUN, and hematocrit. Race included white and black. Age was categorized into four groups: 20–44, 45–64, 65–74, and 75+.ResultsAt the initiation of dialysis PD patients were approximately 6 years younger (P ! 0.0001) than HD patients. PD patients also had higher (P ! 0.0001) albumin (+0.35 g/dL for DM and +0.23 g/dL for NDM) and hematocrit (+1.64% for DM and +1.71% for NDM) levels, and lower (P ! 0.04) BUN (-8.75 mg/dL for DM and -5.24 mg/dL for NDM) and creatinine (-0.51 mg/dL for DM and -0.23 mg/dL for NDM) levels than HD patients. Whites had a higher (P ! 0.0001) likelihood of starting PD than blacks, and patients with BMI !19 had a lower (P ! 0.0001) chance of beginning on PD.ConclusionPD patients had favorable clinical conditions at the initiation of dialysis, which should be taken into consideration when comparing dialysis outcomes between the two modalities

SELECTED METABOLIC AND HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSES TO REPEATED STEADY-STATE BOUTS OF INDOOR CYCLING, UTILISING MARGINAL INCREASES IN MECHANICAL POWER OUTPUT: CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIVE ROAD CYCLISTS USING A PORTABLE ON-BICYCLE C

Introduction It has been demonstrated by Sanderson, Cavanaugh et a1. (1985), and the authors, (1987 , that impul e and average net power distributions (W) generated about the pedal spindle and crank arms, vary with individual cyclists, either creating a mechanically desirable circular cycling pattern where the impulse is 'smoothed', or a 'butterfly' distribution indicating unequal force distribution(s throughout each pedaling cycle. Based on research performed indoors by Cavanaugh (1985), and Anderson (1986), and this group outdoors at the United States Cycling Federation Camp in Colorado in 1987 and 1988, it appears that techniques employed to reduce the counter-propulsive tangential crank arm forces could possible improve average net power magnitudes produced by individual elite cyclists outdoors during competition, and thus improve their overall time(s) recorded for selected events