A class of multi-server queueing systems with unreliable servers: Models and application.

Where queueing systems with unreliable servers are concerned, most research that has been done focuses on one-server systems or systems with a Poisson arrival process and exponential service time. However, in some situations we need to consider non-exponential service time or service rate changes with the number of available servers. These are the queueing systems that are discussed in this thesis, none of which has ever been discussed in the literature. Since the phase type distribution is more general than the exponential distribution and captures most features of a general distribution, the phase type distributed service time is considered in unreliable queueing systems such as M/PH/n and M/PH/n/c. For the M/PH/n queueing system with unreliable servers, the mathematical model, stability condition analysis, stationary distribution calculation, computer programs and examples are all presented. For the M/PH/n/c queueing system with server failures, a finite birth-and-death mathematical model is built and the stationary distribution and performance evaluation measurements are calculated. Computer programs are developed and an example is given to demonstrate the application of this queueing system. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2003 .Y375. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, page: 0295. Adviser: Attahiru S. Alfa. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004

Finite groups with X-quasipermutable Sylow subgroups

Let H ≤ E and X be subgroups of a finite group G. Then we say that H is X-quasipermutable (XS-quasipermutable, respectively) in E provided that G has a subgroup B such that E = NE(H)B and H X-permutes with B and with all subgroups (with all Sylow subgroups, respectively) V of B such that (|H|, |V |) = 1. We analyze the influence of X-quasipermutable and XS-quasipermutable subgroups on the structure of G. In particular, it is proved that if every Sylow subgroup P of G is F(G)-quasipermutable in its normal closure PG in G, then G is supersoluble.Нехай H ≤ E i X — пiдгрупи скiнченної групи G. Тодi говорять, що H є X-квазiпереставною (XS-квазiпереставною, вiдповiдно) в E, якщо G мiстить таку пiдгрупу B, що E = NE(H)B i H є X-переставною з B i з усiма пiдгрупами (з усiма силовськими пiдгрупами, вiдповiдно) V з B такими, що (|H|, |V |) = 1. У данiй роботi проаналiзовано вплив X-квазiпереставних i XS-квазiпереставних пiдгруп на будову G. Зокрема доведено, що якщо кожна Силовська пiдгрупа P iз G F(G)-квазiпереставна в його нормальному замиканнi PG в G, то G є надрозв’язною

Stimulating the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Decreases the Asset Bubble: A tDCS Study

Many studies have discussed the neural basis of asset bubbles. They found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) played an important role in bubble formation, but whether a causal relationship exists and the mechanism of the effect of the DLPFC on bubbles remains unsettled. Using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we modulated the activity of the DLPFC and investigated the causal relationship between the DLPFC and the asset bubble in the classical learning-to-forecast experiment. 126 subjects were randomly divided into three groups and received different stimulations (left anodal/right cathodal, right anodal/left cathodal, or sham stimulation), respectively. We also conducted a 2-back task before and after stimulation to measure changes in subjects’ cognitive abilities and explore in detail the cognitive mechanism of the effect of DLPFC stimulation on asset bubbles. Based on our results, we found that the bubble of the left anodal/right cathodal stimulation group was significantly smaller than that of the sham stimulation group. In the meantime, subjects performed significantly better in the 2-back task after left anodal/right cathodal stimulation but not right anodal/left cathodal or sham stimulation, which is consistent with their performance in the learning-to-forecast experiment, supporting the cognitive mechanism to some extent. Furthermore, we examined different forecasting rules across individuals and discovered that the left anodal/right cathodal stimulation group preferred the adaptive learning rule, while the sham and right anodal/left cathodal stimulation groups adopted a pure trend-following rule that tended to intensify market volatility aggressively

Effect of Modulating Activity of DLPFC and Gender on Search Behavior: A tDCS Experiment

Studies of search behavior have shown that individuals stop searching earlier and accept a lower point than predicted by the optimal, risk-neutral stopping rule. This behavior may be related to individual risk preferences. Studies have also found correlativity between risk preferences and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). As risk attitude plays a crucial role in search behavior, we studied whether modulating the activity of DLPFC, by using a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device, can change individual search behavior. We performed a sequential search task in which subjects decided when to accept a point randomly drawn from a uniform distribution. A total of 49 subjects (23 females, mean age = 21.84 ± 2.09 years, all right-handed) were recruited at Zhejiang University from May 2017 to September 2017. They repeated the task in 80 trials and received the stimulation at the end of the 40th trial. The results showed that after receiving right anodal/left cathodal stimulation, subjects increased their searching duration, which led to an increase in their accepted point from 778.17 to 826.12. That is, the subjects may have changed their risk attitude to search for a higher acceptable point and received a higher benefit. In addition, the effect of stimulation on search behavior was mainly driven by the female subjects rather than by the male subjects: the female subjects significantly increased their accepted point from 764.15 to 809.17 after right anodal/left cathodal stimulation, while the male subjects increased their accepted point from 794.18 to 845.49, but the change was not significant

Design and research into the nonlinear main vibration spring in double-mass high energy vibration milling

Due to the shortcomings of one - mass vibration mill such as inefficiency, high energy consumption and big noise, a double - mass high energy vibration mill, in which transient high vibration intensity is produced, is investigated by applying the non - linear vibration theory. The nonlinear hard - feature variable-pitch spring i0s used in the main vibration system which has the characteristic of the stiffness that can be varied along with the dynamic load. In this way, the goals of operation stabilization and energy saving will be achieved. Results from the field test show that the efficiency is obviously improved, i.e. a 28% increase in the vibration intensity, 10% decrease in energy consumption and 4% decrease in noise. That verifies the correctness of the main vibration system construction. This system can be used by others as a reference design for this field

Synthesis of Regioselectively Acylated Quercetin Analogues with Improved Antiplatelet Activity

The aim of the present study was to report on a complete synthetic approach, namely benzylation-hydrolysis-acylation-hydrogenation, to the synthesis of regioselectively acylated quercetin analogues using low-cost rutin as a starting material. Three quercetin analogues, quercetin-3-O-propionate (Q-pr), quercetin-3-O-butyrate (Q-bu) and quercetin-3-O-valerate (Q-va), containing 3-, 4- and 5-carbon aliphatic acyl chains, respectively, were synthesized and characterized with 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. Compared with quercetin, all three analogues exhibited improved lipophilicity. The lipophilicity of the analogue increased with increasing acyl chain length. Q-va exhibited the highest lipophilicity among the three analogues, but a lower water solubility compared with quercetin. By contrast, Q-pr and Q-bu exhibited 8.2- and 4.7-fold higher water solubility compared with quercetin, respectively. The in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that Q-pr and Q-bu were more effective whereas Q-va was less effective in inhibiting platelet aggregation compared with quercetin. These results indicated that the water solubility and the lipophilicity of the analogues must be improved in order to achieve higher antiplatelet activity, and an optimal acyl chain length is crucial for the synthesized quercetin analogues to be more effective

Integration of Kinetic Analysis of Reaction Curve with a Proper Classical Approach for Enzymatic Analysis

For enzymatic analysis to quantify a substrate or enzyme, kinetic analysis of reaction curve can be integrated with a proper classical approach. For their integration, they should have consistent slopes and intercepts of linear response and an overlapped region of analyte quantities measurable under optimized conditions. To quantify a substrate after optimizations of tool enzyme activity and reaction duration, the equilibrium method works when the reaction is completed within the reaction duration; otherwise, kinetic analysis of reaction curve applies providing at least seven data with sufficient consumption of substrate. To quantify an enzyme after optimizations of initial substrate concentration and reaction duration, the classical initial rate method works when an estimated initial rate locates within the linear range; otherwise, kinetic analysis of reaction curve applies after the conversion of the quantification index with optimized parameters. This integration strategy has ideal linear ranges and practical efficiency for quantifying an enzyme at moderate substrate levels and for quantifying a substrate at moderate cost on tool enzyme; it has promise to simultaneous assays of multiple enzymes in one reaction vessel each time and ,thus, potential applications to concurrently quantify multiple serum enzymes, screen inhibitors against multiple enzyme targets, and detect multiple serum components by enzymeimmunoassay

Does Gender Make a Difference in Deception? The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Neuroimaging studies have indicated a correlation between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity and deceptive behavior. We applied a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device to modulate the activity of subjects’ DLPFCs. Causal evidence of the neural mechanism of deception was obtained. We used a between-subject design in a signaling framework of deception, in which only the sender knew the associated payoffs of two options. The sender could freely choose to convey the truth or not, knowing that the receiver would never know the actual payment information. We found that males were more honest than females in the sham stimulation treatment, while such gender difference disappeared in the right anodal/left cathodal stimulation treatment, because modulating the activity of the DLPFC using right anodal/left cathodal tDCS only significantly decreased female subjects’ deception

Pathways of change : shifting connectivities in the world city network, 2000-08

This is an empirical paper that measures and interprets changes in intercity relations at the global scale in the period 2000-08. It draws on the network model devised by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research group to measure global connectivities for 132 cities across the world in 2000 and 2008. The measurements for both years are adjusted so that a coherent set of services/cities is used. A range of statistical techniques is used to explore these changes at the city level and the regional scale. The most notable changes are: the general rise of connectivity in the world city network; the loss of global connectivity of US and sub-Saharan African cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami in particular); and, the gain in global connectivity of south Asian, Chinese and eastern European cities (Shanghai, Beijing and Moscow in particular)