A management architecture for client‐defined cloud storage services

Cloud service providers offer virtual resources to users, who then pay for as much as they use. High‐speed networks help to overcome the limitation of geographical distances between clients and cloud servers, which encourage users to adopt cloud storage services for data backup and sharing. However, users use only a few cloud storage services because of the complexity of managing multiple accounts and distributing data to store. In this paper, we propose the client‐defined management architecture (CLIMA) that redefines a storage service by coordinating multiple cloud storage services from clients. We address practical issues of coordinating multiple cloud service providers using a client‐based approach. We implement a prototype as a realization of CLIMA, which achieves both reliability and privacy protection using erasure code and higher performance by optimally scheduling data transmission. We use our prototype to evaluate the benefits of CLIMA on commercial cloud storage service providers. Finally, CLIMA empowers clients to increase the manageability and flexibility of cloud storage services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advanced Concentration Gradient Cathode Material with Two‐Slope for High‐Energy and Safe Lithium Batteries

Li[Ni_0.65Co_0.13Mn_0.22]O₂ cathode with two‐sloped full concentration gradient (TSFCG), maximizing the Ni content in the inner part of the particle and the Mn content near the particle surface, is synthesized via a specially designed batch‐type reactor. The cathode delivers a discharge capacity of 200 mAh g^?1 (4.3 V cutoff) with excellent capacity retention of 88% after 1500 cycles in a full‐cell configuration. Overall electrochemical performance of the TSFCG cathode is benchmarked against conventional cathode (CC) with same composition and commercially available Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.15Al_0.05]O₂ (NCA). The TSFCG cathode exhibits the best cycling stability, rate capability, and thermal stability of the three electrodes. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the cycled TSFCG, CC, and NCA cathodes shows that the TSFCG electrode maintains both its mechanical and structural integrity whereas the NCA electrode nearly pulverizes due to the strain during cycling.     

A priori risk-informed approach to ensure the compliance with discharge limits for liquid radioactive effluent to be discharged from APR 1400

ABSTRACT

In order to develop a methodology to guarantee the conformance to operational discharge limits for liquid effluent from a NPP at an early stage of design, a risk-informed approach was proposed and its applicability was verified for APR 1400. Existing methodology to calculate risk-based detection limit for a single radionuclide was improved by incorporating a new model to derive more realistic pathway dose factors. A new simple expression was also proposed to adjust risk-based detection limits for multiple radionuclides mixture if necessary. In addition, a new procedure to warrant the compliance with discharge limits by controlling detection limits of only a few principal radionuclides was established in accordance with risk-informed concept. Through case studies for APR 1400 to be commissioned at a hypothetical site, it was shown that calculated pathway dose factors are more realistic for majority of radionuclides. It also turns out that neither present detection limits nor unadjusted risk-based detection limits can be justified when the radionuclide composition is unknown, however further adjustment of detection limits or increasing additional dilution factor resolves the problem. Finally, ten principal radionuclides were identified and shown to be enough for liquid effluent control at APR 1400 from a risk-informed point of view.     

Structural decomposition of technological domain using patent co-classification and classification hierarchy

Scientometrics - This paper proposes a new method for decomposing a technological domain (TD). Specifically, the method identifies sub-TDs at the different levels of technological hierarchy within...     

Imidazolium-Functionalized Diacetylene Amphiphiles: Strike a Lighter and Wear Polaroid Glasses to Decipher the Secret Code

The development of smart inks that change color and transparency in response to external stimuli is very important for various fields, from modern art to safety and anticounterfeiting technology. A uniaxially oriented diacetylene thin film on a macroscopic area is obtained by coating, self-assembling and topochemical photopolymerizing of imidazolium-functionalized diacetylenes (M-DA and T-DA) and 4,6-decadiyne ink (70 wt%:20 wt%:10 wt%) exhibiting a lyotropic smectic A liquid-crystalline phase at room temperature. The color and transparency of letters and symbols written with the DA-based secret inks change reversibly from blue to red as well as from colorless transparent to black opaque depending on the temperature and polarization axis. A secret code written with thermoresponsive and polarization-dependent secret inks consisting of imidazolium-functionalized diacetylenes is successfully deciphered by wearing polaroid glasses and holding a burning torch.