A singular loop transformation framework based on non-singular matrices

In this paper, we discuss a loop transformation framework that is based on integer non-singular matrices. The transformations included in this framework are called Λ-transformations and include permutation, skewing and reversal, as well as a transformation calledloop scaling. This framework is more general than existing ones; however, it is also more difficult to generate code in our framework. This paper shows how integer lattice theory can be used to generate efficient code. An added advantage of our framework over existing ones is that there is a simple completion algorithm which, given a partial transformation matrix, produces a full transformation matrix that satisfies all dependences. This completion procedure has applications in parallelization and in the generation of code for NUMA machines. This work was supported by the Cornell Theory Center, NSF Presidential Young Investigator award #CCR-8958543. by NSF Grant #CCR-9008526, and by a grant from the Hewlett-Packard Company.     

Effect of alkali on filaments of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and its copolyesters

The alkali hydrolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate), anionic copolymer of poly(ethylene terephthalate), and block copolymer of poly(ethylene terephthalate)–poly(ethylene glycol) is investigated under a variety of conditions of alkali concentration in aqueous bath, additives, time, and temperature. Measurements of loss in weight, linear density, breaking load, tenacity, elongation to break apart from intrinsic viscosity, fiber density, COOH-end group content, diameter of filaments, and scanning electron micrographs have been analyzed to identify the differences in the action of alkali on these polymer materials.     

The Network as a Storage Device: Dynamic Routing with Bounded Buffers

We study dynamic routing in store-and-forward packet networks where each network link has bounded buffer capacity for receiving incoming packets and is capable of transmitting a fixed number of packets per unit of time. At any moment in time, packets are injected at various network nodes with each packet specifying its destination node. The goal is to maximize the throughput, defined as the number of packets delivered to their destinations. In this paper, we make some progress on throughput maximization in various network topologies. Let n and m denote the number of nodes and links in the network, respectively. For line networks, we show that Nearest-to-Go (NTG), a natural distributed greedy algorithm, is -competitive, essentially matching a known lower bound on the performance of any greedy algorithm. We also show that if we allow the online routing algorithm to make centralized decisions, there is a randomized polylog(n)-competitive algorithm for line networks as well as for rooted tree networks, where each packet is destined for the root of the tree. For grid graphs, we show that NTG has a competitive ratio of while no greedy algorithm can achieve a ratio better than . Finally, for arbitrary network topologies, we show that NTG is -competitive, improving upon an earlier bound of O(mn). An extended abstract appeared in the Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Approximation Algorithms for Combinatorial Optimization Problems, APPROX 2005, Berkeley, CA, USA, pp. 1–13, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 1741, Springer, Berlin. S. Angelov is supported in part by NSF Career Award CCR-0093117, NSF Award ITR 0205456 and NIGMS Award 1-P20-GM-6912-1. S. Khanna is supported in part by an NSF Career Award CCR-0093117, NSF Award CCF-0429836, and a US-Israel Binational Science Foundation Grant. K. Kunal is supported in part by an NSF Career Award CCR-0093117 and NSF Award CCF-0429836.     

Collusion set detection using graph clustering

Many mal-practices in stock market trading—e.g., circular trading and price manipulation—use the modus operandi of collusion. Informally, a set of traders is a candidate collusion set when they have “heavy trading” among themselves, as compared to their trading with others. We formalize the problem of detection of collusion sets, if any, in the given trading database. We show that naïve approaches are inefficient for real-life situations. We adapt and apply two well-known graph clustering algorithms for this problem. We also propose a new graph clustering algorithm, specifically tailored for detecting collusion sets. A novel feature of our approach is the use of Dempster–Schafer theory of evidence to combine the candidate collusion sets detected by individual algorithms. Treating individual experiments as evidence, this approach allows us to quantify the confidence (or belief) in the candidate collusion sets. We present detailed simulation experiments to demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.     

Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again: An Application of Fractal Symbolic Analysis to Linear Algebra Code Restructuring

Fractal symbolic analysis is a symbolic analysis technique for verifying the legality of program transformations. It is strictly more powerful than dependence analysis; for example, it can be used to verify the legality of blocking LU factorization with pivoting, a task for which dependence analysis is inadequate. In this paper, we show how fractal symbolic analysis can be used to convert between left- and right-looking versions of three kernels of central importance in computational science: triangular solve, Cholesky factorization, and LU factorization with pivoting.     

Iodine‐Mediated Copper‐Catalyzed Efficient α‐C(sp2)‐Thiomethylation of α‐Oxoketene Dithioacetals with Dimethyl Sulfoxide in One Pot

The direct α‐Csp² H functionalization and thiomethylation of α‐oxoketene dithioacetals (DTAs) has been accomplished with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in the presence of iodine and a copper(I) salt for the first time. A prerequisite is the in situ iodination of the α‐Csp² atom of dithioacetals that could offer other reaction channels. The operationally simple one‐pot protocol includes region‐defined consecutive iodination and sulfenylation of the challenging α‐Csp² H bond of dithioacetals employing cheap and readily available reagents. DMSO here plays a dual role as thiomethyl source and solvent.

     

Vapor Phase Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Cyclohexane over 13X Supported Metal Oxides in the Presence of Ozone

This article reports the application of ozone for the selective oxidation of cyclohexane over 13X molecular sieve supported various metal oxides at ambient temperatures. From the SEM, XRD and HR-TEM results, the impregnated metal oxides are highly dispersed on the support. The activity results reveal that Co/MS, Mo/MS, Cu/MS, and Ag/MS catalysts produce cyclohexanone/cyclohexanol as selective oxidation products, whereas Ce/MS, Mn/MS, and V/MS catalysts yield, predominantly, CO and CO₂. Among them, Co/MS catalyst exhibits better conversion of 12.2% with selectively of 58% to cyclohexanone/cyclohexanol, which is attributed to the simultaneous activation of ozone and cyclohexane (-C-H bond) at ambient conditions.     

FastFabric: Scaling hyperledger fabric to 20 000 transactions per second

Blockchain technologies are expected to make a significant impact on a variety of industries. However, one issue holding them back is their limited transaction throughput, especially compared to established solutions such as distributed database systems. In this paper, we rearchitect a modern permissioned blockchain system, Hyperledger Fabric, to increase transaction throughput from 3000 to 20 000 transactions per second. We focus on performance bottlenecks beyond the consensus mechanism, and we propose architectural changes that reduce computation and I/O overhead during transaction ordering and validation to greatly improve throughput. Notably, our optimizations are fully plug‐and‐play and do not require any interface changes to Hyperledger Fabric.     

Platelet Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Reprogramming in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma

Mitochondrial bioenergetics reprogramming is an essential response of cells to stress. Platelets, an accessible source of mitochondria, have a crucial role in cancer development; however, the platelet mitochondrial function has not been studied in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients. A total of 15 patients with UC and 15 healthy controls were included in the study. Parameters of platelet mitochondrial respiration were evaluated using the high-resolution respirometry method, and the selected antioxidant levels were determined by HPLC. In addition, oxidative stress was evaluated by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration in plasma. We demonstrated deficient platelet mitochondrial respiratory chain functions, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and electron transfer (ET) capacity with complex I (CI)-linked substrates, and reduced the endogenous platelet coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) concentration in UC patients. The activity of citrate synthase was decreased in UC patients vs. controls (p = 0.0191). γ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol in platelets, and β-carotene in plasma were significantly lower in UC patients (p = 0.0019; p = 0.02; p = 0.0387, respectively), whereas the plasma concentration of TBARS was increased (p = 0.0022) vs. controls. The changes in platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics are consistent with cell metabolism reprogramming in UC patients. We suppose that increased oxidative stress, decreased OXPHOS, and a reduced platelet endogenous CoQ₁₀ level can contribute to the reprogramming of platelet mitochondrial OXPHOS toward the activation of glycolysis. The impaired mitochondrial function can contribute to increased oxidative stress by triggering the reverse electron transport from the CoQ₁₀ cycle (Q-junction) to CI.     

A step‐up PWM DC–DC converter for renewable energy applications

A step‐up pulse width modulation (PWM) direct current (DC)–DC converter is presented in this paper, which has its origin in quasi Z‐source inverter. Analysis of this converter in steady state is presented, and relevant expressions are derived for the proposed converter operating in continuous conduction mode. The power loss expressions for each component of the converter are derived, and thereby, obtained expressions for overall converter efficiency are presented. Further, a dynamic model is derived to design an appropriate controller for this converter. The simulation and experimental results are presented to support the theoretical analysis. The advantages such as continuous input current, high step‐up gain at lower duty ratio, and common ground for source, load, and switch makes the converter suitable for renewable energy applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.