A survey of major challenges and future directions for next generation pervasive computing

Pervasive computing has emerged as a new computing paradigm with a great deal with appeal in our everyday environment. However, the benefits offered by this new computing paradigm are relatively below our expected standard. This paper discusses the major challenges for the next generation pervasive computing and the difficulties in developing a promising system to meet these challenges. Then, we present a survey that covers relevant existing approaches addressed to overcome the challenges. Finally, we highlight future research directions and present a new intriguing exploration, aiming to broaden the appeal and bridge the gap for the fulfillment of the challenges. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006

Simultaneous Evaporation Cu and Sn from Liquid Steel

In order to understand evaporation refining of tramp elements in molten ferrous scrap, Cu and Sn, a series of experiments were carried out using liquid-gas reaction in a levitation melting equipment. Effect of S and C, which are abundant in hot metal from ironmaking process, was examined and analyzed by employing a comprehensive evaporation kinetic model developed by the present authors (Jung et al. in Metall Mater Trans B 46B:250-258, 2014; Jung et al. in Metall Mater Trans B 46B:259-266, 2014; Jung et al. in Metall Mater Trans B 46B:267-277, 2014; Jung and Kang in Metall Mater Trans B ExternalRef RefSource10.1007/s11663-016-0601-5RefSource RefTarget Address="10.1007/s11663-016-0601-5" TargetType="DOI" ExternalRef, 2016). Evaporation of Cu and Sn were treated by evaporation of individual species such as Cu(g), CuS(g), Sn(g), and SnS(g), along with CS2(g). Decrease of Cu and Sn content in liquid steel was in good agreement with the model prediction. Optimum conditions of steel composition for the rapid evaporation of Cu and Sn were proposed by utilizing the model predictions.1132Ysciescopu

A Reaction Between High Mn-High Al Steel and CaO-SiO2-Type Molten Mold Flux: Part I. Composition Evolution in Molten Mold Flux

In order to elucidate the reaction mechanism between high Mn-high Al steel such as twin-induced plasticity steel and molten mold flux composed mainly of CaO-SiO2 during continuous casting process, a series of laboratory-scale experiments were carried out in the present study. Molten steel and molten flux were brought to react in a refractory crucible in a temperature range between 1713 K to 1823 K (1440 A degrees C to 1550 A degrees C) and composition evolution in the steel and the flux was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and electron probe microanalysis. The amount of SiO2 in the flux was significantly reduced by Al in the steelthus, Al2O3 was accumulated in the flux as a result of a chemical reaction, 4[Al] + 3(SiO2) = 3[Si] + 2(Al2O3). In order to find a major factor which governs the reaction, a number of factors ((pct CaO/pct SiO2), (pct Al2O3), [pct Al], [pct Si], and temperature) were varied in the experiments. It was found that the above chemical reaction was mostly governed by [pct Al] in the molten steel. Temperature had a mild effect on the reaction. On the other hand, (pct CaO/pct SiO2), (pct Al2O3), and [pct Si] did not show any noticeable effect on the reaction. Apart from the above reaction, the following reactions are also thought to happen simultaneously: 2[Mn] + (SiO2) = [Si] + 2(MnO) and 2[Fe] + (SiO2) = [Si] + 2(FeO). These oxide components were subsequently reduced by Al in the molten steel. Na2O in the molten flux was gradually decreased and the decrease was accelerated by increasing [pct Al] and temperature. Possible reactions affecting the Al2O3 accumulation are summarized.ope

Intravaginal Administration of Fc-Fused IL7 Suppresses the Cervicovaginal Tumor by Recruiting HPV DNA Vaccine-Induced CD8 T Cells

Purpose: The induction of tissue-localized virus-specific CD8 T-cell response is essential for the development of an effective therapeutic vaccine against genital diseases, such as cervical cancer and genital herpes. Here, we aimed to elucidate the immunologic role of IL7 in the induction of mucosal cellular immunity. Experimental Design: IL7 was engineered through Fc fusion to enhance mucosal delivery across the genital epithelial barrier. The immunomodulatory role of IL7 was evaluated by monitoring the kinetics of various immune cells and measuring the expression of chemokines and cytokines after intravaginal administration of Fc-fused IL7 (IL7-Fc). The antitumor effects of intramuscular human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA vaccine or topical IL7-Fc alone or in a combinational regimen on mice survival were compared using a orthotopic cervical cancer model. Results: Intravaginal treatment of IL7-Fc, but not native IL7, induces upregulation of chemokines (CXCL10, CCL3, CCL4, and CCL5), cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF alpha, IL6, and IL1 beta), and an adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) in the genital tract, leading to the recruitment of several leukocytes, including CD4, CD8, gamma delta T cells, and dendritic cells. Importantly, in this murine cervical cancer model, topical administration of IL7-Fc after intramuscular HPV DNA vaccination increases the number of HPV-specific CD8 T cells in the genital mucosa, but not in the spleen, leading to stronger antitumor activity than the HPV DNA vaccine alone. Conclusions: Our findings provide an important insight into the immunomodulatory role of IL7-Fc via topical application and the design of therapeutic vaccine regimen that induces effective genital-mucosal CD8 T-cell responses.1110Ysciescopu

Bisphenol A exposure in Mexico City and risk of prematurity: a pilot nested case control study

Abstract Background Presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) has been documented worldwide in a variety of human biological samples. There is growing evidence that low level BPA exposure may impact placental tissue development and thyroid function in humans. The aim of this present pilot study was to determine urinary concentrations of BPA during the last trimester of pregnancy among a small subset of women in Mexico City, Mexico and relate these concentrations to risk of delivering prematurely. Methods A nested case-control subset of 60 participants in the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) study in Mexico City, Mexico were selected based on delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and greater than 37 weeks of gestation. Third trimester archived spot urine samples were analyzed by online solid phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results BPA was detected in 80.0% (N = 48) of the urine samples; total concentrations ranged from < 0.4 μg/L to 6.7 μg/L; uncorrected geometric mean was 1.52 μg/L. The adjusted odds ratio of delivering less than or equal to 37 weeks in relation to specific gravity adjusted third trimester BPA concentration was 1.91 (95%CI 0.93, 3.91, p-value = 0.08). When cases were further restricted to births occurring prior to the 37th week (n = 12), the odds ratio for specific-gravity adjusted BPA was larger and statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions This is the first study to document measurable levels of BPA in the urine of a population of Mexican women. This study also provides preliminary evidence, based on a single spot urine sample collected during the third trimester, that pregnant women who delivered less than or equal to 37 weeks of gestation and prematurely (< 37 weeks) had higher urinary concentrations of BPA compared to women delivering after 37 weeks.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/1/1476-069X-9-62.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78251/2/1476-069X-9-62.pdfPeer Reviewe

Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments.

Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the θ_{μe} mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}, excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<13  eV^{2}. Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<1.6 eV^{2}

Improved Measurements of Partial Rate Asymmetry in B -> h h Decays

We report improved measurements of the partial rate asymmetry (Acp) in B -> h h decays with 140fb^-1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. Here h stands for a charged or neutral pion or kaon and in total five decay modes are included: K-+ pi+-, K0s pi-+, K-+ pi0, pi-+ pi0 and K0s pi0. The flavor of the last decay mode is determined from the accompanying B meson. Using a data sample 4.7 times larger than that of our previous measurement, we find Acp(K-+ pi+-) -0.088+-0.035+-0.013, 2.4 sigma from zero. Results for other decay modes are also presented.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Structure of hadron resonances with a nearby zero of the amplitude

We discuss the relation between the analytic structure of the scattering amplitude and the origin of an eigenstate represented by a pole of the amplitude.If the eigenstate is not dynamically generated by the interaction in the channel of interest, the residue of the pole vanishes in the zero coupling limit. Based on the topological nature of the phase of the scattering amplitude, we show that the pole must encounter with the Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson (CDD) zero in this limit. It is concluded that the dynamical component of the eigenstate is small if a CDD zero exists near the eigenstate pole. We show that the line shape of the resonance is distorted from the Breit-Wigner form as an observable consequence of the nearby CDD zero. Finally, studying the positions of poles and CDD zeros of the KbarN-piSigma amplitude, we discuss the origin of the eigenstates in the Lambda(1405) region.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, v2: published versio

The Formation and Evolution of the First Massive Black Holes

The first massive astrophysical black holes likely formed at high redshifts (z>10) at the centers of low mass (~10^6 Msun) dark matter concentrations. These black holes grow by mergers and gas accretion, evolve into the population of bright quasars observed at lower redshifts, and eventually leave the supermassive black hole remnants that are ubiquitous at the centers of galaxies in the nearby universe. The astrophysical processes responsible for the formation of the earliest seed black holes are poorly understood. The purpose of this review is threefold: (1) to describe theoretical expectations for the formation and growth of the earliest black holes within the general paradigm of hierarchical cold dark matter cosmologies, (2) to summarize several relevant recent observations that have implications for the formation of the earliest black holes, and (3) to look into the future and assess the power of forthcoming observations to probe the physics of the first active galactic nuclei.Comment: 39 pages, review for "Supermassive Black Holes in the Distant Universe", Ed. A. J. Barger, Kluwer Academic Publisher

In situ production of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in molten salt phase for thermal energy storage and heat-transfer fluid applications

In this study, TiO2 nanoparticles (average particle size 16 nm) were successfully produced in molten salt phase and were showed to significantly enhance the specific heat capacity of a binary eutectic mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate (60/40) by 5.4 % at 390 °C and 7.5 % at 445 °C for 3.0 wt% of precursors used. The objective of this research was to develop a cost-effective alternate method of production which is potentially scalable, as current techniques utilized are not economically viable for large quantities. Enhancing the specific heat capacity of molten salt would promote more competitive pricing for electricity production by concentrating solar power plant. Here, a simple precursor (TiOSO4) was added to a binary eutectic mixture of potassium and sodium nitrate, heated to 450 °C, and cooled to witness the production of nanoparticles