automated test case generation for the stress testing of multimedia systems

With the advancement in network bandwidth and computing power, multimedia systems have become a popular means for information delivery. However, general principles of system testing cannot be directly applied to testing of multimedia systems on account of their stringent temporal and synchronization requirements. In particular, few studies have been made on the stress testing of multimedia systems with respect to their temporal requirements under resource saturation. Stress testing is important because erroneous behavior is most likely to occur under resource saturation. This paper presents an automatable method of test case generation for the stress testing of multimedia systems. It adapts constraint solving techniques to generate test cases that lead to potential resource saturation in a multimedia system. Coverage of the test cases is defined upon the reachability graph of a multimedia system. The proposed stress testing technique is supported by tools and has been successfully applied to a real-life commercial multimedia system. Although our technique focuses on the stress testing of multimedia systems, the underlying issues and concepts are applicable to other types of real-time systems.

Static and dynamic electric field domain formation in a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice

We have observed the transition from static to dynamic electric field domain formation induced by a transverse magnetic field and the sample temperature in a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice. The observations can be very well explained by a general analysis of instabilities and oscillations of the sequential tunnelling current in superlattices based solely on the magnitude of the negative differential resistance region in the tunnelling characteristic of a single barrier. Both increasing magnetic field and sample temperature change the negative differential resistance and cause the transition between static and dynamic electric field domain formation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The mechanical and thermal behaviors of glass bead filled polypropylene

Notch Izod impact strength of poly(propylene) (PP)/glass bead blends was studied as a function of temperature. The results indicated that the toughness for various blends could undergo a brittle-ductile transition (BDT) with increasing temperature. The BDT temperature (T-BD) decreased with increasing glass bead content. Introducing the interparticle distance (ID) concept into the study, it was found that the critical interparticle distance (IDc) reduced with increasing test temperature correspondingly. The static tensile tests showed that the Young's modulus of the blends decreased slightly first and thereafter increased with increasing glass bead content. However, the yield stress decreased considerably with the increase in glass bead content. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurements revealed that the heat-deflection temperature of the PP could be much improved by the incorporation of glass beads. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (T-g) increased obviously with increasing glass beads content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results implied that the addition of glass beads could change the crystallinity as well as the melting temperature of the PP slightly.

Effects of acute temperature or salinity stress on the immune response in sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus

Invertebrates are increasingly raised in mariculture, where it is important to monitor immune function and to minimize stresses that could suppress immunity. The activities of phagocytosis, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), myeloperoxiclase (MPO), and lysozyme (LSZ) were measured to evaluate the immune capacities of the sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, to acute temperature changes (from 12 degrees C to 0 degrees C, 8 degrees C, 16 degrees C, 24 degrees C, and 32 degrees C for 72 h) and salinity changes (from 30 parts per thousand to 20 parts per thousand, 25 parts per thousand, and 35 parts per thousand for 72 h) in the laboratory. Phagocytosis was significantly affected by temperature increases in 3 h, and by salinity (25 parts per thousand and 35 parts per thousand) changes in 1 h. SOD activities decreased significantly in 0.5 h to 6 h samples at 24 degrees C. At 32 degrees C, SOD activities decreased significantly in 0.5 h and 1 h exposures, and obviously increased for 12 h exposure. CAT activities decreased significantly at 24 degrees C for 0.5 h exposure, and increased significantly at 32 degrees C in 3 h to 12 h exposures. Activities of MPO increased significantly at 0 degrees C in 0.5 h to 6 In exposures and at 8 degrees C for 1 h. By contrast, activities of MPO decreased significantly in 24 degrees C and 32 degrees C treatments. In elevated-temperature treatments, activities of LSZ increased significantly except at 32 degrees C for 6 h to 12 h exposures. SOD activity was significantly affected by salinity change. CAT activity decreased significantly after only 1 h exposure to salinity of 20 parts per thousand.. Activities of MPO and LSZ showed that A. japonicus tolerates limited salinity stress. High-temperature stress had a much greater effect on the immune capacities of A. japonicus than did low-temperature and salinity stresses. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

填土边坡水文作用机理与破坏过程研究—以深圳羊宝地填土滑坡为例

A full understanding of failure mechanism, critical hydrological condition, and process of mobilization and deposition of a landslide is essential for optimal design of stabilization measure and forecasting of landslide hazard. This requires a quantitative study of hydrological response of a slope to rainfall through field monitoring, laboratory test and numerical modelling. At 13:40 on September 18, 2002, a fill slope failed following a period of prolonged rain in Shenzhen, resulting in 5 fatalities and 31 injuries. The failed mass with a volume about 2.5×104m3 traveled about 140m on level ground. Field monitoring, laboratory test, theoretical analysis and numerical modelling were carried out to undestand the hydrological response and failure mechanism of this fill slope. This thesis mainly focuses on the following aspects: (1) The hydrological responses and failure processes of slopes under rainfall infiltration were reviewed. Firstly, the factors influencing on the hydrological responses of slopes were analysed. Secondly, the change of stress state of slope soil and modelling methods of slope failure under rainfall infiltration were reviewed. (2) The characteristics of the Yangbaodi landslide and associated rainfall triggering the failure were presented. The failure was characterized by shallow flowslide, due to an increase of ground water table caused by rainfall infiltration. (3) A fully automated instrumentation was carried out to monitor rainfall, and saturated – unsaturated hydrological response of the fill slope, using a raingauge, piezometers, tensiometers and moisture probes. A conceptual hydrogeological model was presented based on field monitoring and borehole data. Analysis of monitoring data showed that the high pore water pressure in fill slope was caused by upward flow of semiconfined groundwater in the moderately decomposed granite. (4) Laboratory and in-situ testing was performed to study the physical and mechanical properties of fills. Isotropically consolidated undrained compression tests and anisotropically consolidated constant shear stress tests were carried out to understand the failure mechanism of the fill slope. It is indicated that loosely compacted soil is of strain-softening behaviour under undrained conditions, accompanied with a rapid increase in excess pore water pressure. In anisotropically consolidated constant shear stress tests, a very small axial strain was required to induce the failure and the excess pore water pressure increased quickly at failure. This indicated that static liquefaction caused by rise in groundwater table due to rainfall infiltration occurred. (5) The hydraulic conductivity of the highly and moderately decomposed granite was estimated using monitering data of pore water pressure. A saturated – unsaturated flow was modeled to study the hydrological response of the fill slope using rainfall records. It was observed that the lagged failure was due to the geological conditions and the discrepancy of hydraulic conductivity of slope soils. The hydraulic conductivity of moderately decomposed granite is relatively higher than the other materials, resulting in a semiconfied groundwater flow in the moderately decomposed granite, and subsequent upward flow into the upper fill layer. When the ground water table in the fill layer was increased to the critical state, the fill slope failed. (6) Numerical exercises were conducted to replay the failure process of the fill slope, based on field monitoring, laboratory and in-situ testing. It was found that the fill slope was mobilized by a rapid transfer of the concentrated shear stress. The movement of failure mass was characterized by viscosity fluid with a gradual increase in velocity. The failure process, including mobilization and subsequent movement and deposition, was studied using numerical methods.

断陷湖盆缓坡带成藏模式研究

Halfgraben-like depressions have multiple layers of subtle traps, multiple coverings of oil-bearing series and multiple types of reservoirs. But these reservoirs have features of strong concealment and are difficult to explore. For this reason, many scholars contribute efforts to study the pool-forming mechanism for this kind of basins, and establish the basis for reservoir exploration and development. However, further study is needed. This paper takes HuiMin depression as an example to study the pool-forming model for the gentle slope belts of fault-depression lake basins. Applying multi-discipline theory, methods and technologies including sedimentary geology, structural geology, log geology, seismic geology, rock mechanics and fluid mechanics, and furthermore applying the dynamo-static data of oil reservoir and computer means in maximum limitation, this paper, qualitatively and quantitatively studies the depositional system, structural framework, structural evolution, structural lithofacies and tectonic stress field, as well as fluid potential field, sealing and opening properties of controlling-oil faults and reservoir prediction, finally presents a pool-forming model, and develops a series of methods and technologies suited to the reservoir prediction of the gentle slope belt. The results obtained in this paper richen the pool-forming theory of a complex oil-gas accumulative area in the gentle slope belt of a continental fault-depression basin. The research work begins with the study of geometric shape of fracture system, then the structural form, activity stages and time-space juxtaposition of faults with different level and different quality are investigated. On the basis of study of the burial history, subsidence history and structural evolution history, this paper synthesizes the studied results of deposition system, analyses the structural lithofacies of the gentle slope belt in the HuiMing Depression and its controlling roles to oil reservoir in the different structural lithofacies belts in time-space, and presents their evolution patterns. The study of structural stress field and fluid potential field indicates that the stress field has a great change from the Dong Ying stages to nowadays. One marked point among them is that the Dong Ying double peak- shaped nose structures usually were the favorable directional area for oil and gas migration, while the QuDi horst became favorable directional area since the GuanTao stage. Based on the active regular of fractures and the information of crude oil saturation pressure, this paper firstly demonstrates that the pool-forming stages of the LingNan field were prior to the stages of the QuDi field, whici provides new eyereach and thinking for hydrocarbon exploration in the gentle slope belt. The BeiQiao-RenFeng buried hill belt is a high value area with the maximum stress values from beginning to end, thus it is a favorable directional area for oil and gas migration. The opening and sealing properties of fractures are studied. The results obtained demonstrate their difference in the hydrocarbon pool formation. The seal abilities relate not only with the quality, direction and scale of normal stress, with the interface between the rocks of two sides of a fault and with the shale smear factor (SSF), but they relate also with the juxtaposition of fault motion stage and hydrocarbon migration. In the HuiMin gentle slope belt, the fault seal has difference both in different stages, and in different location and depth in the same stage. The seal extent also displays much difference. Therefore, the fault seal has time-space difference. On the basis of study of fault seal history, together with the obtained achievement of structural stress field and fluid potential field, it is discovered that for the pool-forming process of oil and gas in the studied area the fault seal of nowadays is better than that of the Ed and Ng stages, it plays an important role to determine the oil column height and hydrocarbon preservation. However, the fault seal of the Ed and Ng stages has an important influence for the distribution state of oil and gas. Because the influential parameters are complicated and undefined, we adopt SSF in the research work. It well reflects synthetic effect of each parameter which influences fault seal. On the basis of the above studies, three systems of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation, as well as a pool-forming model are established for the gentle slope belt of the HuiMin depression, which can be applied for the prediction of regular patterns of oil-gas migration. Under guidance of the pool-forming geological model for the HuiMin slope belt, and taking seismic facies technology, log constraint evolution technology, pattern recognition of multiple parameter reservoir and discrimination technology of oil-bearing ability, this paper develops a set of methods and technologies suited to oil reservoir prediction of the gentle slope belt. Good economic benefit has been obtained.