Uptake of permanganate from aqueous environment by surfactant modified montmorillonite batch and fixed bed studies

Organo-clay was prepared by incorporating different amounts (in terms of CEC, ranging from 134-840 mg of quaternary ammonium cation (QACs) such as hexadecytrimethylammonium bromide (C19H42N]Br) into the montmorillonite clay. Prepared organo-clays are characterized by CHN analyser and XRD to measure the amount of elemental content and interlayer spacing of surfactant modified clay. The batch experiments of sorption of permanganate from aqueous media by organo-clays was studied at different acidic strengths (pH 1-7). The experimental results show that the rate and amount of adsorption of permanganate was higher at lower pH compared to raw montmorillonite. Laboratory fixed bed experiments were conducted to evaluate the breakthrough time and nature of breakthrough curves. The shape of the breakthrough curves shows that the initial cationic surfactant loadings at 1.0 CEC of the clay is enough to enter the permanganate ions in to the interlamellar region of the surfactant modified smectile clays. These fixed bed studies were also applied to quantify the effect of bed-depth and breakthrough time during the uptake of permanganate. Calculation of thermodynamic parameters shows that the sorption of permanganate is spontaneous and follows the first order kinetics.

Large improvements in application throughput of long-running multi-component applications using batch grids

Computational grids with multiple batch systems (batch grids) can be powerful infrastructures for executing long-running multi-component parallel applications. In this paper, we evaluate the potential improvements in throughput of long-running multi-component applications when the different components of the applications are executed on multiple batch systems of batch grids. We compare the multiple batch executions with executions of the components on a single batch system without increasing the number of processors used for executions. We perform our analysis with a foremost long-running multi-component application for climate modeling, the Community Climate System Model (CCSM). We have built a robust simulator that models the characteristics of both the multi-component application and the batch systems. By conducting large number of simulations with different workload characteristics and queuing policies of the systems, processor allocations to components of the application, distributions of the components to the batch systems and inter-cluster bandwidths, we show that multiple batch executions lead to 55% average increase in throughput over single batch executions for long-running CCSM. We also conducted real experiments with a practical middleware infrastructure and showed that multi-site executions lead to effective utilization of batch systems for executions of CCSM and give higher simulation throughput than single-site executions. Copyright (c) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identifying services from Legacy batch applications

Transaction processing is a key constituent of the IT workload of commercial enterprises (e.g., banks, insurance companies). Even today, in many large enterprises, transaction processing is done by legacy "batch" applications, which run offline and process accumulated transactions. Developers acknowledge the presence of multiple loosely coupled pieces of functionality within individual applications. Identifying such pieces of functionality (which we call "services") is desirable for the maintenance and evolution of these legacy applications. This is a hard problem, which enterprises grapple with, and one without satisfactory automated solutions. In this paper, we propose a novel static-analysis-based solution to the problem of identifying services within transaction-processing programs. We provide a formal characterization of services in terms of control-flow and data-flow properties, which is well-suited to the idioms commonly exhibited by business applications. Our technique combines program slicing with the detection of conditional code regions to identify services in accordance with our characterization. A preliminary evaluation, based on a manual analysis of three real business programs, indicates that our approach can be effective in identifying useful services from batch applications.

Studies on Groundnut Fermentation

The nature and the density of population of micro-organisms associated with groundnut fermentation have been established by adopting suitable microbioIogical procedures. Evidence has been drawn to show that the microflora ofthe fermenting liquors are responsible for the decomposition of the fatty cbmponents of the groundnut during its fermentation

Delay optimal scheduling of a discrete-time batch service queue for point-to-point channel code rate selection

We consider the problem of characterizing the minimum average delay, or equivalently the minimum average queue length, of message symbols randomly arriving to the transmitter queue of a point-to-point link which dynamically selects a (n, k) block code from a given collection. The system is modeled by a discrete time queue with an IID batch arrival process and batch service. We obtain a lower bound on the minimum average queue length, which is the optimal value for a linear program, using only the mean (λ) and variance (σ2) of the batch arrivals. For a finite collection of (n, k) codes the minimum achievable average queue length is shown to be Θ(1/ε) as ε ↓ 0 where ε is the difference between the maximum code rate and λ. We obtain a sufficient condition for code rate selection policies to achieve this optimal growth rate. A simple family of policies that use only one block code each as well as two other heuristic policies are shown to be weakly optimal in the sense of achieving the 1/ε growth rate. An appropriate selection from the family of policies that use only one block code each is also shown to achieve the optimal coefficient σ2/2 of the 1/ε growth rate. We compare the performance of the heuristic policies with the minimum achievable average queue length and the lower bound numerically. For a countable collection of (n, k) codes, the optimal average queue length is shown to be Ω(1/ε). We illustrate the selectivity among policies of the growth rate optimality criterion for both finite and countable collections of (n, k) block codes.

Minimizing total weighted tardiness on heterogeneous batch processors with incompatible job families

In this paper, we address a scheduling problem for minimizing total weighted tardiness. The background for the paper is derived from the automobile gear manufacturing process. We consider the bottleneck operation of heat treatment stage of gear manufacturing. Real-life scenarios like unequal release times, incompatible job families, nonidentical job sizes, heterogeneous batch processors, and allowance for job splitting have been considered. We have developed a mathematical model which takes into account dynamic starting conditions. The problem considered in this study is NP-hard in nature, and hence heuristic algorithms have been proposed to address it. For real-life large-size problems, the performance of the proposed heuristic algorithms is evaluated using the method of estimated optimal solution available in literature. Extensive computational analyses reveal that the proposed heuristic algorithms are capable of consistently obtaining near-optimal statistically estimated solutions in very reasonable computational time.

Prediction of Queue Waiting Times for Metascheduling on Parallel Batch Systems

Prediction of queue waiting times of jobs submitted to production parallel batch systems is important to provide overall estimates to users and can also help meta-schedulers make scheduling decisions. In this work, we have developed a framework for predicting ranges of queue waiting times for jobs by employing multi-class classification of similar jobs in history. Our hierarchical prediction strategy first predicts the point wait time of a job using dynamic k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN) method. It then performs a multi-class classification using Support Vector Machines (SVMs) among all the classes of the jobs. The probabilities given by the SVM for the class predicted using k-NN and its neighboring classes are used to provide a set of ranges of predicted wait times with probabilities. We have used these predictions and probabilities in a meta-scheduling strategy that distributes jobs to different queues/sites in a multi-queue/grid environment for minimizing wait times of the jobs. Experiments with different production supercomputer job traces show that our prediction strategies can give correct predictions for about 77-87% of the jobs, and also result in about 12% improved accuracy when compared to the next best existing method. Experiments with our meta-scheduling strategy using different production and synthetic job traces for various system sizes, partitioning schemes and different workloads, show that the meta-scheduling strategy gives much improved performance when compared to existing scheduling policies by reducing the overall average queue waiting times of the jobs by about 47%.

Micro-scale anaerobic digestion of point source components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

The fermentation characteristics of six specific types of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were examined, with an emphasis on properties that are needed when designing plug-flow type anaerobic bioreactors. More specifically, the decomposition patterns of a vegetable (cabbage), fruits (banana and citrus peels), fresh leaf litter of bamboo and teak leaves, and paper (newsprint) waste streams as feedstocks were studied. Individual OFMSW components were placed into nylon mesh bags and subjected to various fermentation periods (solids retention time, SRT) within the inlet of a functioning plug-flow biogas fermentor. These were removed at periodic intervals, and their composition was analyzed to monitor decomposition rates and changes in chemical composition. Components like cabbage waste, banana peels, and orange peels fermented rapidly both in a plug-flow biogas reactor (PFBR) as well as under a biological methane potential (BMP) assay, while other OFMSW components (leaf litter from bamboo and teak leaves and newsprint) fermented slowly with poor process stability and moderate biodegradation. For fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW), a rapid and efficient removal of pectins is the main cause of rapid disintegration of these feedstocks, which left behind very little compost forming residues (2–5%). Teak and bamboo leaves and newsprint decomposed only to 25–50% in 30 d. These results confirm the potential for volatile fatty acids accumulation in a PFBR’s inlet and suggest a modification of the inlet zone or operation of a PFBR with the above feedstocks.

Xylan-Degrading Enzymes from the Thermophilic Fungus Humicola Zanuginosa (Griffon and Maublanc) Bunce: Action Pattern of Xylanase and beta-Glucosidase on Xylans, Xylooligomers and Arabinoxylooligomers

The mode of action of xylanase and beta-glucosidase purified from the culture filtrate of Humicola lanuginosa (Griffon and Maublanc) Bunce on the xylan extracted from sugarcane bagasse and on two commercially available larchwood and oat spelt xylans, on xylooligomers and on arabinoxylooligomers was studied. While larchwood and oat spelt xylans were hydrolyzed to the same extent in 24 h, sugarcane bagasse xylan was hydrolyzed to a lesser extent in the same period. It was found that the rate of hydrolysis of xylooligomers by xylanase increased with increase in chain length, while beta-glucosidase acted rather slowly on all the oligomers tested. Xylanase exhibited predominant ''endo'' action on xylooligomers attacking the xylan chain at random while beta-glucosidase had ''exo'' action, releasing one xylose residue at a time. On arabinoxylooligomers, however, xylanase exhibited ''exo'' action. Thus, it appears that the presence of the arabinose substituent has, in some way, rendered the terminal xylose-xylose linkage more susceptible to xylanase action. It was also observed that even after extensive hydrolysis with both the enzymes, substantial amounts of the parent arabinoxylooligomer remained unhydrolyzed together with the accumulation of arabinoxylobiose. It can therefore be concluded that the presence of the arabinose substituent in the xylan chain results in linkages that offer resistance to both xylanase and beta-glucosidase action.

Biomethanation of herbaceous biomass residues using 3-zone plug flow like digesters - A case study from India

Biomethanation of herbaceous biomass feedstock has the potential to provide clean energy source for cooking and other activities in areas where such biomass availability predominates. A biomethanation concept that involves fermentation of biomass residues in three steps, occurring in three zones of the fermentor is described. This approach while attempting take advantage of multistage reactors simplifies the reactor operation and obviates the need for a high degree of process control or complex reactor design. Typical herbaceous biomass decompose with a rapid VFA flux initially (with a tendency to float) followed by a slower decomposition showing balanced process of VFA generation and its utilization by methanogens that colonize biomass slowly. The tendency to float at the initial stages is suppressed by allowing previous days feed to hold it below digester liquid which permits VFA to disperse into the digester liquid without causing process inhibition. This approach has been used to build and operate simple biomass digesters to provide cooking gas in rural areas with weed and agro-residues. With appropriate modifications, the same concept has been used for digesting municipal solid wastes in small towns where large fermentors are not viable. With further modifications this concept has been used for solid-liquid feed fermentors. Methanogen colonized leaf biomass has been used as biofilm support to treat coffee processing wastewater as well as crop litter alternately in a year. During summer it functions as a biomass based biogas plants operating in the three-zone mode while in winter, feeding biomass is suspended and high strength coffee processing wastewater is let into the fermentor achieving over 90% BOD reduction. The early field experience of these fermentors is presented.

GRDB: A general purpose relational database system

This article discusses the design and development of GRDB (General Purpose Relational Data Base System) which has been implemented on a DEC-1090 system in Pascal. GRDB is a general purpose database system designed to be completely independent of the nature of data to be handled, since it is not tailored to the specific requirements of any particular enterprise. It can handle different types of data such as variable length records and textual data. Apart from the usual database facilities such as data definition and data manipulation, GRDB supports User Definition Language (UDL) and Security definition language. These facilities are provided through a SEQUEL-like General Purpose Query Language (GQL). GRDB provides adequate protection facilities up to the relation level. The concept of “security matrix” has been made use of to provide database protection. The concept of Unique IDentification number (UID) and Password is made use of to ensure user identification and authentication. The concept of static integrity constraints has been used to ensure data integrity. Considerable efforts have been made to improve the response time through indexing on the data files and query optimisation. GRDB is designed for an interactive use but alternate provision has been made for its use through batch mode also. A typical Air Force application (consisting of data about personnel, inventory control, and maintenance planning) has been used to test GRDB and it has been found to perform satisfactorily.

Styrene Oxidation to Benzaldehyde by Polymer Anchored Wilkinson Complex

Wilkinson complex, insolubilized by anchoring to polymeric Amberlite beads, had been used for the liquid-phase catalytic oxidation of styrene to benzaldehyde and formaldehyde in toluene medium. Styrene conversion was followed by measuring the oxygen volume in contact with the reaction mixture in a specially designed closed batch apparatus. Styrene conversion depended upon catalyst loading and distribution inside the porous beads, while temperature had little effect on it. The internal diffusional effects on the conversion process have been taken into consideration by a mathematical model which allowed calculation of effectiveness factors for various catalyst loadings and corresponding catalyst distributions. The influence of external diffusion was separately determined by plotting initial rate versus catalyst loading. The proposed method can be readily extended to immobilized enzymes in porous matrices.