An analysis of the impact of bus contention on the WCET in multicores

The use of multicores is becoming widespread inthe field of embedded systems, many of which have real-time requirements. Hence, ensuring that real-time applications meet their timing constraints is a pre-requisite before deploying them on these systems. This necessitates the consideration of the impact of the contention due to shared lowlevel hardware resources like the front-side bus (FSB) on the Worst-CaseExecution Time (WCET) of the tasks. Towards this aim, this paper proposes a method to determine an upper bound on the number of bus requests that tasks executing on a core can generate in a given time interval. We show that our method yields tighter upper bounds in comparison with the state of-the-art. We then apply our method to compute the extra contention delay incurred by tasks, when they are co-scheduled on different cores and access the shared main memory, using a shared bus, access to which is granted using a round-robin arbitration (RR) protocol.

Addressing software impact in the design of remote laboratories

Remote Laboratories or WebLabs constitute a first-order didactic resource in engineering faculties. However, in many cases, they lack a proper software design, both in the client and server side, which degrades their quality and academic usefulness. This paper presents the main characteristics of a Remote Laboratory, analyzes the software technologies to implement the client and server sides in a WebLab, and correlates these technologies with the characteristics to facilitate the selection of a technology to implement a WebLab. The results obtained suggest the adoption of a Service Oriented Laboratory Architecture-based approach for the design of future Remote Laboratories so that client-agnostic Remote Laboratories and Remote Laboratory composition are enabled. The experience with the real Remote Laboratory, WebLab-Deusto, is also presented.

(Un)ethical leadership, organizational identification and sensemaking: the BES case and its impact on employees

This paper provides an ongoing analysis to one of the biggest ethical and financial scandals in Portugal – Banco Espírito Santo (BES). BES was considered one of the three best banks but it went bankrupted and its employees were transferred to a new entity – Novo Banco. This study was conducted in order to provide an understanding of the employees’ side, which has been forgotten so far. An ethical scandal (sensebreaking) creates ambiguity and uncertainty which triggers new sensemaking processes in order to understand and derive meaning from the new reality. The methodology followed was semi-structured interviews to employees both from the branches and the central services. We found evidence that in organizations with strong identification, unethical behavior has a significant impact on followers’ – the new process of sensemaking is particularly important in this situation because employees suffer more from the disruption of their reality.

Impact of genetic SLC28 transporter and ITPA variants on ribavirin 21 serum level, hemoglobin drop and therapeutic response in patients with HCV infection

Background: T reatment o f chronic hepatitis C i s evolving, a nd direct acting antivirals ( DAAs) are now a dded to p egylated interferon-α ( Peg- INF-α) and ribavirin (RBV) for the treatment o f hepatitis C v irus ( HCV) genotype 1 infection. DAAs c ause d ifferent side effects and can even worsen RBV induced hemolytic anemia. T herefore, identifying host genetic d eterminants of R BV bioavailability and therapeutic e fficacy will remain crucial for individualized treatment. Recent d ata showed associations between R BV induced h emolytic anemia and genetic polymorphisms o f concentrative nucleoside transporters s uch as C NT3 (SLC28A3) and i nosine t riphosphatase (ITPA). T o analyze t he association of genetic variants of SLC28 transporters and ITPA with RBV induced hemolytic anemia and treatment o utcome. Methods: I n our study, 173 patients f rom t he S wiss Hepatitis C C ohort Study and 2 2 patients from Swiss Association for the Study of the Liver study 24 (61% HCV g enotype 1, 3 9% genotypes 2 o r 3) were analyzed for SLC28A2 single nucleotide p olymorphism (SNP) rs11854484, SLC28A3 rs56350726 and SLC28A3 rs10868138 as well as ITPA SNPs rs1127354 and rs7270101. RBV serum levels during treatment were measured in 49 patients. Results: SLC28A2 r s11854484 genotype TT was associated with significantly higher dosage- and body weight-adjusted RBV levels as compared to genotypes TC and CC (p=0.04 and p=0.02 at weeks 4 and 8, respectively). ITPA SNPs rs1127354 and rs7270101 were associated with h emolytic a nemia both in genotype as w ell as i n allelic a nalyses. SLC28A3 rs56350726 genotype TT (vs. AT/AA, RR=2.1; 95% CI 1.1-4.1) as well as the T allele (vs. A; RR=1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2) were associated with increased SVR rates. The combined analysis of overall ITPA activity and SLC28 v ariants together revealed n o significant a dditive effects on either treatment-related anemia or SVR. Conclusions: T he newly identified association between RBV serum levels a nd SLC28A2 rs11854484 genotype as well as the replicated association of ITPA and SLC28A3 g enetic p olymorphisms w ith RBV induced hemolytic anemia and treatment r esponse underpin the need for further studies on host genetic d eterminants of R BV bioavailability and therapeutic e fficacy f or individualized treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Le cas du chapitre 11 de l'ALÉNA : son impact sur la capacité de l'État d'agir pour le bien public et de gérer le risque

Cet article présente le chapitre 11 de l’ALÉNA à titre de question d’actualité non seulement juridique mais également sociale et politique. Après avoir retracé son origine historique et expliqué la controverse qui y est relative ainsi que ses implications, l’auteur analyse l’impact du chapitre en posant trois questions: le chapitre 11 de l’ALÉNA a-t-il l’effet recherché ?  A-t-il des effets secondaires ?  Quelle est leur importance relative ?  Afin de combler une lacune dans la doctrine existante, une analyse globale des poursuites et des jugements déjà rendus est effectuée, tableaux de travail à l’appui, État par État.  Ceci permet de constater notamment que les États-Unis n’ont jamais été condamnés à payer des dommages-intérêts en vertu de ce chapitre alors que les entreprises américaines ont raflé la quasi-totalité des dommages-intérêts payés par le Canada et le Mexique.  Les entreprises canadiennes n’ont jamais obtenu de dommages-intérêts en vertu de ce chapitre.  On constate aussi que le Canada est actuellement l’État poursuivi pour le montant le plus élevé en vertu de ce chapitre et que les poursuites intentées contre le Canada se sont multipliées par quatre, ce qui n’augure pas bien de l’avenir.

Dietary supplement use and its impact on nutritional adequacy for British Columbia and Manitoba First Nations adults living on reserve.

Contexte: L'utilisation de suppléments alimentaires est répandue chez les populations américaines et canadiennes en général, mais on en sait peu sur la consommation de suppléments alimentaires dans la population autochtone canadienne. Objectif: L'objectif général de cette étude est de prendre en compte l'utilisation de suppléments alimentaires dans l'évaluation nutritionnelle des apports alimentaires des adultes des Premières nations vivant dans les réserves en Colombie-Britannique et Manitoba. Conception: Les données ont été recueillies par l’étude ‘First Nations Food, Nutrition, and Environment Study’ de 1103 (Colombie-Britannique) et 706 (Manitoba) adultes des Premières Nations âgés de 19 à 70 ans. L'étude a utilisé un rappel alimentaire des dernières 24 heures (avec un deuxième rappel pour un sous-échantillon) pour évaluer la diète alimentaire. L'utilisation de suppléments alimentaires et des antiacides ont été recueillis par un questionnaire de fréquence. En utilisant le logiciel SIDE pour tenir compte des variations intra-individuelles dans la prise alimentaire et la technique du bootstrap pour obtenir des estimations représentatives des différentes régions, l'utilisation de suppléments de la vitamine A, D, C et de calcium ont été intégrées aux estimations de la consommation alimentaire. Résultats: Environ 30% des adultes des Premières Nations de la Colombie-Britannique et seulement 13,2% des adultes des Premières Nations du Manitoba âgés entre 19-70 ans vivant dans les réserves ont déclaré utiliser au moins un supplément alimentaire durant les 30 jours précédents. Lors de l'examen des nutriments d'intérêt, un plus faible pourcentage de la population en a fait usage, de 14,8 à 18,5% en Colombie-Britannique et de 4,9 à 8% de la population du Manitoba. La prévalence de l'usage de tout supplément alimentaire était plus élevée chez les femmes que chez les hommes dans tous les groupes d'âge et augmente avec l'âge dans les deux sexes. La plus forte prévalence d'un apport insuffisant provenant de la nourriture a été observée pour la vitamine D et le calcium en Colombie-Britannique et Manitoba, variant de 75 à 100%, et de la vitamine A dans le Manitoba (73-96%). Après avoir examiné l'utilisation de suppléments alimentaires, plus des trois quarts des participants n’ont toujours pas réussi à répondre au besoin moyen estimatif pour ces nutriments. La vitamine C est l'oligo-élément avec le plus faible pourcentage sous le besoin moyen estimatif (avec au sans suppléments) pour la Colombie-Britannique et le Manitoba. Conclusion: La majorité des adultes des Premières nations de la Colombie-Britannique et du Manitoba, même après prise en compte de l'utilisation de suppléments alimentaires, avaient des apports en vitamines A, D et des apports de calcium sous les niveaux recommandés. L'utilisation de compléments alimentaires n'a pas contribué de façon significative à l'apport total en nutriments sélectionnés sauf pour la vitamine C dans certains groupes d'âge.

The Forgotten Side of Partisanship: Negative Party Identification in Four Anglo-American Democracies

Early studies of electoral behavior proposed that party identification could be negative as well as positive. Over time, though, the concept became mostly understood as a positive construct. The few studies that took negative identification into account tended to portray it as a marginal factor that went “hand-in-hand” with positive preferences. Recent scholarship in psychology reaffirms, however, that negative evaluations are not simply the bipolar opposite of positive ones. This article considers negative party identification from this standpoint, and evaluates its impact in recent national elections in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Our findings highlight the autonomous power of negative partisanship. They indicate as well that ideology has an influence on both positive and negative partisan identification.

Impact of Tibetan Orography and Heating on the Summer Flow over Asia

The influence on the summer flow over Asia of both the orographic and thermal forcing of the Tibetan Plateau is investigated using a sequence of idealised experiments with a global primitive equation model. The zonally averaged flow is prescribed and both realistic and idealised orography and heating are used. There is some similarity between the responses to the two forcings when applied separately. The upper tropospheric Tibetan anticyclone is predominantly forced by the heating but also weakly by the orography. Below this, both forcings tend to give air descending in an equatorward anticyclonic circulation down the isentropes to the west and rising in a similar poleward circulation to the east. However the heating-only response has a strong ascending southwesterly flow that is guided around the south and south-east of the orography when it is included. On the northern side, the westerly flow over the orography gives ascent on the upslope and descent on the downslope. It is found that heating over the Plateau leads to a potential vorticity (PV) minimum and that if it is sufficiently strong the flow is unstable, producing a quasi-biweekly oscillation. During this oscillation the Tibetan anticyclone changes between a single centre over the southwestern side of the Plateau and a split/double structure with centres over China and the Middle East. These characteristics are similar to observed variability in the region. Associated with this quasi-biweekly oscillation are significant variations in the strength of the ascent over the Plateau and the Rossby wave pattern over the North Pacific. The origin of the variability is instability associated with the zonally extended potential vorticity PV minimum on a θ-surface, as proposed by Hsu and Plumb (2000). This minimum is due to the tendency to reduce the PV above the heating over the Plateau and to advection by the consequent anticyclone of high PV around from the east and low PV to the west. The deep convection to the south and southeast of the Plateau tends to suppress the quasi-biweekly oscillation because the low PV produced above it acts to reduce the meridional PV gradient reversal. The occurrence of the oscillation depends on the relative magnitude of the heating in the two regions.

Communicating information about medication side effects: effects on satisfaction, perceived risk to health, and intention to comply

Previous research has shown that people's evaluations of explanations about medication and their intention to comply with the prescription are detrimentally affected by the inclusion of information about adverse side effects of the medication. The present study (Experiment 1) examined which particular aspects of information about side effects (their number, likelihood of occurrence, or severity) are likely to have the greatest effect on people's satisfaction, perception of risk, and intention to comply, as well as how the information about side effects interacts with information about the severity of the illness for which the medication was prescribed. Across all measures, it was found that manipulations of side effect severity had the greatest impact on people's judgements, followed by manipulations of side effect likelihood and then number. Experiments 2 and 3 examined how the severity of the diagnosed illness and information about negative side effects interact with two other factors suggested by Social Cognition models of health behaviour to affect people's intention to comply: namely, perceived benefit of taking the prescribed drug, and the perceived level of control over preventing or alleviating the side effects. It was found that providing people with a statement about the positive benefit of taking the medication had relatively little effect on judgements, whereas informing them about how to reduce the chances of experiencing the side effects had an overall beneficial effect on ratings.

An investigation of the impact of time of generation on carbon savings from PV systems in Great Britain

PV only generates electricity during daylight hours and primarily generates over summer. In the UK, the carbon intensity of grid electricity is higher during the daytime and over winter. This work investigates whether the grid electricity displaced by PV is high or low carbon compared to the annual mean carbon intensity using carbon factors at higher temporal resolutions (half-hourly and daily). UK policy for carbon reporting requires savings to be calculated using the annual mean carbon intensity of grid electricity. This work offers an insight into whether this technique is appropriate. Using half hourly data on the generating plant supplying the grid from November 2008 to May 2010, carbon factors for grid electricity at half-hourly and daily resolution have been derived using technology specific generation emission factors. Applying these factors to generation data from PV systems installed on schools, it is possible to assess the variation in the carbon savings from displacing grid electricity with PV generation using carbon factors with different time resolutions. The data has been analyzed for a period of 363 to 370 days and so cannot account for inter-year variations in the relationship between PV generation and carbon intensity of the electricity grid. This analysis suggests that PV displaces more carbon intensive electricity using half-hourly carbon factors than using daily factors but less compared with annual ones. A similar methodology could provide useful insights on other variable renewable and demand-side technologies and in other countries where PV performance and grid behavior are different.

Discrete demand side control performance under dynamic building simulation: a heat pump application

This study presents the findings of applying a Discrete Demand Side Control (DDSC) approach to the space heating of two case study buildings. High and low tolerance scenarios are implemented on the space heating controller to assess the impact of DDSC upon buildings with different thermal capacitances, light-weight and heavy-weight construction. Space heating is provided by an electric heat pump powered from a wind turbine, with a back-up electrical network connection in the event of insufficient wind being available when a demand occurs. Findings highlight that thermal comfort is maintained within an acceptable range while the DDSC controller maintains the demand/supply balance. Whilst it is noted that energy demand increases slightly, as this is mostly supplied from the wind turbine, this is of little significance and hence a reduction in operating costs and carbon emissions is still attained.

The impact of stratospheric ozone recovery on the Southern Hemisphere westerly jet

In the past several decades, the tropospheric westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere have been observed to accelerate on the poleward side of the surface wind maximum. This has been attributed to the combined anthropogenic effects of increasing greenhouse gases and decreasing stratospheric ozone and is predicted to continue by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/Fourth Assessment Report (IPCC/AR4) models. In this paper, the predictions of the Chemistry-Climate Model Validation (CCMVal) models are examined: Unlike the AR4 models, the CCMVal models have a fully interactive stratospheric chemistry. Owing to the expected disappearance of the ozone hole in the first half of the 21st century, the CCMVal models predict that the tropospheric westerlies in Southern Hemisphere summer will be decelerated, on the poleward side, in contrast with the prediction of most IPCC/AR4 models.

The impact of oligofructose on stimulation of gut hormones, appetite regulation, and adiposity

Objective To investigate the effect of nutrient stimulation of gut hormones by oligofructose supplementation on appetite, energy intake (EI), body weight (BW) and adiposity in overweight and obese volunteers. Methods In a parallel, single-blind and placebo-controlled study, 22 healthy overweight and obese volunteers were randomly allocated to receive 30 g day−1 oligofructose or cellulose for 6 weeks following a 2-week run-in. Subjective appetite and side effect scores, breath hydrogen, serum short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), plasma gut hormones, glucose and insulin concentrations, EI, BW and adiposity were quantified at baseline and post-supplementation. Results Oligofructose increased breath hydrogen (P < 0.0001), late acetate concentrations (P = 0.024), tended to increase total area under the curve (tAUC)420mins peptide YY (PYY) (P = 0.056) and reduced tAUC450mins hunger (P = 0.034) and motivation to eat (P = 0.013) when compared with cellulose. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in other parameters although within group analyses showed an increase in glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) (P = 0.006) in the cellulose group and a decrease in EI during ad libitum meal in both groups. Conclusions Oligofructose increased plasma PYY concentrations and suppressed appetite, while cellulose increased GLP-1 concentrations. EI decreased in both groups. However, these positive effects did not translate into changes in BW or adiposity.

The impact of secondary pests on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops

The intensification of agriculture and the development of synthetic insecticides enabled worldwide grain production to more than double in the last third of the 20th century. However, the heavy dependence and, in some cases, overuse of insecticides has been responsible for negative environmental and ecological impacts across the globe, such as a reduction in biodiversity, insect resistance to pesticides, negative effects on nontarget species (e.g. natural enemies) and the development of secondary pests. The use of recombinant DNA technology to develop genetically engineered (GE) insect resistant crops could mitigate many of the negative side effects of pesticides. One such genetic alteration enables crops to express toxic crystalline (Cry) proteins from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Despite the widespread adoption of Bt crops, there are still a range of unanswered questions concerning longer term agro-ecosystem interactions. For instance, insect species that are not susceptible to the expressed toxin can develop into secondary pests and cause significant damage to the crop. Here we review the main causes surrounding secondary pest dynamics in Bt crops and the impact of such outbreaks. Regardless of the causes, if non-susceptible secondary pest populations exceed economic thresholds, insecticide spraying could become the immediate solution at farmers’ disposal, and the sustainable use of this genetic modification technology may be in jeopardy. Based on the literature, recommendations for future research are outlined that will help to improve the knowledge of the possible longterm ecological trophic interactions of employing this technology.

Impact of a Fram Strait cyclone on ice edge, drift, divergence, and concentration: Possibilities and limits of an observational analysis

This study aims at the determination of a Fram Strait cyclone track and of the cyclone’s impact on ice edge, drift, divergence, and concentration. A 24 h period on 13–14 March 2002 framed by two RADARSAT images is analyzed. Data are included from autonomous ice buoys, a research vessel, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and QuikSCAT satellite, and the operational European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model. During this 24 h period the cyclone moved northward along the western ice edge in the Fram Strait, crossed the northern ice edge, made a left-turn loop with 150 km diameter over the sea ice, and returned to the northern ice edge. The ECMWF analysis places the cyclone track 100 km too far west over the sea ice, a deviation which is too large for representative sea ice simulations. On the east side of the northward moving cyclone, the ice edge was pushed northward by 55 km because of strong winds. On the rear side, the ice edge advanced toward the open water but by a smaller distance because of weaker winds there. The ice drift pattern as calculated from the ice buoys and the two RADARSAT images is cyclonically curved around the center of the cyclone loop. Ice drift divergence shows a spatial pattern with divergence in the loop center and a zone of convergence around. Ice concentration changes as retrieved from SSM/I data follow the divergence pattern such that sea ice concentration increased in areas of divergence and decreased in areas of convergence.