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In the present experiment, a Thr fermentation product (FP) (75% minimum digestible Thr) was evaluated as a replacement for crystalline L-Thr (98.5% minimum digestible Thr) as a source of digestible Thr and other nutrients to support broiler performance (0–48 d) and processing characteristics. Five phase-fed diets included 1) a positive control (PC) diet containing L-Met, L-Lys•HCl, and L-Thr, 2) a reduced protein control (RPC) diet with added L-Val, L-Ile, and L-Arg, 3) a negative control (NC) identical to the RPC except that cellulose was added at the expense of L-Thr, 4) a RPC diet with Thr-FP used in place of L-Thr with only accounting for digestible Thr and energy contributions of the FP (TFP), and 5) a RPC diet with Thr-FP used in place of L-Thr and accounting for the full nutrient matrix of the FP (TFP-FM). Overall, broilers fed the RPC diet had similar growth performance compared to birds fed the PC diet, whereas broilers fed the NC diet had reduced BW gain and increased FCR compared to the RPC-fed birds. Birds fed either the TFP or TFP-FM diet had similar growth performance to the RPC-fed birds. At processing, broilers fed the RPC diet had similar parts yields, excluding wings, to the PC group. Parts yields for the Thr-FP and NC groups were similar to the RPC group. These data confirmed the importance of adequate dietary Thr concentration in maximizing broiler performance and that Thr provided by the Thr-FP supported equivalent performance to L-Thr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Given a sequence of real numbers and a positive integer , the Sum Selection Problem is to find the segment such that the rank of the sum is over all segments. We present a deterministic algorithm for this problem that runs in time. The previously best known result for this problem is a randomized algorithm that runs in expected time. Applying this algorithm we can obtain a deterministic algorithm for the k Maximum Sums Problem, i.e., the problem of enumerating the largest sum segments, that runs in time. The previously best known randomized and deterministic algorithms for the k Maximum Sums Problem run respectively in expected time and in worst case time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be a sequence of real numbers . We consider the Sum Selection Problem as that of finding the segment such that the rank of over all possible feasible segments is , where a feasible segment is a consecutive subsequence of , and its width satisfies for some given integers and , and . It is a generalization of two well-known problems: the Selection Problem in computer science for which , and the Maximum Sum Segment Problem in bioinformatics for which the rank is the total number of possible feasible segments. We will give a randomized algorithm for the Sum Selection Problem that runs in expected time. It matches the optimal time randomized algorithm for the Selection Problem. We can also solve the k Maximum Sums Problem, to enumerate the largest sums, in expected time. The previously best known result was an algorithm that solves this problem for the case when , and runs in time in the worst case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The problem of constructing a minimal cost multicast routing tree (MRT) with delay constraints in wide area networks (WAN) is considered. A new distributed token-passing based algorithm that constructs a sub-optimal MRT satisfying given delay constraints for all members in the multicast group is presented. In contrast with the previous works by Jia [A distributed algorithm of delay-bounded multicast routing for multimedia applications in wide area networks, IEEE/ACM Trans. Network. 6 (1998) 828–837] and several others [Y. Im, Y. Lee, S. Wi, Y. Choi, Delay constrained distributed multicast routing algorithm, Comput. Comm. 20 (1997) 60–66; X. Jia, Y. Zhang, N. Pissinou, K. Makki, A distributed multicast routing protocol for real-time multicast applications, Comput. Networks 31 (1999) 101–110; Q. Sun, H. Langendorfer, A distributed delay-constrained dynamic multicast routing algorithm, Telecommun. Systems 11 (1999) 47–58], in which cycles may occur, we show that the multicast routing network produced by our algorithm is indeed a tree, namely, cycle free. Also the success rate of our algorithm to find a feasible solution, if one exists, is guaranteed to be 100%, while Jia''s algorithm is not. Furthermore, our algorithm is fault tolerant and can also adapt to cases where the multicast group members are allowed to join or leave the multicast session dynamically. Simulations have been conducted and the results show that the MRT generated by our algorithm has better performance compared to previous methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy is an expensive component of diets with lipids providing a concentrated energy source to meet these needs; in addition, supplementary lipids affect milling efficiency and diet palatability. Because of the increased use of lipids as feedstocks in renewable energy production, typical fats and oils are becoming more limited and costly to the livestock industry necessitating the need to source and understand the caloric values of alternative lipids. The experiments reported herein determined the caloric value of typical and non-typical fats when supplemented to growing broilers and compared these empirical values to values predicted by commonly used equations. Thirteen sources of lipids consisting of an animal-vegetable fat blend, poultry fat, 3 soybean oils, 3 distillers corn oils, palm oil, acidulated canola-soybean oil soapstock, acidulated palm oil-soybean oil soapstock, flaxseed oil, and canola oil were evaluated. Differences in the determined nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy (kcal/kg) were observed among the lipids tested (animal-vegetable fat blend, 7,671; poultry fat, 7,984; 3 soybean oils, 8,118, 7,535, and 8,767; 3 distillers corn oils, 8,205, 7,990, and 9,364; palm oil, 7,408; acidulated canola-soybean oil soapstock, 8,056;, acidulated palm oil-soybean oil soapstock, 7,685; flaxseed oil, 8,588; and canola oil, 7,854) and the use of a commonly used prediction equation did not adequately estimate the caloric value compared with the empirical values. Data presented also shows the difficulty of determining and predicting energy values of lipids when used at low inclusion levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an approach for computing the critical area for shorts in a circuit layout through Voronoi diagrams. Review of the Voronoi diagram of polygons; Consideration of the Voronoi diagrams for critical area; Computation of the critical area.

Considers the crossing minimization problem (CMP) related to global routing postoptimization. Constrained and unconstrained CMP problem solving; Experimental results; Conclusions.

Derives an algorithm to find a pair of noncrossing rectilinear paths within the polygon such that the total number of bends and the total length are both minimized, given two pairs of terminals within a rectilinear polygon. Study methodology; Definition of smallest rectilinear paths; Findings of study; Evidence supporting a simple linear time and space algorithm based on the fact that there are only a limited number of configurations of such a solution pair.

Given a sequence of n numbers and two positive integers L and U with L ≤ U , the maximum sum segment problem is to find a segment of the sequence with length between L and U such that the sum of numbers in this segment is maximized. In this paper, we introduce the concept of uncertainty into the maximum sum segment problem, where each of the n numbers of the sequence is not given as an exact value but as an interval characterizing the possible range of its value. In such a sequence with uncertainty, we are interested in segments that have potentiality to be maximum sum segments. A segment is a potential maximum sum segment if there exists a possible assignment scenario of the uncertain numbers such that the segment has maximum sum under this assignment. We define the maximum sum segment with uncertainty (MSSU) problem, which consists of two sub-problems: (1) reporting all potential maximum sum segments; and (2) counting the total number of those segments. For the case that L = 1 and U = n , we propose an O (n + K) -time algorithm for the reporting problem and an O (n) -time algorithm for the counting problem, where K is the number of potential maximum sum segments. For general L and U , we give an O (n (U − L)) -time algorithm for either the reporting or the counting problem. Note that we assume the word-RAM model of computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new type of network location problem for placing multiple but distinct facilities, called the p - service center problem. In this problem, we are to locate p facilities in the graph, each of which provides distinct service required by all vertices. For each vertex, its p - service distance is the summation of its weighted distances to the p facilities. The objective is to minimize the maximum value among the p -service distances of all vertices. In this paper, we show that the p -service center problem on a general graph is NP-hard, and propose a simple approximation algorithm of factor p / c for any integer constant c . Moreover, we study the basic case p = 2 on paths and trees. When the underlying network is a path, we solve the 2-service center problem in O ( n ) time, where n is the number of vertices. When the underlying network is a tree, we give an O ( n 3 ) -time algorithm for the case of nonnegative weights, an O ( n log ⁡ n ) -time algorithm for the case of positive weights, and an O ( n ) -time algorithm for the case of uniform weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the abstract of the study 'Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided Mammotome Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Small Breast Lesions,' by W.K. Hung, Y. Lau et al, presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong held on May 20-21, 2000.

Given a weighted graph G = ( V , E ) , the broadcasting problem is to find a broadcast center such that the maximum communication time from the center to all vertices is minimized. For this problem, Slater et al. [29] proposed an O ( n ) -time algorithm in unweighted trees and Koh and Tcha [23] designed an O ( n log ⁡ n ) -time algorithm in unweighted trees under the telephone model. In this paper, we strengthen the results of Slater et al. by showing an O ( n ) -time algorithm in weighted trees under the postal model. The algorithm computes the set of broadcast centers, determines the broadcast time of the broadcast centers, and an optimal broadcast scheme from one of the centers to all vertices in the tree. We further show that the broadcast time of any vertex in the tree can also be determined in O ( n ) time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of computing the time-convex hull of a point set under the general L p metric in the presence of a straight-line highway in the plane. The traveling speed along the highway is assumed to be faster than that off the highway, and the shortest time-path between a distant pair may involve traveling along the highway. The time-convex hull TCH ( P ) of a point set P is the smallest set containing both P and all shortest time-paths between any two points in TCH ( P ) . In this paper we give an algorithm that computes the time-convex hull under the L p metric in optimal O ( n log ⁡ n ) time for a given set of n points and a real number p with 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of online dynamic power management that provides hard real-time guarantees for multi-processor systems. In this problem, a set of jobs, each associated with an arrival time, a deadline, and an execution time, arrives to the system in an online fashion. The objective is to compute a non-migrative preemptive schedule of the jobs and a sequence of power on/off operations of the processors so as to minimize the total energy consumption while ensuring that all the deadlines of the jobs are met. We assume that we can use as many processors as necessary. In this paper we examine the complexity of this problem and provide online strategies that lead to practical energy-efficient solutions for real-time multi-processor systems. First, we consider the case for which we know in advance that the set of jobs can be scheduled feasibly on a single processor. We show that, even in this case, the competitive ratio of any online algorithm is at least 2.06. On the other hand, we give a 4-competitive online algorithm that uses at most two processors. For jobs with unit execution times, the competitive ratio of this algorithm improves to 3.59. Second, we relax our assumption by considering as input multiple streams of jobs, each of which can be scheduled feasibly on a single processor. We present a trade-off between the energy-efficiency of the schedule and the number of processors to be used. More specifically, for k given job streams and h processors with h > k , we give a scheduling strategy such that the energy usage is at most 4 ⋅ ⌈ k h − k ⌉ times that used by any schedule which schedules each of the k streams on a separate processor. Finally, we drop the assumptions on the input set of jobs. We show that the competitive ratio of any online algorithm is at least 2.28, even for the case of unit job execution times for which we further derive an O ( 1 ) -competitive algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to noticeable differences of the characters between the electrical and the conventional gasoline-powered motorcycles, such as heavier in weight, lower in mass center position and slower in forward speed, the control and design considerations of the electrical motorcycles are not the same as conventional motorcycles. In this paper, the rider upper body lean control system is considered as the only control action to analyze and simulate the stability and the perception of riding comfort of the rider–motorcycle system in different riding conditions and parameter designs. The equations of lateral motion of an electrical motorcycle, which includes the rider upper body leaning motion, are derived first from Newton mechanics. Via this dynamics model and its associated transfer functions at various speeds, perception of riding comfort is defined as the damping ratio of frequency domain Bode plots in classical control theory. By the analysis, we find that the tendency of the stability is the same under the straight-line and the cornering motions, but shows significant differences for different parameter designs of the electrical motorcycle. We discuss the effect on the perception of riding comfort issue for changing mass center position, total weight of the motorcycle, the wheelbase, the front fork rake angle and the front wheel trail distance of the motorcycle. On the premise of the stability, we use the maximum damping ratio to represent the riding response of the motorcycle to find the best perception of riding comfort. By the analysis results, if we move the mass center forward, shorten the wheelbase, steepen the front fork rake angle and shorten the front wheel trail distance of the current design of electrical motorcycles in the market, a better perception of riding comfort is achieved. From the user''s point of view, our analysis method of perception of riding comfort can be a supplement to the analysis of the stability of motorcycles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a system for evaluating products in their design phase developed for virtual manufacturing. System integration into a computer-aided design/manufacturing environment for assembly and disassembly cost calculations; Assembly and disassembly model; Rules for translating high-level instructions from product designers into low-level assembly and disassembly instructions.

We consider the partial vertex cover problem with hard capacity constraints (Partial VC-HC) on hypergraphs. In this problem we are given a hypergraph G = (V , E) with a maximum edge size f and a covering requirement R. Each edge is associated with a demand, and each vertex is associated with a capacity and an (integral) available multiplicity. The objective is to compute a minimum vertex multiset such that at least R units of demand from the edges are covered by the capacities of the vertices in the multiset and the multiplicity of each vertex does not exceed its available multiplicity. In this paper we present an f -approximation for this problem, improving over a previous result of (2 f + 2) (1 + ϵ) by Cheung et al. to the tight extent possible. Our new ingredient of this work is a generalized analysis on the extreme points of the natural LP, developed from previous works, and a strengthened LP lower-bound obtained for the optimal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytase is used in nearly all broiler diets at varying levels and new commercial sources have been developed in recent years. A series of 5 experiments at 4 different universities were conducted to investigate broiler performance metrics and tibia mineralization from 2 mixer-added, Escherichia coli -derived, 6-phytases, Optiphos, a coated phytase, and Optiphos Plus, a recently developed phytase product selected to be intrinsically heat stable, independent of a coating. Treatments for each experiment included a negative control (NC) and the NC + varying levels of Optiphos and Optiphos Plus up to 1,500 FTU/kg. Experimental diets were fed to male broiler chicks for 21 d. On d 21, broilers were euthanized and tibiae were excised to determine tibia mineralization. Experiments 1–4 utilized pelleted diets while Experiment 5 utilized a mash diet. For each experiment, treatments were arranged by a formulated phytase level and source factorial, using a randomized complete block design. In addition, slope-ratio models were created using data from all experiments to evaluate responses to analyzed phytase levels. Positive live performance and tibia mineralization responses to phytase activity were observed (P < 0.05) in all 5 experiments. Performance and bone mineral metrics continued to improve up to approximately 1,500 FTU/kg in a curvilinear fashion, demonstrating a value of super-dosing, the degree employed being dependent on the product used and the cost-benefit economics of implementation. When comparing nonlinear response slopes across all analyzed phytase levels and experiments, the data showed that efficacy of Optiphos Plus was approximately 20% higher than that of Optiphos at similar analyzed levels (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]