This paper addresses the mixed integer reliability redundancy allocation problems to determine simultaneous allocation of optimal reliability and redundancy level of components based on three objective goals. System engineering principles suggest that the best design is the design that maximizes the system operational effectiveness and at the same time minimizes the total cost of ownership (TCO...

Abstract Purpose The soil microbial community is an important bioactive component of terrestrial ecosystems. Its structural and functional diversity directly affects carbon nitrogen processes. This study aimed to investigate the variations in communities forests with different types vegetation. Methods We selected three typical vegetation types, larch (LG), black birch (BD), mixed (LGBD) forest...

“Hyper-redundant” robots have a very large or infinite degree of kinematic redundancy. This paper develops new methods for determining “optimal” hyper-redundant manipulator configurations based on a continuum formulation of kinematics. This formulation uses a backbone curve model to capture the robot’s essential macroscopic geometric features. The calculus of variations is used to develop diffe...

Monitoring the environment is one of the main applications of wireless sensor networks. Given that these networks are densely populated and that local variations in the environmental variables are small, a large amount of redundant data is generated by sensor nodes. In this paper we present a protocol for data dissemination in hierarchical clustered sensor networks that integrates security and ...

Objective. The aim of this study was to (a) determine the rate of redundant publication in the pediatrics literature and (b) to characterize these articles. Methods. Index articles in JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, and the Journal of Pediatrics from 2010 were identified using PubMed. Possible redundant material from 2008 to 2012 were searched using the authors' names. Suspected duplicates were ca...

Soil microorganisms and dissolved organic matter (DOM) play vital roles in nutrient cycling maintaining plant diversity. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between DOM component characteristics microbial community structure soil Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantations. We quantified responses stand age a plantation forest ecosystem using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) a...