FLEX is a new cost eeective, \locality aware" load balancing solution for a shared web hosting service implemented on a cluster of machines 3]. FLEX allocates hosted web sites to diierent machines in the cluster based on the sites' processing and memory requirements which are estimated using the site logs. Appropriate routing of requests can be achieved by using the DNS infrastructure, since ea...

For treatment of critical heart valve diseases, prosthetic valves perform fairly well in most adults; however, for pediatric patients, there is the added requirement that the replacement valve grows with the child, thus extremely limiting current treatment options. Tissue engineered heart valves (TEHV), such as those derived from autologous bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), have the potential to ...

Interference management and interference cancellation are addressed in the satellite communication (SATCOM) system. We first introduce the two options for a multibeam payload: flexible (FLEX) where allocation is fully flexible in the frequency domain, and conventional on which beamforming (BF) is applied. Further, two optimization problems are proposed, P1: spectral mask vector design and power...

The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission proposes to launch a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation. Fluorescence is a sensitive probe of photosynthetic function in both healthy and physiologically perturbed vegetation, and a powerful non-invasive tool to track the status, resilience, and recovery of photochemical processes and mo...

Solder joint fatigue failure is a serious reliability concern in area array technologies, such as flip chip and ball grid array packages of integrated-circuit chips. The selection of different substrate materials could affect solder joint thermal fatigue life significantly. The mechanism of substrate flexibility on improving solder joint thermal fatigue was investigated by thermal mechanical an...

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of NiTi flex K-file instruments and rotary FlexMaster and Race instruments (short for reamers with Alternating Cutting Edges) in root canal preparation. A total of 75 single rooted teeth with minimum curvature (< 5 degrees ) were selected and divided into three groups, each containing 25 teeth. Canals were prepared with NiTi flex K-file, FlexMas...

Flexibility in energy supply and demand becomes more and more important with increasing Renewable Energy Sources (RES) production and the emergence of the Smart Grid. Socalled prosumers, i.e., entities that produce and/or consume energy, can offer their inherent flexibilities through so-called demand response and thus help stabilize the energy markets. Thus, prosumer flexibility becomes valuabl...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Using human cadavers, we investigated the feasibility of using a new robotic platform, the Medrobotics Flex System, for laryngeal access and flexible tool delivery to facilitate the performance of pharyngolaryngeal procedures without laryngeal suspension. Our initial trials specifically assess the utility of this experimental robotic system for epiglottectomy and base of t...

Genetic algorithms (GAs) have been used to evolve optimal/sub-optimal solutions of many problems. When using GAs for evolving solutions, often fitness evaluation is the most computationally expensive, and this discourages researchers from applying challenging This paper presents an approach generating offspring based on a local landscape exploration increase speed search better solutions. The p...

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). However, CPAP is not tolerated by all patients with OSAS and alternative modes of pressure delivery have been developed to overcome pressure intolerance, thereby improving patient comfort and adherence. Auto-adjustable positive airway pressure (APAP) devices may be utilised for th...