Massively parallel algorithms for trace-driven cache simulations

Considers the use of massively parallel architectures to execute a trace-driven simulation of a single cache set. A method is presented for the least-recently-used (LRU) policy, which, regardless of the set size C, runs in time O(log N) using N processors on the EREW (exclusive read, exclusive write) parallel model. A simpler LRU simulation algorithm is given that runs in O(C log N) time using N/log N processors. We present timings of this algorithm's implementation on the MasPar MP-1, a machine with 16384 processors. A broad class of reference-based line replacement policies are considered, which includes LRU as well as the least-frequently-used (LFU) and random replacement policies. A simulation method is presented for any such policy that, on any trace of length N directed to a C line set, runs in O(C log N) time with high probability using N processors on the EREW model. The algorithms are simple, have very little space overhead, and are well suited for SIMD implementation     

Scientific co-operation in Europe and the citation of multinationally authored papers

Under the sponsorship of the U.S. National Science Foundation, CHI Research, Inc. developed the bibliometric indicators for the U.S. National Science Board'sScience Indicators Reports starting withScience Indicators 1972. In the work reported here, for the Commission of the European Communities, CHI has extended the Science Indicators techniques and database to a study of publication, coauthorship and citation within 28 scientific fields related to various European Community programs.Perhaps the most important finding of the research was that internationally coauthored papers — papers authored by scientists affiliated with institutions in more than one EC country — were cited two times as highly as papers authored by scientists working at a single institution within a single country. These EC-EC internationally coauthored papers were cited as highly as EC-Non EC and Non-EC papers. This indicates that the internationally linked European science is of as high impact as any other science in the world.A second key finding was that, after compensating for national scientific size, the degree of international coauthorship did not appear to be particularly dependent upon size. However, linguistic and cultural factors were found to be very strong. The patterns of coauthorship amongst the European countries are far from homogeneous, and are quite heavily affected by linguistic, historical, and cultural factors.Finally, it was found that international coauthorship is increasing steadily, both within and outside of the Community, with some evidence that international cooperation is increasing more rapidly in scientific fields that have been targeted by the Commission.This work has been sponsored by the MONITOR programme of the Commission of the European Communities.     

Cardiorespiratory effects of conventional and high frequency ventilation in rabbits with bilateral pneumothoraces and surfactant depleted lungs

We compared high frequency ventilation (HFV) to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) under normoxic and normocapnic condition in surfactant depleted rabbits with bilateral pneumothoraces. We hypothesized that lower airway pressures would be required with HFV under these conditions. We applied CMV and HFV in 8 anaesthetized rabbits with a prototype ventilator at frequencies of 30, 100, 200, and 300 cycles/min. A positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) just below the pressure sufficient to open the air leak from the pneumothoraces was applied at all frequencies. Airway pressures, gas exchange, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure were recorded. Peak airway pressure decreased significantly from 2.50 to 2.10 kPa when the frequency of ventilation was increased from 30 to 300 cycles/min. There were no significant changes in mean airway pressure, PaO2, arterial pH, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure when HFV was compared to CMV. In conclusion, during HFV peak airway pressures measured at the mouth were decreased. Our ability to maintain adequate gas exchange in the face of ongoing pulmonary air leaks may reflect lower alveolar pressures.     

Automated Parallelization of Discrete State-Space Generation

We consider the problem of generating a large state-space in a distributed fashion. Unlike previously proposed solutions that partition the set of reachable states according to a hashing function provided by the user, we explore heuristic methods that completely automate the process. The first step is an initial random walk through the state space to initialize a search tree, duplicated in each processor. Then, the reachability graph is built in a distributed way, using the search tree to assign each newly found state to classes assigned to the available processors. Furthermore, we explore two remapping criteria that attempt to balance memory usage or future workload, respectively. We show how the cost of computing the global snapshot required for remapping will scale up for system sizes in the foreseeable future. An extensive set of results is presented to support our conclusions that remapping is extremely beneficial.     

Some aspects of the electrochemistry of the flotation of pyrrhotite

The iron sulfide mineral, pyrrhotite (Fe_(1–x)S), has long been known to be more difficult to recover by flotation from alkaline slurries than many other base metal sulfide minerals. This paper summarizes the results of an electrochemical study of the surface reactions that occur during the flotation of nickeliferous pyrrhotite in the recovery of nickel and the platinum group metals. Mixed potential measurements conducted with natural pyrrhotite electrodes in various stages of an operating flotation plant showed that the mineral potential is positive to the equilibrium potential of the xanthate/dixanthogen couple. Similar results were obtained during batch flotation experiments and in synthetic solutions in the laboratory. Cyclic voltammetric and potentiostatic current/time transient experiments were used to investigate the oxidation of pyrrhotite under various conditions. In addition, the reduction of oxygen, the reaction of copper ions and the oxidation of xanthate ions at the mineral surface were investigated. The formation of dixanthogen on pyrrhotite surfaces is thermodynamically favourable in plant flotation slurries. However the interaction with xanthate at pH values above 7 is inhibited by a surface species formed during the conditioning prior to xanthate addition. In acidic solutions copper ions react readily with pyrrhotite to form a species, possibly CuS that can be oxidized at potentials above 0.4 V. At pH 9 this species does not form and there is no electrochemical reaction between pyrrhotite and copper ions. The beneficial effects of copper ions to flotation performance appear to be related to an enhancement of the oxidation of xanthate.     

Using artificial intelligence to model heavy plate mill rolling

This research summary discusses the application of neural networks, evolutionary strategies, and other artificial intelligence techniques in the modeling and optimization of the models used for temperature, rolling force, and torque calculation in heavy plate milling.     

Fetal Neurobehavioral Development: A Tale of Two Cities.

Longitudinal neurobehavioral development was examined in 237 fetuses of low-risk pregnancies from 2 distinct populations-Baltimore, Maryland, and Lima. Peru-at 20. 24. 28. 32, 36. and 38 weeks gestation. Data were based on digitized Doppler-based fetal heart rate (FHR) and fetal movement (FM). In both groups. FHR declined while variability, episodic accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling increased, with discontinuities evident between 28 and 32 weeks gestation. Fetuses in Lima had higher FHR and lower variability, accelerations, and FM-FHR coupling. Declines in trajectories were typically observed 1 month sooner in Lima, which magnified these disparities. Motor activity differences were less consistent. No sex differences in fetal neurobehaviors were detected. It is concluded that population factors can influence the developmental niche of the fetus. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cathodic processes in the leaching and electrochemistry of covellite in mixed sulfate–chloride media

The cathodic processes that occur on a covellite (CuS) surface in mixed sulfate–chloride solutions in the absence and presence of copper(II) ions have been studied using potentiostatic transients and cyclic voltammetry at rotating disk electrodes in the potential range 0.3–0.7 V (versus SHE). This range is relevant to the oxidative leaching of this copper mineral in sulfate and chloride lixiviants. Variations in the concentrations of sulfate and chloride ions had a small effect on the cathodic reduction of covellite in the potential range of 0.5–0.3 V, although the presence of chloride ion resulted in a significant increase in the anodic current on the reverse sweep. On the other hand, addition of copper(II) ions resulted in enhanced cathodic currents and subsequent anodic currents in both sulfate and chloride solutions due to reduction of covellite to an undefined reduced copper sulfide species. Reduction of copper(II) to copper(I) ions becomes the preferred cathodic reaction as the concentration of chloride ions increases, becoming mass transport controlled at a rotating disc electrode at potentials below about 0.4 V. Potentiostatic measurements at potentials negative to the mixed potential in acidic chloride solutions have shown that reduction of copper(II) ions is reversible and have been used to estimate the rate of oxidative dissolution of the mineral which value agrees reasonably well with previously reported leaching rates under similar conditions. Reduction of dissolved oxygen has been found to be very much slower that that of copper(II) ions under ambient conditions.     

Partial or total silylation of dextran with hexamethyldisilazane

The silylation reaction of dextran with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) in DMSO was studied as the first step of the synthesis of new amphiphilic polyester-grafted dextrans. According to the experimental conditions, i.e. dextran molar weight, medium temperature and reaction time, HMDS/OH ratio, addition of a catalyst and co-solvent, partially or totally silylated dextrans were recovered. The highest silylation yields were obtained with the lowest molecular weight dextrans. The increase in temperature medium and/or reaction time, the presence of catalyst or co-solvent favored the protection yield. Whatever the dextran used, complete silylation of the polysaccharide chain could be achieved by adequate selection of the experimental conditions. The thermal properties of resulting silylated polysaccharides were investigated by temperature modulated DSC. It was observed that T_g values of partially silylated dextran were maintained between 120 and 140 °C, independently of the dextran molecular weight. Interestingly, DMSO proved to behave as an efficient plasticizer of (partially) silylated dextrans. The partially silylated dextrans were efficiently used as multifunctional macroinitiators for the controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactone. The ROP was then promoted from the remaining hydroxyl groups in the presence of tin or aluminium activator. After polymerization and ultimate deprotection of the silylated dextran backbone, amphiphilic polyester-grafted dextrans were readily recovered.     

A robust microcomputer routine for the identification of outlying and influential points in radioimmunoassay standard curves

This paper describes a suite of robust logit-log optimization routines for the fitting of a linear relation to laboratory data. The microcomputer routines assign a weighting value to each data point corresponding to the relative importance of that point. This procedure ensures that the routines identify and deal with any outlying data points. The routines are designed to generate the results of both a standard, unweighted least-squares algorithm and a robust, weighted algorithm thus providing the laboratory analyst with invaluable information concerning the data and the fitted relation. The routines are thoroughly tested on "perfect" and perturbed laboratory data.