Performance of SOR methods on modern vector and scalar processors

The building-cube method (BCM) is a new generation algorithm for CFD simulations. The basic idea of BCM is to simplify the algorithm in all stages of flow computation to achieve large-scale simulations. Calculation of a pressure field using the Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) method consumes most of the total execution time required for BCM. In this paper, effective implementations on modern vector and scalar processors are investigated. NEC SX-9 and Intel Nehalem-EX are the latest vector and scalar processors. Those processors have much higher peak performances than their previous-generation processors. However, their memory bandwidth improvement cannot catch up with the performance improvement of processors. This is the so-called memory wall problem. In our paper, we discuss optimization techniques for implementation of the SOR method based on architectural characteristics of these modern processors, and evaluate their effects on the sustained performances of these processors for BCM.     

Technique for anisotropic extension of organic crystals: application to temperature dependence of electrical resistance

We have developed a technique for the anisotropic extension of fragile molecular crystals. The pressure medium and the instrument, which extends the pressure medium, are both made from epoxy resin. Since the thermal contraction of our instrument is identical to that of the pressure medium, the strain applied to the pressure medium has no temperature dependence down to 2 K. Therefore, the degree of extension applied to the single crystal at low temperatures is uniquely determined from the degree of extension in the pressure medium and thermal contractions of the epoxy resin and the single crystal at ambient pressure. Using this novel instrument, we have measured the temperature dependence of the electrical resistance of metallic, superconducting, and insulating materials. The experimental results are discussed from the viewpoint of the extension (compression) of the lattice constants along the parallel (perpendicular) direction.     

Accumulation of triosephosphate isomerase, with sequence homology to Beta amyloid peptides, in vessel walls of the newborn piglet hippocampus

We investigated whether beta-amyloid (Abeta)-like immunoreactivity was seen in the brains of newborn piglets. The immunoreactivity for Abeta(1-42) and Abeta(1-40) proteins, but not Abeta precursor protein, was present in CD68-positive perivascular cells of the hippocampus and in parts of the meninges. It was colocalized with immunoreactivity for receptor for advanced glycation end product and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The protein with a molecular mass of 27 kDa, which was recognized by the Abeta antibodies, was identified as triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) with sequence homology to Abeta peptides by N-terminal amino acid sequencing, mass fingerprint analysis using matrix-associated laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, and Western blotting. Western blotting assay also revealed that detectable expression of Abeta proteins were not seen in the piglet brains. These findings indicate that TPI with sequence homology to Abeta peptides accumulates in perivascular cells of the microglia/macrophage lineage located around arterial vessels of the newborn piglet hippocampus.     

Robust loss functions for boosting

Boosting is known as a gradient descent algorithm over loss functions. It is often pointed out that the typical boosting algorithm, Adaboost, is highly affected by outliers. In this letter, loss functions for robust boosting are studied. Based on the concept of robust statistics, we propose a transformation of loss functions that makes boosting algorithms robust against extreme outliers. Next, the truncation of loss functions is applied to contamination models that describe the occurrence of mislabels near decision boundaries. Numerical experiments illustrate that the proposed loss functions derived from the contamination models are useful for handling highly noisy data in comparison with other loss functions.     

A high-resolution transmission electron microscope study of a zinc oxide varistor

Investigations were made of varistor microstructure, the morphology of Bi₂O₃ at multiple ZnO grain junctions, Bi₂O₃/ZnO grain boundaries and ZnO/ZnO grain boundaries (especially whether Bi₂O₃ is present or not at the ZnO/ZnO grain boundary) by means of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis in the scanning transmission electron microscope. Bi₂O₃ at multiple ZnO grain junctions consists of small particles of 0.1m in diameter, and they are vitrified to some extent. It is suggested that bismuth ions dissolve into ZnO grains over a 30 nm range from a Bi₂O₃/ZnO grain boundary; however, there is no bismuth at ZnO/ZnO grain boundaries.     

Basic constructs of the SIM operating system

The basic constructs of SIMPOS (Sequential Inference Machine Programming and Operating System) are explained. SIMPOS is an operating system for a super-personal computer (SIM), based on logic programming language (a modified Prolog, called KL0). Our design principle is simplicity both in concept and structure. The entire system will be constructed using these basic constructs.     

Revealing microbial community structures in large- and small-scale activated sludge systems by barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene

The diversity of bacterial groups in activated sludge from large- and small-scale wastewater treatment plants was explored by barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Activated sludge samples (three small and 17 large scale) were collected from 12 wastewater treatment plants to clarify precise taxonomy and relative abundances. DNA was extracted, and amplified by 4 base barcoded 27f/519r primer set. The 454 Titanium (Roche) pyrosequences were obtained and analyses performed by Quantitative Insight Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) with around 100,000 reads. Sequence statistics were computed, while constructing a phylogenetic tree and heatmap. Computed results explained total microbial diversity at phylum and class level and resolution was further extended to Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) based taxonomic assignment for investigating community distribution based on individual sample. Composition of sequence reads were compared and microbial community structures for large- and small-scale treatment plants were identified as major phyla (Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes) and classes (Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes). Also, family level breakdowns were explained and differences in family Nitrospiraceae and phylum Actinobacteria found at their species level were also illustrated. Thus, the pyrosequencing method provides high resolution insight into microbial community structures in activated sludge that might have been unnoticed with conventional approaches.     

An Extension of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve and AUC-Optimal Classification

While most proposed methods for solving classification problems focus on minimization of the classification error rate, we are interested in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, which provides more information about classification performance than the error rate does. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is a natural measure for overall assessment of a classifier based on the ROC curve. We discuss a class of concave functions for AUC maximization in which a boosting-type algorithm including RankBoost is considered, and the Bayesian risk consistency and the lower bound of the optimum function are discussed. A procedure derived by maximizing a specific optimum function has high robustness, based on gross error sensitivity. Additionally, we focus on the partial AUC, which is the partial area under the ROC curve. For example, in medical screening, a high true-positive rate to the fixed lower false-positive rate is preferable and thus the partial AUC corresponding to lower false-positive rates is much more important than the remaining AUC. We extend the class of concave optimum functions for partial AUC optimality with the boosting algorithm. We investigated the validity of the proposed method through several experiments with data sets in the UCI repository.     

Colorimetric microdetermination of sulphites in foods by use of the modified rankine apparatus. IV.

Summary Detection and determination of traces of sulphites in foods was attempted by use of the modified Rankine apparatus and pararosaniline colorimetry. Replacement of alkaline titration reported previously by pararosaniline colorimetry lowered the absolute detection limit from 30 g (titration method) to 2 g. In view of clean analysis, in the color developing system, 0.1 N-sodium hydroxide was used in place of mercuric chloride solution commonly used as an absorbant of sulphites. In order to prevent oxidative decomposition of sulphites during operation, nitrogen gas was used as carrier instead of air. Dimedone and sodium azide were used for the elimination of aldehydes and nitrites, respecitvely, in the sample, which will disturb the color development of sulphites with pararosaniline-formaldehyde reagents. With this improved method, it was possible to determine the residual sulphites in frozen peeled shrimps, sugared beans and other foods with low sulphite contents accurately.

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Colorimetrische Mikrobestimmung von Sulfiten in Lebensmitteln bei Anwendung der modifizierten IV. Rankine Apparatur

Zusammenfassung Geringe Sulfitmengen in Lebensmitteln (geschälte Garnelen, gezuckerte Bohnen) können colorimetrisch bestimmt werden. Die neuentwickelte Methode beruht auf einer Kombination von colorimetrischer Bestimmung mittels p-Rosanilin und der Bestimmungsmethode nach Rankine. Auf diese Weise lassen sich Gehalte von 2 g noch genau bestimmen. Bei der Farbentwicklung wurde das giftige Quecksilbertetrachlorid durch 0.1 n-NaOH ersetzt, anstelle von Luft Stickstoff als Trägergas verwendet und somit eine Oxydation des Sulfits während der Bestimmung vermieden. Da Nitrit und Aldehyde die Farbentwicklung stören, wurde ihr Einfluß durch Dimedon und Natriumazid ausgeschaltet.

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Studies on the Analyses of Sulphites in Foods (IV)