In situ observation of phosphorous and non-phosphorous antiwear films using a mini traction machine with spacer layer image mapping

Since 1940s the principal source of an antiwear additive in crankcase applications has been due to a family of additives known as zinc dialkydithiophosphate (ZDDP). In this study, we have applied a novel technique, the mini traction machine with spacer layer image mapping (MTM SLIM), to study film formation characteristics of monoblend oils containing only basestock and ZDDP and also fully forrmulated oils containing a boron antiwear additive. The purpose of this study was initially to understand the build up of ZDDP film and then to establish whether boron compounds alone could provide significant antiwear films under mixed rolling and sliding contact.     

Performance comparison of the CRAY X-MP/24 with SDD and the CRAY-2

The CRAY-2 is considered to be one of the most powerful supercomputers. Its state-of-the-art technology features a faster clock and more memory than any other supercomputer available today. In this report the single processor performance of the CRAY-2 is compared with the older, more mature CRAY X-MP. Benchmark results are included for both the slow and the fast memory DRAM MOS CRAY-2. Our comparison is based on a kernel benchmark set aimed at evaluating the performance of these two machines on some standard tasks in scientific computing. Particular emphasis is placed on evaluating the impact of the availability of large real memory on the CRAY-2 versus fast secondary memory on the CRAY X-MP with SSD. Our benchmark includes large linear equation solvers and FFT routines, which test the capabilities of the different approaches to providing large memory. We find that in spite of its higher processor speed the CRAY-2 does not perform as well as the CRAY X-MP on the Fortran kernel benchmark. We also find that for large-scale applications, which have regular and predictable memory access patterns, a high-speed secondary memory device such as the SSD can provide performance equal to the large real memory of the CRAY-2.The author is an employee of SCA Division of Boeing Computer Services.     

Inductive transfer for learning Bayesian networks

In several domains it is common to have data from different, but closely related problems. For instance, in manufacturing, many products follow the same industrial process but with different conditions; or in industrial diagnosis, where there is equipment with similar specifications. In these cases it is common to have plenty of data for some scenarios but very little for others. In order to learn accurate models for rare cases, it is desirable to use data and knowledge from similar cases; a technique known as transfer learning. In this paper we propose an inductive transfer learning method for Bayesian networks, that considers both structure and parameter learning. For structure learning we use conditional independence tests, by combining measures from the target task with those obtained from one or more auxiliary tasks, using a novel weighted sum of the conditional independence measures. For parameter learning, we propose two variants of the linear pool for probability aggregation, combining the probability estimates from the target task with those from the auxiliary tasks. To validate our approach, we used three Bayesian networks models that are commonly used for evaluating learning techniques, and generated variants of each model by changing the structure as well as the parameters. We then learned one of the variants with a small dataset and combined it with information from the other variants. The experimental results show a significant improvement in terms of structure and parameters when we transfer knowledge from similar tasks. We also evaluated the method with real-world data from a manufacturing process considering several products, obtaining an improvement in terms of log-likelihood between the data and the model when we do transfer learning from related products.     

The effects of socioeconomic status, race, and parenting on language development in early childhood.

The authors examined the associations between socioeconomic status (SES), race, maternal sensitivity, and maternal negative-intrusive behaviors and language development in a sample selected to reduce the typical confound between race and SES (n = 146). Mother–child interactions were observed at 12 and 24 months (coded by randomly assigned African American and European American coders); language abilities were assessed at 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. For receptive language, race was associated with ability level, and maternal sensitivity and negative-intrusive parenting were related to rate of growth. For expressive communication, race, SES, and maternal sensitivity were associated with rate of growth; race moderated the association between negative-intrusive parenting and rate of growth such that the relation was weaker for African American than for European American children. The results highlight the importance of sensitive parenting and suggest that the association between negative-intrusive parenting and language development may depend upon family context. Future work is needed concerning the race differences found, including examining associations with other demographic factors and variations in language input experienced by children, using culturally and racially validated indices of language development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

国际放射防护委员会新建议书准备工作的进展

国际放射防护委员会（ＩＣＲＰ）使用的低水平电离辐射照射的致癌危险已经受到了挑战,有人说它太高,同时也有人说它太低。本文说明,流行病学的证据总是在低剂量受到限制,因此,为了评价生物学危险,理解致癌的细胞机制就愈加重要。从而,通过分析,找出为什么会对ＩＣＲＰ提出挑战,特别是对线性无阈响应模型提出挑战的原因。通过对这些问题的认真考虑,ＩＣＲＰ主委员会现正研究一种经修改的简化方法,它是建筑在着眼于个体的哲     

Development or a Korotkov Sound Processor for Automatic Identification of Auscultatory Events?Part II Decision Logic Specifications and Operational Verification

An electronic Korotkov sound processor has been developed for the automatic identification of the systolic and diastolic Korotkov sound transitions. This processor incorporates separate circuitry for systolic and diastolic decisions, each with its own defined preprocessing bandpass filter. The decision logic is designed to provide amplitude normalization both within and between subjects, and physiological testing was performed, to optimize the required critical-decision logic parameters. The accuracy of this processor design was evaluated using 32 normal subjects at rest and under orthostatic and ergometric stress conditions. The processor was shown to be quite accurate in its identification of the auscultatory systolic or diastolic event for passive subject conditions; processor accuracy was reduced for subjects participating in ergometric stress.     

Cognitive technology and the pragmatics of impossible plans — A study in cognitive prosthetics

Do AI programs just make it quicker and easier for humans to do what they can do already, or can the range of do-able things be extended? This paper suggests that cognitively-oriented technology can make it possible for humans to construct and carry out mental operations, which were previously impossible. Probable constraints upon possible human mental operations are identified and the impact of cognitive technology upon them is evaluated. It is argued that information technology functions as a cognitive prosthetic enhancing human intelligence and planning capabilities. Boundaries and constraints which Kant, Whorf, and many post-modernist theorists have seen as intrinsic to human cognition now cease to apply.     

(r∞, n12, s12) measurements on the 2-CPU CRAY X-MP

We report performance measurements made on the 2-CPU CRAY X-MP at ECMWF, Reading. Vector (SIMD) performance on one CPU is interpreted by the two parameters ($\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}\text{, n}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$), and we find for dyadic operations using FORTRAN $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}\text{= 70}\text{Mflop/s}\text{, n}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 53}\text{flop}$. All vector triadic operations produce $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}\text{= 107}\text{Mflop/s}\text{, n}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 45}\text{flop}$; and a triadic operation with two vectors and one scalar gives r_∞ = 148 Mflop/s and $\text{n}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 60}\text{flop}$. MIMD performance using both CPUs on one job is interpreted with the two parameters ($\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}\text{, s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$), where $\text{s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ is the amount of arithmetic that could have been done during the time taken to synchronize the two CPUs. We find, for dyadic operations using the TSKSTART and TSKWAIT synchronization primitives, that r_∞ = 130 Mflop/s and $\text{s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 5700}\text{flop}$. This means that a job must contain more than ～ 6000 floating-point operations if it is to run at more than 50% of the maximum performance when split between both CPUs by this method. Less expensive synchronization methods using LOCKS and EVENTS reduces $\text{s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ to 4000 flop and 2000 flop respectively. A simplified form of LOCK synchronization written in CAL code further reduces $\text{s}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ to 220 flop. This is probably the minimum possible value for synchronization overhead on the CRAY X-MP.     

Improving the Behavior of Intelligent Tutoring Agents with Data Mining

This article presents a novel framework for adapting the behavior of intelligent agents. The framework consists of an extended sequential pattern mining algorithm that, in combination with association rule discovery techniques, is used to extract temporal patterns and relationships from the behavior of human agents executing a procedural task. The proposed framework has been integrated within the CanadarmTutor, an intelligent tutoring agent aimed at helping students solve procedural problems that involve moving a robotic arm in a complex virtual environment. We present the results of an evaluation that demonstrates the benefits of this integration to agents acting in ill-defined domains.