Parallelisation of storage cell flood models using OpenMP

This paper describes the implementation and benchmarking of a parallel version of the LISFLOOD-FP hydraulic model based on the OpenMP Application Programming Interface. The motivation behind the study was that reducing model run time through parallelisation would increase the utility of such models by expanding the domains over which they can be practically implemented, allowing previously inaccessible scientific questions to be addressed. Parallel speedup was calculated for 13 models distributed over seven study sites and implemented on one, two, four and in selected cases eight processor cores. The models represent a range of previous applications from large area, coarse resolution models of the Amazon, to fine resolution models of urban areas, to orders of magnitude smaller models of rural floodplains. Parallel speedups were greater for larger model domains, especially for models with over 0.2–0.4 million cells where parallel efficiencies of up to 0.75 on four and eight cores were achieved. A key advantage of using OpenMP and an explicit rather than implicit model was the ease of implementation and minimal code changes required to run simulations in parallel.     

Gossip-based aggregation of trust in decentralized reputation systems

Decentralized Reputation Systems have recently emerged as a prominent method of establishing trust among self-interested agents in online environments. A key issue is the efficient aggregation of data in the system; several approaches have been proposed, but they are plagued by major shortcomings. We put forward a novel, decentralized data management scheme grounded in gossip-based algorithms. Rumor mongering is known to possess algorithmic advantages, and indeed, our framework inherits many of their salient features: scalability, robustness, a global perspective, and simplicity. We demonstrate that our scheme motivates agents to maintain a very high reputation, by showing that the higher an agent’s reputation is above the threshold set by its peers, the more transactions it would be able to complete within a certain time unit. We analyze the relation between the amount by which an agent’s average reputation exceeds the threshold and the time required to close a deal. This analysis is carried out both theoretically, and empirically through a simulation system called GossipTrustSim. Finally, we show that our approach is inherently impervious to certain kinds of attacks. A preliminary version of this article appeared in the proceedings of IJCAI 2007.     

Independence of Containing Patterns Property and Its Application in Tree Pattern Query Rewriting Using Views

We show that several classes of tree patterns observe the independence of containing patterns property, that is, if a pattern is contained in the union of several patterns, then it is contained in one of them. We apply this property to two related problems on tree pattern rewriting using views. First, given view V and query Q, is it possible for Q to have an equivalent rewriting using V which is the union of two or more tree patterns, but not an equivalent rewriting which is a single pattern? This problem is of both theoretical and practical importance because, if the answer is no, then, to find an equivalent rewriting of a tree pattern using a view, we should use more efficient methods, such as the polynomial time algorithm of Xu and Özsoyoglu (2005), rather than try to find the union of all contained rewritings (which takes exponential time in the worst case) and test its equivalence to Q. Second, given a set S of views, we want to know under what conditions a subset S′ of S is redundant in the sense that for any query Q, the contained rewritings of Q using the views in S′ are contained in those using the views in S???S′. Solving this problem can help us to, for example, choose the minimum number of views to be cached, or better design the virtual schema in a mediated data integration system, or avoid repeated calculation in query optimization. For the first problem, we identify several classes of tree patterns for which the equivalent rewriting can be expressed as a single tree pattern. For the second problem, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for S′ to be redundant with respect to some classes of tree patterns. For both problems we consider extension to cases where there are rewritings using the intersection of multiple views and/or where a schema graph is present.     

Automatic computation of the travelling wave solutions to nonlinear PDEs

Various extensions of the tanh-function method and their implementations for finding explicit travelling wave solutions to nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) have been reported in the literature. However, some solutions are often missed by these packages. In this paper, a new algorithm and its implementation called TWS for solving single nonlinear PDEs are presented. TWS is implemented in Maple 10. It turns out that, for PDEs whose balancing numbers are not positive integers, TWS works much better than existing packages. Furthermore, TWS obtains more solutions than existing packages for most cases.

Program summary

Program title:TWSCatalogue identifier:AEAM_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEAM_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from:CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions:Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.:1250No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.:78 101Distribution format:tar.gzProgramming language:Maple 10Computer:A laptop with 1.6 GHz Pentium CPUOperating system:Windows XP ProfessionalRAM:760 MbytesClassification:5Nature of problem:Finding the travelling wave solutions to single nonlinear PDEs.Solution method:Based on tanh-function method.Restrictions:The current version of this package can only deal with single autonomous PDEs or ODEs, not systems of PDEs or ODEs. However, the PDEs can have any finite number of independent space variables in addition to time t.Unusual features:For PDEs whose balancing numbers are not positive integers, TWS works much better than existing packages. Furthermore, TWS obtains more solutions than existing packages for most cases.Additional comments:It is easy to use.Running time:Less than 20 seconds for most cases, between 20 to 100 seconds for some cases, over 100 seconds for few cases.References:[1] E.S. Cheb-Terrab, K. von Bulow, Comput. Phys. Comm. 90 (1995) 102.[2] S.A. Elwakil, S.K. El-Labany, M.A. Zahran, R. Sabry, Phys. Lett. A 299 (2002) 179.[3] E. Fan, Phys. Lett. 277 (2000) 212.[4] W. Malfliet, Amer. J. Phys. 60 (1992) 650.[5] W. Malfliet, W. Hereman, Phys. Scripta 54 (1996) 563.[6] E.J. Parkes, B.R. Duffy, Comput. Phys. Comm. 98 (1996) 288.     

Web‐Like Interconnected Carbon Networks from NaCl‐Assisted Pyrolysis of ZIF‐8 for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Catalysis

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is under intense research due to its significance in energy storage and conversion processes. Recent studies show that interconnected and hierarchically porous structures can further enhance ORR kinetics as well as catalyst durability, but their preparation can be quite time and/or chemical consuming. Here, a simple approach is reported to prepare such complex structures by pyrolyzing composites containing NaCl and ZIF‐8. The templating effect of molten NaCl connects ZIF‐8 particles into web‐like carbon networks. During ORR activity measurements, it achieves a 0.964 V onset potential and a 38 mV dec^?1 Tafel slope, which are comparable to those of the benchmark Pt/C (0.979 V and 40 mV dec^?1). Due to the metal‐free feature, this catalyst exhibits a 16 mV shift in half‐wave potential after a 10 000‐cycle durability test, which is only 60% of that of Pt/C. The catalyst is also tested in Zn–air batteries and the assemblies are able to work at above 1.2 V for 140 h, which triples the life held by those with Pt/C. This study demonstrates a facile strategy to prepare metal‐free ORR catalysts with interconnectivity and hierarchical porosity, and proves their great potentials in ORR catalysis and Zn–air batteries.     

A Hemispherical Image Sensor Array Fabricated with Organic Photomemory Transistors

Hemispherical image sensors simplify lens designs, reduce optical aberrations, and improve image resolution for compact wide-field-of-view cameras. To achieve hemispherical image sensors, organic materials are promising candidates due to the following advantages: tunability of optoelectronic/spectral response and low-temperature low-cost processes. Here, a photolithographic process is developed to prepare a hemispherical image sensor array using organic thin film photomemory transistors with a density of 308 pixels per square centimeter. This design includes only one photomemory transistor as a single active pixel, in contrast to the conventional pixel architecture, consisting of select/readout/reset transistors and a photodiode. The organic photomemory transistor, comprising light-sensitive organic semiconductor and charge-trapping dielectric, is able to achieve a linear photoresponse (light intensity range, from 1 to 50 W m⁻²), along with a responsivity as high as 1.6 A W⁻¹ (wavelength = 465 nm) for a dark current of 0.24 A m⁻² (drain voltage = −1.5 V). These observed values represent the best responsivity for similar dark currents among all the reported hemispherical image sensor arrays to date. A transfer method was further developed that does not damage organic materials for hemispherical organic photomemory transistor arrays. These developed techniques are scalable and are amenable for other high-resolution 3D organic semiconductor devices.     

Integrating intelligent job-scheduling into a real-world production-scheduling system

The paper addresses the problem of scheduling production orders (jobs). First, an approach based on simulated annealing and Hopfield nets is described. Since performance was unsatisfactory for real-world applications, we changed the problem representation and tuned the scheduling method, dropping features of the Hopfield net and retaining simulated annealing. Both computing time and solution quality were significantly improved. The scheduling method was then integrated into a software system for short-term production planning and control (electronic leitstand). The paper describes how real-world requirements are met, and how the scheduling method interacts with the leitstand's database and graphical representation of schedules.