Software Distributed Shared Memory: a VIA‐based implementation and comparison of sequential consistency with home‐based lazy release consistency

A Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) system provides a distributed application with a shared virtual address space. This article proposes a design for implementing the DSM communication layer on top of the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA), an industry standard for user‐level networking protocols on high‐speed clusters. User‐level communication protocols operate in user mode, thus removing the operating system kernel's overhead from the critical communication pass, and significantly diminishing communication overhead as a result. We analyze VIA's facilities and limitations in order to ascertain which implementation trade‐offs can be best applied to our development of an efficient communication substrate optimized for DSM requirements. We then implement a multithreaded version of the Home‐based Lazy Release Consistency (HLRC) protocol on top of this substrate. In addition, we compare the performance of this HLRC protocol with that of the Sequential Consistency (SC) protocol in which a Multi View (MV) memory mapping technique was used. This technique enables a fine‐grained access to shared memory, while still relying on the virtual memory hardware to track memory accesses. We perform an ‘apple‐to‐apple’ comparison on the same testbed environment and benchmark suite, and investigate the effectiveness and scalability of both protocols. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Age-Related Changes in the Fibroblastic Differon of the Dermis: Role in Skin Aging

Skin aging is a multi-factorial process that affects nearly every aspect of skin biology and function. The processes developing in the skin during aging are based on fundamental molecular mechanisms associated with fibroblasts, the main cellular population of the dermis. It has been revealed that the amount of fibroblasts decreases markedly with age and their functional activity is also reduced. This inevitably leads to a decrease in the regenerative abilities of the skin and the progression of its aging. In this review we consider the mechanisms underlying these processes, mainly the changes observed with age in the stem/progenitor cells that constitute the fibroblastic differon of the dermis and form their microenvironment (niches). These changes lead to the depletion of stem cells, which, in turn, leads to a decrease in the number of differentiated (mature) dermal fibroblasts responsible for the production of the dermal extracellular matrix and its remodeling. We also describe in detail DNA damages, their cellular and systemic consequences, molecular mechanisms of DNA damage response, and also the role of fibroblast senescence in skin aging.     

The Ability of the Nitric Oxide Synthases Inhibitor T1023 to Selectively Protect the Non-Malignant Tissues

Previously, we showed that a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, compound T1023, induces transient hypoxia and prevents acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in mice. Significant efficacy (according to various tests, dose modifying factor (DMF)—1.6–1.9 against H-ARS/G-ARS) and safety in radioprotective doses (1/5–1/4 LD10) became the reason for testing its ability to prevent complications of tumor radiation therapy (RT). Research methods included studying T1023 effects on skin acute radiation reactions (RSR) in rats and mice without tumors and in tumor-bearing animals. The effects were evaluated using clinical, morphological and histological techniques as well as RTOG classification. T1023 administration prior to irradiation significantly limited the severity of acute RSR. This was due to a decrease in radiation alteration of the skin and underlying tissues, and the preservation of the functional activity of cell populations that are critical in the pathogenesis of radiation burn. The DMF values for T1023 for skin protection were 1.4–1.7. Moreover, its radioprotective effect was fully selective to normal tissues in RT models of solid tumors—T1023 reduced the severity of acute RSR and did not modify the antitumor effects of γ-radiation. The results indicate that T1023 can selectively protect the non-malignant tissues against γ-radiation due to hypoxic mechanism of action and potentiate opportunities of NOS inhibitors in RT complications prevention.     

Synthesis of solvatochromic merocyanine dyes and their immobilization to polymers

Solvatochromic merocyanine dyes were immobilized onto polymer surfaces and copolymerized with acrylic resins, yielding novel reversibly solvatochromic polymers, which were used as solvent polarity indicators that exhibited different colors in water and alcohols. To generate solvatochromic polymer for solvent polarity indication, two solvatochromic merocyanine dyes containing moieties, which allow their immobilization onto polymer surfaces, or copolymerization with acrylic and vinyl monomers, were sequentially synthesized in four and six steps. Merocyanine dye (E)‐2‐(2‐(1‐(6‐aminohexyl)pyridinium‐4‐yl)vinyl)‐4,6‐dichlorophenolate (AHPVD) was prepared with a terminal aminohexyl group which allowed covalent bonding to activated carboxylated or sulfonated polymeric materials. The dyes were covalently bonded to the polymer surfaces, such as, nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, and silicone. Solvatochromic merocyanine dye (E)‐2‐(2‐(1‐(6‐acrylamidohexyl)pyridinium‐4‐yl)vinyl)‐4,6‐dichlorophenolate (AAPVD) was synthesized for radical copolymerization with acrylate and vinyl monomers and oligomers. Side‐chain solvatochromic merocyanine‐containing hydrophilic polymers with differential water and alcohol absorption were obtained upon photoinitiated radical copolymerization with specially formulated acrylated resins. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44451.     

Dot Size Thermal Objects Detection in Atmosphere of Infrared Range

The article deals with the experimental studies of atmosphere indistinct radiation structure. The information extraction background of dot size thermal object presence in atmosphere is reasonable. Indistinct generalization of experimental study regularities technique of space-time irregularity radiation structure in infrared wave range is offered. The approach to dot size thermal object detection in atmosphere is proved with a help of threshold method in the thermodynamic and turbulent process conditions, based on the indistinct statement return task solution.     

On the dynamics and Lyapunov stability of constrained and embedded rigid bodies

Lyapunov stability of constrained and embedded rigid bodies is considered. The constraints are of the equality type where the desired motion is to take place on an a priori defined submanifold of movement. Special and augmented state spaces for the representation of systems of rigid bodies are presented. A systematic method of stabilizing these augmented systems and a procedure for constructing Lyapunov functions are presented. The representation is applicable to augmented as well as reduced state spaces of the system defined by the constraints. The augmented state space results from the embedding of the free rigid body system in the larger state space of free rigid body and position control states, and in which the Lyapunov function is constructed. The reduced state space results when the system is restricted and is reduced to lie on the submanifold of movement. It is shown that, for the class of rigid bodies and the physical constraints considered, the projected feedback structures, and the reduced Lyapunov function constitute appropriate stabilizing structures for the constrained system. It is shown that the method applies equally to holonomically constrained and visco-elastically coupled rigid bodies. Digital computer simulations of one single rigid body system are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method. Applications to natural systems and the role of cartilage, ligaments and muscles in maintaining the integrity and stability of the joints are noted.     

The Effect of Titanium, Zirconium and Tin on the Growth of Diatom Synedra Acus and Morphology of Its Silica Valves

The effect of three Group IV metals (titanium, zirconium and tin) on the growth, morphology and chemical composition of the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians (Kützing) Skabichevsky was studied and compared with germanium. The elements in their highest oxidation states were introduced into the culture medium in the form of hydroxides. Germanium was found to be toxic at ??5?mol. % of the total Ge-Si content in the culture medium. In the presence of other elements, a slight decrease in the cell division rate was observed independent of the element within 1?C15% content interval. The analysis of the obtained biomass and silica valves revealed the presence of all the added elements within the cells. However, only germanium was incorporated into the valves in considerable amounts. S. acus cultivation with the addition of 5% Group IV elements resulted in cells having the following aberrations in the structure of the silica valves: changes in valve shape, thickening of valves, alterations of the areolae rows, irregularity or absence of the areolae and a decrease in the mechanical strength of valves. Moreover, the effect of Group IV elements on silica formation was simulated in vitro using a synthetic polymer bearing polyamine and phosphate groups found in silaffines (proteins from diatom frustules). The studied elements were observed to provoke the formation of unstable silica particles in solution. We propose that the observed effects of germanium, titanium, zirconium and tin on diatom growth and structure are due to uncontrollable silica condensation.     

Decomposed control design for non-stationary plants subject to disturbances

This paper combines the block (Luk'yanov and Utkin 1982, 1998), sliding mode and high gain control techniques (Utkin 1992) to form a new decomposed control law suitable for general multivariable non-stationary plants. Different versions of the control law are developed with various dependencies on plant parameters and state variables. The new control law is demonstrated by simulation of its application to an electrical drive employing a dc motor with controlled flux.     

Deformation Control During Thermal Treatment of Electrospun PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 Nanofiber Mats

This paper focuses on the deformation origin of PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ (PZT) fiber mats obtained by electrospinning. The main cause of deformation of the green mats during heating was found to be a nonuniform relaxation of the stretched PVP polymer, due to nonuniform thermal decomposition of the Pb‐hexanoate in the fibers. This relaxation starts under 100°C, well below the polymer decomposition temperature. The shrinkage was found to accelerate above the polymer glass transition point, giving rise to an overall linear change of almost 50%. The “green” PZT mats were easily separated from the collector by first depositing a pure PVP sublayer on the collector. An optimal fabrication and slow multistep thermal treatment process that provides fiber mats with desired PZT phase and overcomes the nonuniform deformation is described.     

Homochirality of Organic Matter – Objective Law or Curious Incident?

Of the many hypotheses on the origin of biological homochirality on the Earth, the combination of the notion of subatomic particles composing a homochiral pool of primary matter, on the one hand, with the suggestion of the synthesis of chiral organic molecules in the plasma torch generated by super-high-velocity impacts (SHVI) of meteorites, on the other hand, was chosen as the working assumption.