Parallel Implementation of a Class of Adaptive Signal Processing Applications

Recently, High Performance Computing (HPC) platforms have been employed to realize many computationally demanding applications in signal and image processing. These applications require real-time performance constraints to be met. These constraints include latency as well as throughput. In order to meet these performance requirements, efficient parallel algorithms are needed. These algorithms must be engineered to exploit the computational characteristics of such applications. In this paper we present a methodology for mapping a class of adaptive signal processing applications onto HPC platforms such that the throughput performance is optimized. We first define a new task model using the salient computational characteristics of a class of adaptive signal processing applications. Based on this task model, we propose a new execution model. In the earlier linear pipelined execution model, the task mapping choices were restricted. The new model permits flexible task mapping choices, leading to improved throughput performance compared with the previous model. Using the new model, a three-step task mapping methodology is developed. It consists of (1) a data remapping step, (2) a coarse resource allocation step, and (3) a fine performance tuning step. The methodology is demonstrated by designing parallel algorithms for modern radar and sonar signal processing applications. These are implemented on IBM SP2 and Cray T3E, state-of-the-art HPC platforms, to show the effectiveness of our approach. Experimental results show significant performance improvement over those obtained by previous approaches. Our code is written using C and the Message Passing Interface (MPI). Thus, it is portable across various HPC platforms. Received April 8, 1998; revised February 2, 1999.     

Initial high beta operation of the HBT-EP Tokamak

HBT-EP is a new research tokamak designed and built to investigate passive and active feedback techniques to control MHD instabilities. In particular, HBT-EP will be able to test techniques to control fast MHD instabilities occurring at high Troyon-normalized beta, _N Ba/I_p [Tm/MA], since it is equipped with a thick, close-fitting, and adjustable conducting shell. The major goals of the initial operation of HBT-EP have been the achievement of high beta operation (_N 3) using only ohmic heating and the observation of MHD instabilities. By using a unique fast startup technique, we have successfully achieved these goals. A variety of MHD phenomena were observed during the high beta operation of HBT-EP. At modest beta (_N 2), discharges have been maintained for more than 10 msec, and these discharges exhibit saturated resistive instabilities. When _N approaches 3, major disruptions occur preceded by oscillating, growing precursors. During start-up, one or more minor disruptions are usually observed. A 1-D transport code has been used to simulate the evolution of the current profile, and these early minor instabilities are predicted to be double tearing modes. The simulation also reproduces the observed high beta operation when saturated neo-Alcator energy confinement scaling is assumed.     

Transport properties of nonelectrolyte liquid mixtures—IV. Viscosity coefficients for benzene,perdeuterobenzene, hexafluorobenzene,and an equimolar mixture of benzene + hexafluorobenzene from 25 to 100°c at pressures up to the freezing pressure

Viscosity coefficient measurements made with an estimated accuracy of ±2% using a self-centering falling body viscometer are reported for benzene, perdeuterobenzene, hexafluorobenzene and an equimolar mixture of benzene + hexafluorobenzene at 25, 50, 75 and 100°C at pressures up to the freezing pressure. The data for each liquid at different temperatures and pressures are correlated very satisfactorily by a graphical method based on plots of 9.118×10⁷ V ^2/3/(MRT)^1/2 versus logV, and are reproduced to within the experimental uncertainty by a free-volume form of equation. Application of the empirical Grunberg and Nissan equation to the mixture viscosity coefficient data shows that the characteristic constant G is practically temperature- and pressure-independent for this system.     

The world’s most intense online gaming culture: Addiction and high-engagement prevalence rates among South Korean adolescents and young adults

Failure to establish agreed-upon criteria by which to measure and identify online video game addiction has resulted in a lack of reliable evidence of the actual percentage of individuals who are pathologically dependent. Building upon prior research, the present study sought to better determine the magnitude of pathological online video game play using a distinction between core and peripheral criteria for behavioral addiction. Preferences and perceptions towards online video games and addiction were also examined to better understand players’ habits. A questionnaire was administered to 1332 South Korean students across 11 high schools and 1 middle school in an area surrounding the capital of Seoul. Using a monothetic and a polythetic classification system, findings showed rates ranging between 1.7% and 25.5%, with a 2.7% addiction rate when distinguishing core from peripheral criteria. These results may suggest that online video game addiction rates in intense gaming cultures such as South Korea are not as high as otherwise believed. The findings will be of assistance to educators, policymakers, clinicians, and researchers in understanding the challenges in deriving meaningful video game addiction prevalence rates, and thus being able to better separate reality from conjecture with regard to the notion of pathological game play.     

Impact of speech presentation level on cognitive task performance: implications for auditory display design

Speech displays and verbal response technologies are increasingly being used in complex, high workload environments that require the simultaneous performance of visual and manual tasks. Examples of such environments include the flight decks of modern aircraft, advanced transport telematics systems providing in-vehicle route guidance and navigational information and mobile communication equipment in emergency and public safety vehicles. Previous research has established an optimum range for speech intelligibility. However, the potential for variations in presentation levels within this range to affect attentional resources and cognitive processing of speech material has not been examined previously. Results of the current experimental investigation demonstrate that as presentation level increases within this ‘optimum’ range, participants in high workload situations make fewer sentence-processing errors and generally respond faster. Processing errors were more sensitive to changes in presentation level than were measures of reaction time. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of their application for the design of speech communications displays in complex multi-task environments.     

High temperature piezoelectric materials: Defect chemistry and electro-mechanical properties

Langasite (La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄, LGS) and gallium orthophosphate (GaPO₄) resonators exhibit piezoelectrically exited bulk acoustic waves at temperatures of up to at least 1400^∘C and 900^∘C, respectively. Their mass sensitivity at elevated temperatures has been found to be about as high as that of quartz at room temperature. Within its operation temperature range, GaPO₄ shows significantly lower losses than LGS. Factors restricting application relevant properties of LGS at elevated temperatures, such as the mass resolution, include excessive viscous damping. Therefore, the effective viscosity is determined as a function of the temperature by fitting the calculated complex impedance to the experimental data in the vicinity of the resonance frequency. The viscosity shows an Arrhenius-like behavior if a temperature independent contribution is subtracted. The activation energies of the viscosity for LGS and GaPO₄ correspond to those of the bulk electrical conductivity for each material. Viscosity and conductivity are obviously correlated. Therefore, it is highly likely that the predominant conductivity mechanism also controls the mechanical damping. First attempts to minimize the viscosity of LGS by doping are undertaken. Very light doping does, however, not change the conductivity and viscosity of LGS. Higher doping levels have to be applied and tested. Based on the electromechanical properties given for undoped LGS, the applicability of this material as resonant gas sensor at 600^∘C is demonstrated.     

五坐标数控快锻机的液压系统设计

对63MN五坐标数控快锻机在自由锻和恒温锻不同的工艺过程进行分析,根据压机设备压力高、流量大的特点,进行系统的优化设计。并对降低噪声、抗污染、保证系统可靠性、实现系统的高精度、高响应等要求,提出了合理的设计方案。     

R-M不稳定性数值模拟方法

通常,界面追踪方法都是由界面将计算区域分割为多个部分来分别处理,同时用求解黎曼问题来追踪全部波系的发展。然而在多维情况下,波系间相互作用的黎曼问题将非常复杂且目前尚处于分析阶段,故在实际应用中只能追踪界面本身。提出了一种新的界面追踪方法,该方法只追踪界面的发展而不再追踪波系,使计算量和复杂性大大减少并保持了原界面追踪方法精确捕捉界面的特点,数值结果令人满意。     

力控~应用于高压氧舱治疗监控及视频监视

本文主要谈了力控在医疗方面的应用,也就是力控应用与高压氧舱治疗监控及视频监视方面。     

11°BX全麦芽啤酒的工艺研究

介绍了一种全麦芽啤酒生产的新工艺。通过大量的试验与探索，确定了合理的生产工艺条件，解决了全麦芽啤酒酿造时色度深、酸度高、口味粗糙等难题，从而研制出了一种具有淡爽型啤酒特征的11°BX全麦芽啤酒。