bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computer assisted instruction for therapy of heart failure based on simulation of cardiovascular system
Authors: Sato Toshiro , Takeuchi Akihiro , Yamagami Jun , Yamamoto Hareaki , Akiyama Shigeaki , Endou Kyoko , Shirataka Masuo , Ikeda Noriaki , Tsuruta Harukazu
Published: January 2007

Adequate treatment of cardiac failure should reflect both clinical rules and quantitative evaluation of hemodynamics. For the latter we assumed an extensive model of heart and vessels: For the left and right ventricles the EMAX models were assumed with the parameters of contractilities and diastolic compliances. The model of the vessels was composed of systemic and pulmonary vascular networks with arterial, capillary and venous segments. Heart failure of various types was simulated by the model and the optimal therapeutic regimen was formulated. The cardiovasular parameters of patients with heart failure could be esimated from the hemodynamic measurements through the model and the optimal therapy was computed with the technique of nonlinear programming.The simulation thechnique was incorporated in the computer assisted instruction system based on the clinical emirical rules. The program was written with TURBO PASCAL for a microcomputer with CPU 80286. The response time was within a tolerable range for use in the clinical practice.
Experiencing the introduction of software reused in Hitec
Authors: Guido Cardino , Skourti Matina
Published: January 2007

This article presents the lessons learnt during the introduction of software reuse in Hitec, in the Tarsal Esprit Project 20555. At the beginning of the project the development process in Hitec is characterized by a common situation for several small and medium companies: no high-level domain modeling, poor design specification, no company-wide software reuse strategy. This article shows that preliminary reuse experiments can help to face the first technical and cultural problems towards the adoption of reuse program. From a technical point of view, we show how a design recovery approach done on the existing systems can solve the problem of the absence of design and architectural information, which poses great limitation on the planned introduction of reuse. Moreover, the article shows that the application of this new methodology to a strategic in the company can raise and, effectively, has raised) the awareness of the developers about the necessity of formalized process.
The McCrimmon radical for identities of degree 3
Authors: Bondari Siamack , Hentzel Irvin Roy
Published: January 2007

Suppose that
R
= (
R,
+, ) is a nonassociative ring, and that

R
+

= (
R,
+, ˆ) is a Jordan ring where the ˆ-product is defined by
x ˆ y = xy + yx.
We compute the minimal degree three and degree four identities which are strong enough to make
R
third-power associative,

R
+

Jordan, and the McCrimmon radical of

R
+

to be an ideal of
R
. We display an absorption identity of
R
which demonstrates that the McCrimmon radical of

R
+

is an ideal of
R
. Because of the sizes of the matrices involved, the work was done modulo various primes and extrapolated to the rational numbers. The goal was to present the absorption identities. Actual proofs are too large to publish. The interested reader may check them using computer algebra packages. For (

R
+
,

+, ˆ) to have a McCrimmon radical, we have to have characteristic ≠ 2.The heart of the paper is a solution to the matrix equation
AX = B
where both the matrix
A
and the vector
B
have entries which are rational functions in α. The solution proceeds by solving the system modulo various primes for various values of α and using these residues to estimate the vector of rational functions
X.
A genetic algorithm is used to maximize the number of zero entries in the solution
X.
Cross-tabulation algorithms
Authors: Barghoorn Martin
Published: January 2007

The cross-tabulation technique is a common tool for data analysis and other statistical purposes. But when the datasets are large the standard software such as spreadsheet programs cannot process all the data or the database programs are too slow. It is therefore necessary to offer efficient APL programs which are well designed for cross-tabulations. There are various algorithms in APL but which ones are appropriate for such tasks?
RIO
Authors: Muntz Richard , Santos Jose Renato , Berson Steve
Published: January 2007

A multimedia object server must be ready to handle a variety of media object types (video, audio, image, 3D interactive, etc.) as well as non real-time workload. Even when a homogeneous set of object types are maintained in the store (e.g., all videos) the storage system workload is generally quite variable due to the need to provide for example, VCR functionality, multiple playout rates, different resolution levels for the same objects, etc. Attempting to carefully layout data and optimally schedule delivery to meet just-in-time delivery constraints is very difficult in the face of this heterogeneous workload. Our approach to the unpredictability of the I/O workload is to randomize the allocation of disk blocks. This turns all workloads into the same uniformly random access pattern and thus gives one problem to deal with. The main disadvantage of this approach is that statistical variation can result in short term imbalances in disk utilization which in turn, cause large variances in latencies. Our approach to this problem is to introduce limited redundancy and asynchronous scheduling for short term load balancing.This approach is being implemented in the RIO (Random I/O) multimedia object server. The RIO multimedia object server provides applications a guaranteed rate of storage access with bounded delay even at very high (
> 90%
) disk utilization.
A software system for analysis of steady-state evoked potentials
Authors: Belmonte Matthew
Published: January 2007

A suite of computer programs tailored to the analysis of steady-state evoked potential data in attentional shifting experiments is described. Stimuli are sequenced pseudorandomly while maintaining constraints on overlapping of response windows. Averages of phase-locked and non-phase-locked steady-state amplitudes are computed in variable-length epochs and corrected for the effect of sampling noise. Various algebraic and combinational transformations of averaged data are implemented. Several parametric and nonparametric statistical tests are implemented, and the results of these procedures are visualised. An application of this software has revealed modulation of a steady-state visual evoked potential by spatial attention. The software has been designed with portability in mind, and many of the programs are applicable to more general problems in evoked potentials.
Expressing object-oriented concepts in Fortran 90
Authors: Decyk Viktor K. , Norton Charles D. , Szymanski Boleslaw K.
Published: January 2007

Fortran 90 is a modern, powerful language with features that support important new programming concepts, including those used in object-oriented programming. This paper briefly summarizes how to express the concepts of data encapsulation, function overloading, classes, objects, inheritance, and dynamic dispatching.
Book review: THINKING BETWEEN THE LINES by Gary C. Borchardt (The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts 1994)
Authors: Vouros George
Published: January 2007

"We are witnessing the dawn of a new age in which computers will play an increasingly important role in the dissemination of technical knowledge: from experts to students, among scientists and engineers and from manufacturers to consumers".
Dynamic load balancing strategies for conservative parallel simulations
Authors: Boukerche Azzedine , Das Sajal K.
Published: January 2007

This paper studies the problem of load balancing for conservative parallel simulations for execution on a multicomputer. The synchronization protocol makes use of Chandy-Misra null-messages. We propose a dynamic load balancing algorithm which assumes no compile time knowledge about the workload parameters. It is based upon a process migration mechanism, and the notion of CPU-queue length, which indicates the workload at each processor.We examine two variations for the algorithm which we refer to as centralized and multi-level hierarchical methods, in the context of queueing network simulation of a torus. The torus was chosen because it of its many cycles aid in the formation of deadlock making it a stress test for any conservative synchronization protocols. Our experiments indicate that our dynamic load balancing schemes significantly reduce the run time of an optimized version of Chandy-Misra null message approach, and decreases by 30-40\% the synchronization overhead when compared to the use of a static partitioning algorithm. Significantly, the results obtained also indicate that the multi-level scheme always outperforms both the centralized load balancing approach and the static partitioning algorithm.
Peer review
Authors: Westermeyer Lawrence W.
Published: January 2007

The term "peer review" raises many questions such as: What is it? How does it work? Why should I have one? Who is eligible? Why should I become a reviewer? I will attempt to provide some personal insight into each of these.
A comparative analysis of reactions from multicultural and culturally homogeneous teams to decision making with and without GDSS technology
Authors: Daily Bonnie F. , Loveland John , Steiner Robert
Published: January 2007

Cultural Diversity in the U.S. workforce is increasing, in addition, organizations are requiring greater worker involvement and teamwork. While cultural diversity provides unique opportunities to stimulate the work environment, it can also create problems in individual interaction that often hinders group performance. Therefore, it is imperative to determine how multicultural team performance is similar and different from culturally homogeneous team performance. In the Information Age a number of organizations are using technology such as Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) to promote participation and improve team interaction. This article provides the results of a pilot study where survey responses were collected from two categories of teams, multicultural teams and culturally homogeneous teams. Participants were surveyed on their preferences for team decision making, in reaction to team exercises, within a GDSS environment and within a traditional, non-GDSS environment. An analysis of the responses showed that a significantly higher percent of multicultural team members, in comparison to culturally homogeneous team members, responded more favorably for using a GDSS in certain aspects of team decision making. For example, multicultural team members to a greater extent preferred the computer environment for "discussion of issues" and "expressing ideas." Implications for using GDSS technology for team building within multicultural organizations are discussed.
The Turing factorization of a rectangular matrix
Authors: Corless R. M. , Jeffrey D. J.
Published: January 2007

The Turing factorization is a generalization of the standard
LU
factoring of a square matrix. Among other advantages, it allows us to meet demands that arise in a symbolic context. For a rectangular matrix
A,
the generalized factors are written
PA
=
LDU R,
where
R
is the row-echelon form of
A.
For matrices with symbolic entries, the
LDU R
factoring is superior to the standard reduction to row-echelon form, because special case information can be recorded in a natural way. Special interest attaches to the continuity properties of the factors, and it is shown that conditions for discontinuous behaviour can be given using the factor
D.
We show that this is important, for example, in computing the Moore-Penrose inverse of a matrix containing symbolic entries.We also give a separate generalization of
LU
factoring to fraction-free Gaussian elimination.
Book review: Analysis and applications of artificial neural networks by L.P.J. Veelenturf (Prentice Hall 1995)
Authors: Serra Roberto
Published: January 2007

This book provides a university level introduction to neural networks. There are already many such books, so it is important to identify the distinguishing features of a new volume. The author makes this clear in the introduction, pointing out that he wants to "open the black boxes of the main types of neural networks that can be thoroughly understood." Implicit in this is a criticism of some of the existing literature. His opinion is that "for many people neural networks still seem something of a black art."
Xavier
Authors: Simmons Reid G. , Goodwin Richard , Haigh Karen Zita , Koenig Sven , O'Sullivan Joseph , Veloso Manuela M.
Published: January 2007

Office delivery robots have to perform many tasks such as picking up and delivering mail or faxes, returning library books, and getting coffee. They have to determine the order in which to visit locations, plan paths to those locations, follow paths reliably, and avoid static and dynamic obstacles in the process. Reliability and efficiency are key issues in the design of such autonomous robot systems. They must deal reliably with noisy sensors and actuators and with incomplete knowledge of the environment. They must also act efficiently, in real time, to deal with dynamic situations. To achieve these objectives, we have developed a robot architecture that is composed of four layers: obstacle avoidance, navigation, path planning, and task planning. The layers are independent, communicating processes that are always active, processing sensory data and status information to update their decisions and actions. A version of our robot architecture has been in nearly daily use in our building since December 1995. As of January 1997, the robot has traveled more than 110 kilometers (65 miles) in service of over 2500 navigation requests that were specified using our World Wide Web interface.
Backtracking
Authors: Welty Chris , Hoebel Lou
Published: January 2007

Even if you are a limited artificial intelligence agent, you have probably noticed that this issue of
the Bulletin
is devoted to the special topic of Agents. Anyone knowledgeable about the history of AI cannot help but recognize that yet another neat little technology is being hyped nearly to death, and anyone knowledgeable about "agents" can not help but recognize that, as an artificial intelligence technology, there is typically very little actual intelligence involved. In some sense, Agents can be defined as small scale AI that works. This was particularly evident at the First International Conference on Autonomous Agents (Agents-97) in Marina Del Rey this past February. There is a lot of activity and real research going on related to Agents that is fascinating and occasionally entertaining. Agents-97 attendees certainly noticed the most popular presentations were those given by or relating to the entertainment industry.
Optimistic parallel simulation of reliable multicast protocols
Authors: Rubenstein Dan , Kurose Jim , Towsley Don
Published: January 2007

Parallel discrete-event simulation offers the promise of harnessing the computational power of multiple processors in order to reduce the time needed for simulation-based performance studies. In this paper, we investigate the use of
optimistic parallel simulation techniques
in simulating reliable multicast communication network protocols. Through empirical studies (using the TeD simulation programming language, the Georgia Tech time warp simulator, and a 12-processor SGI Challenge), we find that these parallelized simulations can run noticeably faster than a uniprocessor simulation and, in a number of cases, can make effective use of parallel resources. These results are somewhat surprising because reliable multicast protocols require considerable communication (and hence synchronization) among different network entities.
Transformation of
ns
TCP models to TED
Authors: Premore Brian J. , Nicol David M.
Published: January 2007

This paper considers problems that arise when transforming TCP models developed using the
ns
simulator, to the TeD meta-language. The raison d'être for this project is to evaluate the potential of TeD as the target of an automated simulation model transformation system, so as to exploit the considerable existing modeling work that has already been conducted using
ns
. By transforming
ns
models to TeD we hope to provide high performance parallel simulation to detailed and accurate network models.
Embodiment of 3D virtual objects for the blind by PC
Authors: Ina Satoshi
Published: January 2007

This article reports on a method to embody 3D virtual objects by Personal Computer(PC) and its applications for the blind. We connected an inexpensive small mill-machine called 3D plotter with PC, and developed a 3D graphics program to make solid mazes tactile. The grade of complication, wall-height of maze and the point of view are able to be manipulated on the screen. Other 3D graphics software on the market was also applied to create some other original 3D virtual objects. We introduce the purpose and method of our system, and discuss the abilities, the limitations and the possibilities of its application in educational sites. We are expecting much of utilizing these tactile solid objects as teaching materials at educational sites for the blind in future.
The busy period in the fluid queue
Authors: Boxma O. J. , Dumas V.
Published: January 2007

Consider a fluid queue fed by
N
on/off sources. It is assumed that the silence periods of the sources are exponentially distributed, whereas the activity periods are generally distributed. The inflow rate of each source, when active, is at least as large as the outflow rate of the buffer.We make two contributions to the performance analysis of this model. Firstly, we determine the Laplace-Stieltjes transforms of the distributions of the busy periods that start with an active period of source
i, i
= 1,…,
N
, as the unique solution in [0, 1]
N
of a set of
N
equations. Thus we also find the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of the distribution of an arbitrary busy period.Secondly, we relate the tail behaviour of the busy period distributions to the tail behaviour of the activity period distributions. We show that the tails of all busy period distributions are regularly varying of index - ν iff the heaviest of the tails of the activity period distributions are regularly varying of index - ν We provide explicit equivalents of the former in terms of the latter, which show that the contribution of the sources with lighter associated tails is equivalent to a simple reduction of the outflow rate. These results have implications for the performance analysis of networks of fluid queues.
Generating representative Web workloads for network and server performance evaluation
Authors: Barford Paul , Crovella Mark
Published: January 2007

One role for workload generation is as a means for understanding how servers and networks respond to variation in load. This enables management and capacity planning based on current and projected usage. This paper applies a number of observations of Web server usage to create a realistic Web workload generation tool which mimics a set of real users accessing a server. The tool, called
Surge
(Scalable URL Reference Generator) generates references matching empirical measurements of 1) server file size distribution; 2) request size distribution; 3) relative file popularity; 4) embedded file references; 5) temporal locality of reference; and 6) idle periods of individual users. This paper reviews the essential elements required in the generation of a representative Web workload. It also addresses the technical challenges to satisfying this large set of simultaneous constraints on the properties of the reference stream, the solutions we adopted, and their associated accuracy. Finally, we present evidence that
Surge
exercises servers in a manner significantly different from other Web server benchmarks.
Real life information retrieval: a study of user queries on the Web
Authors: Jansen Bernard J. , Spink Amanda , Bateman Judy , Saracevic Tefko
Published: January 2007

We analyzed transaction logs of a set of 51,473 queries posed by 18,113 users of
Excite,
a major Internet search service. We provide data on: (i)
queries
--- the number of search terms, and the use of logic and modifiers, (ii)
sessions
--- changes in queries during a session, number of pages viewed, and use of relevance feedback, and (iii)
terms
--- their rank/frequency distribution and the most highly used search terms. Common mistakes are also observed. Implications are discussed.
Maximum likelihood based classification for the microstructure of human sleep
Authors: Lima José Allen , Rosa Agostinho
Published: January 2007

In this paper a classifier for the microstructure paradigm of human sleep, the Cyclic Alternating Pattern Sequence (CAPS), is presented. Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) is the signal used for the scoring. An EEG model makes the feature extraction (pre-processing). The CAPS phases are then detected using maximum likelihood (ML) estimation. A final processing block checks CAPS context rules. This system was tested with good results on the record of 8 hours sleep of a normal adult subject.
Structure and Development of Plans in Computer Text Editing
Authors: Robertson Scott P. , Black John B.
Published: January 2007

There is growing interest in the use of sound to convey information in computer interfaces. The strategies employed thus far have been based on an understanding of sound that leads to either an arbitrary or metaphorical relation between the sounds used and the data to be represented. In this brief note, an alternative approach to the use of sound in computer interfaces is outlined, one that emphasizes the role of sound in conveying information about the world to the listener. According to this approach, auditory icons, caricatures of naturally-occurring sounds, could be used to provide information about sources of data. Auditory icons provide a natural way to represent dimensional data as well as conceptual objects in a computer system. They allow categorization of data into distinct families, using a single sound. This strategy has the advantage that it is based on the way people listen to the world in their everyday lives.
Graphically Defining New Building Blocks in Thinglab
Authors: Borning Alan
Published: January 2007

This paper discusses cognitive models of learning to program recursion and their relation to lessons on recursion in an intelligent computer tutor for LISP programming (the LISP Tutor). The cognitive models are implemented as production systems in which programming skill is characterized as the decomposition of programming goals into subgoals and elementary actions via the application of programming plans. Two sets of learning mechanisms are used in the cognitive models.
Analogical problem-solving
mechanisms use declarative knowledge of example program solutions to overcome problem solving impasses.
Knowledge compilation
mechanisms summarize problem solutions into efficient problem solving skill. Analyses and simulations of novice and expert programming were used to develop
ideal models
of the programming knowledge to confer upon students and
bugs
that characterize common misconceptions. The LISP Tutor uses the ideal models and bugs to guide its interactions with students. Experimental evaluations of the LISP Tutor indicate that it is more efficient and effective than classroom instruction.
On generating a hierarchy for GSPN analysis
Authors: Buchholz Peter , Kemper Peter
Published: January 2007

This paper examines the (semi) automatic generation of a hierarchical structure for generalized stochastic Petri nets (GSPNs). The idea is to partition a GSPN automatically into a set of components with asynchronous communication. Net level results obtained by invariant computation for these subnets are used to define a macro description of the internal state. This yields a hierarchical structure which is exploited in several efficient analysis algorithms. These algorithms include reachability set/graph generation, structured numerical analysis techniques and approximation techniques based on decomposition and aggregation. A GSPN model of an existing production cell and its digital control is analyzed to demonstrate usefulness of the approach.
Modeling ATM systems with GSPNs and SWNs
Authors: Marsan Marco Ajmone , Gaeta Rossano
Published: January 2007

This paper overviews the work of the authors in the field of modeling and analysis of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks using Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets (GSPN) and a special class of high-level stochastic Petri nets known as Stochastic Well-formed Nets (SWN). These formalisms are first shown to be adequate tools for the development of models of ATM systems, provided that only one timed transition is used, together with many immediate transitions. The only timed transition in the GSPN and SWN models represents the ATM systems cell time, while immediate transitions implement the ATM systems behavior. The firing time distribution of the only timed transition is irrelevant for the computation of several interesting performance indices. The results, as well as the problems, derived from the analysis of ATM switches and Local Area Networks (LAN) that adopt the Available Bit Rate (ABR) service category are summarized and discussed, providing references to the works containing the technical details.
Perspectives on computer personnel research
Authors: Schell George P.
Published: January 2007

Research appearing in
Computer Personnel
has focused on a number of topics between April 1994 and January 1998, the most consistent topic concerned the careers of information systems professionals. In preparation of articles, researchers have used a variety of references for their work. A surprising number of texts have been cited; the number of text citations is about 30% of the number of journal citations.The time period studied represents the first four years of
Computer Personnel
being a blind, peer reviewed journal. This article will review citations during this four year period and will make comparisons of the citations to recent journal rankings in
Communications of the ACM.
Idea for a mind
Authors: Jackson John V.
Published: January 2007

"A computer can only do what it's been told to do." Is this really true? The Japanese have made disproving this notion a national objective. One of the best answers to it is still "What if you teach a computer how to think?" The counter riposte might then be "But there are no rules for thinking. The best thinking is inspirational, creative. No one knows How this is done."
Bell polynomials
Authors: Wheeler F. S.
Published: January 2007

An introduction to Bell polynomials is given in order to see how they can be used to compute some of the classical counting functions of Combinatorics. They are also used to compute the Taylor coefficients of formal power series given as a composition of two power series along with computing the composition inverse of a power series.
On computing the Weierstrass points of a plane algebraic curve
Authors: Heiligman Mark , Volcheck Emil
Published: January 2007

Weierstrass points
are an important geometric feature and birational invariant of an algebraic curve. A place
P
on a curve of genus
g
is a Weierstrass point if the corresponding point on the canonical embedding of the curve is an inflection point where the tangent plane is tangent to order at least
g.
This condition is equivalent to there being a holomorphic differential with a
g
-fold zero at
P.
Knowing the Weierstrass points of a curve gives you information about its automorphisms, since an automorphism must carry a Weierstrass point to a Weierstrass point of the same type. Also there is ongoing research into determining the
gonality
of a curve by studying its Weierstrass points.In this poster, we present an algorithm to compute the Weierstrass points of a curve and show technical improvements over the classical method. We partially estimate the complexity of this algorithm at
O
(
g
9
d
2
) operations for certain key steps.The algorithm follows a classical construction that determines Weierstrass points by the vanishing of the
Wronskian determinant.
Our improvements relate to two aspects:1. avoiding the direct computation of the full Wronskian determinant as a rational function in favor of an interpolation strategy where we evaluate the determinant at closed points, and2. computing a partial resultant of the Wronskian numerator polynomial with the curve equation to obtain the factors corresponding to Weierstrass points, thus avoiding the contribution of singularities.A manuscript describing this work in detail can be found at the website listed above.
An OO framework in the bulk data transfer domain
Authors: Morandin Elisabetta , Zorer Alessandro
Published: January 2007

In the context of experimenting with a reuse process model for the development of reusable components based on Domain Analysis (DA) and Object-Oriented Framework (OOF) techniques, we defined a methodology called SODA (Sodalia's Object-oriented Domain Analysis). This methodology has been applied in the development and instantiation of an OOF related to the domain of elaboration of large amounts of data (Bulk Data Transfer). The experiment has allowed us to prove that DA techniques combined with OOF enable software reuse within a domain. In fact, by allowing multiple instantiations of the domain component, we reduce overall time-to-market and increase software quality.
Simulating remotely sensed images of shoaling waves
Authors: Lea Suzanne M.
Published: January 2007

There is substantial current interest in the use of remotely sensed images to study littoral processes. Of particular interest is using the interaction of the ocean waves with the bottom to infer the water depth in coastal areas. Testing the accuracy of processing and analysis methods requires a known set of bottom depths at many points in the images to compare with depths extracted. Such knowledge is not available for most near-shore areas. Consequently, we have developed a simulator which produces a time series of images showing sea surface elevation for waves moving over a specified piecewise linear bottom of moderate slope. It provides a good approximation to the real sea surface for a wide range of conditions. Hence it can produce controlled datasets for many purposes in shallow-water research. The program uses linear wave theory to model a statistical realization of a deep-water wave field, with a realistic frequency spectrum and directional spreading, and applies the appropriate modifications for shoaling. Several examples show that the program produces reasonable results, indicating it should be a useful analytical tool in a range of problems.
Analysis of the resequencing delay for M/M/m systems
Authors: Agrawal Subhash , Ramaswamy Ravi
Published: January 2007

Many virtual circuit service communications networks such as SNA employ virtual circuit transmission method inside the subnet. An essential feature of such networks is that the sequence in which messages are transmitted is maintained throughout the route from source node to the destination node. When there are multiple links connecting two intermediate nodes in the route and the messages are of different lengths, then it is possible that the messages complete transmission at the next node out of sequence. These messages then have to be resquenced, i.e. put in the right order, in order to provide a virtual circuit service. The resequencing operation introduces an additional delay in transmission which may be significant. In this paper the
probability distribution
of the resequencing delay is obtained for the M/M/m system. Simple expressions for the
mean and coefficient of variation
of the resequencing delay are also provided. It is shown through a variety of numerical examples that the resequencing delay is likely to be a significant component of the overall response time. Some interesting aspects of dependence of the mean resequencing delay on system parameters are studied analytically.
The most important technical library in the world
Authors: Greer Bruce
Published: January 2007

Intel provides several libraries known as the Performance Library Suite to address several computational areas: signal processing, image processing, speech and character recognition and linear algebra. This latter library is known as the Math Kernel Library, or MKL.In this paper we discuss the methods we use to achieve high performance on the current version. These methods revolve primarily around the management of memory and minimization of branch costs. Memory management involves compensating for the mismatch in main memory performance compared to the processor consumption rate, latency hiding, cache management and TLB management.We also discuss the SMP capabilities and the performance thereof.We discuss the direction the library will be taking including additions that will be made to the offerings: multithreaded LAPACK, cblas interface, and a powerful graphical DLL builder to create custom libraries no larger than the end user requires. Finally we will point out that using libraries such as MKL permits the user to profit from the architectural advances in new processors even if the tools, especially compilers, may not be able to fully exploit the features. There will be versions of MKL which exploit features of the recently announced Katmai processor, and the library will be fully developed for the Merced processor when it is introduced.
Is There a Role for Standards in the Future of Fortran?
Authors: Ellis Miles
Published: January 2007

The first Fortran compiler was delivered to customers by IBM in
April 1957. By the time the author wrote his first Fortran program
in 1965, there were more than 50 Fortran compilers in existence - -
and almost as many different versions of the Fortran language! The
first (American) Fortran Standard came the next year; the first
Interna- tional Fortran Standard was published in 1980 following
the publication of the American Fortran 77 Standard in 1978.
Further Fortran Standards followed in 1991 and 1997.

However, the innovation shown by the early Fortran compiler
writers has now been replaced by a reluc- tance to add any
significant new features to compilers until they have been
standardised internationally N and the international
standardization process can be very slow! It seems ironic that in a
world in which a new lan- guage such as Java can be conceived,
developed, launched, and become dominant in its field in less than
five years, it takes at least twice that long for a major language
such as Fortran to add a few simple features.

Standards have undoubtedly replaced the chaotic, competitive,
potentially incompatible language develop- ment of the 1960s with a
regular, safe, well-coordinated language development of today. But
at what cost?

This paper will argue that the cost may be too great, and that
Fortran must break out of tyranny of the International Standards
process if it is to survive into the 21st century as the major
language that its history deserves.
Block solution of sparse linear systems over GF (q)
Authors: Villard Gilles
Published: January 2007

Probabilistic algorithms based on the Krylov / Wiedemann or the Lanczos method to solve non homogeneous
N
x
N
systems
Ax
=
b
over a Galois field GF(
q
), usually require 2
N
matrix---vector products and
O
(
n

2+
o
(1)

) additional arithmetic operations. Only the block Wiedemann algorithm, as given by Kaltofen in [6], has the least number (1+ε)
N
+
O
(1) of matrix---vector products of any known algorithm. We extend its analysis to the case of singular matrices
A
.
The impact of interactive application development with CODESTAR
Authors: Fisher Robert
Published: January 2007

Many companies are currently plagued with the problem of not being able to deliver information systems quickly enough to meet business opportunities. Management is generally dissatisfied with the development cycle time, and backlogs are often two years or more. Texas Instruments has a strategic program to solve this problem by developing an integrated set of tools to automate the systems life cycle of analysis, design, construction and maintenance, and to reduce associated costs.CODESTAR, the first major tool to be completed (currently for use only at TI), addresses both construction and maintenance. It supports applications ranging from simple to complex and can be used for the development of IMS, batch and TSO applications. For example, the current CODESTAR was developed using the previous CODESTAR.A pilot project assessed the impact of CODESTAR. The project's scope included the construction, checkout and installation of a 20-screen IMS transaction system involving 6,000 lines of code. The project had originally been designed, scheduled and budgeted for a non-CODESTAR methodology.Results were impressive. Both elapsed time and manpower were reduced by 50 percent, while computer costs decreased slightly.
A prescriptive semantics of Fortran 95
Authors: Reid N. , Wray J. P.
Published: January 2007

This paper outlines current research into a prescriptive semantics of Fortran 95, as a means of investigating the language's strengths and shortcomings. Additionally, it is intended that this research will provide a foundation for the application of rigor to Fortran programming.
Natural language in computer human-interaction
Authors: Green Nancy , Novick David
Published: January 2007

Fifty-three people from accross the world participated in the CHI 99 special interest group on Natural Language in Computer Human-Interaction. The SIG's main goal was to provide an opportunity for CHI 99 attendees from two research communities, natural language processing (NLP) and human-computer interaction (CHI), to discuss issues of mutual interest. The SIG embraced natural-language interfaces of all kinds, inlcuding text, spoken and multi-modal interaction. This report inlcudes the results of e-mail discussions following up on the SIG itself.
Organizing Web site information
Authors: Dobroth Kate , McInerney Paul , Smith Sharon
Published: January 2007

As web sites continue to grow in their complexity, one of the most important usability design decisions is how to structure the web site topic hierarchy. This decision lays the groundwork for designing other aspects of the site, e.g., the home page table of contents, and for categorizing new documents in the topic structure over the life of the site. Organizing web sites is a timely topic as evidenced by the recent spate of publications on this topic [1] [2] [3] and by NIST's recent release of a tool, WebCAT, to help users participate in organizing their web site. More significantly, the organization is probably the limiting factor on success for web sites that provide useful information.If anything is clear about the organization of web sites, it is that there is no single best way to go about it. Different types of web sites seem to demand different approaches to organization. For example, a site geared toward product support might use a task-oriented scheme that steps users through a process of problem-solving. Other sites, such as an online shopping site, might be organized according to categories of products, in order to allow efficient browsing. Other sites might be organized based on an analysis of user roles.Designers who must choose among these schemes must also choose appropriate analyses to inform the design of the web site structure. These include item clustering techniques, user performance at finding documents using various prototype web site organizations, studies of user roles and tasks, and analyses of the material to be included in the site.
Some APL defined functions for fast analysis of innovations in food science and human nutrition
Authors: Makeev B. , Zoueva A.
Published: January 2007

This paper describes the methods of using the Expert System "Forecaster" for information intelligence, information support of managers' decisions and fast analysis of innovations.
Decision tables revisited
Authors: Latour Don
Published: January 2007

Even though decision tables have been around since the late 1950's, they have been largely ignored in recent years. Nonetheless, they still can serve as a useful tool in building a computer application. This paper discusses decision table format and its practicality in the context of the DDLA Decision Table Software System, a PC-based APL+DOS implementation of a decision table editor, validater, file manager and mainframe (BAL) program generator.
Re-targetability in software tools
Authors: Devanbu Premkumar T.
Published: January 2007

Software tool construction is a risky business, with uncertain rewards. Many tools never get used. This is a truism: software tools, however brilliantly conceived, well-designed, and meticulously constructed, have little impact unless they are actually adopted by real programmers. While there are no sure-fire ways of ensuring that a tool will be used, experience indicates that
retargetability
is an important enabler for wide adoption. In this paper, we elaborate on the need for retargetability in software tools, describe some mechanisms that have proven useful in our experience, and outline our future research in the broader area of inter-operability and retargetability.
Revisiting institution-wide e-mail
Authors: Ashworth Jayne
Published: January 2007

Issues involved with sending e-mail messages to every member of an institution of higher education vary from institution to institution, are many and have been discussed before. (See "Drowning in Our Success: Institution-wide Electronic Mail Messages," published in the SIGUCCS Newsletter, March/June 1997 issue.)
Certain algorithmic problems for Lie algebras
Authors: Shirshov A. I.
Published: January 2007

This short paper describes work similar to that appearing in Buchberger's 1965 thesis inventing Gröbner bases, but in the context of Lie Algebras. Preceding Buchberger by only three years, this paper, along with the two cited references, are the original papers defining what have become known as Gröbner-Shirshov bases.
An analysis of Fortran utilization
Authors: Reid N. , Wray J.P
Published: January 2007

This paper presents the results of a survey of Fortran users. The users were asked to identify the dialects of Fortran used, other languages used, target architectures, feature utilization (data-parallel, object-orientation and abstract data typing), views on formalism in programming, and views on standard Fortran and the standardization process. The results showed that the feature requirements of sequential and parallel users are divergent, but that in general Fortran programmers are assimilating all that technology has to offer.
An experimental configuration for the evaluation of CAC algorithms
Authors: Moore Andrew , Crosby Simon
Published: January 2007

Interest in Connection Admission Control (CAC) algorithms stems from the need for a network user and a network provider to forge an agreement on the Quality of Service (QoS) for a new network connection. Traditional evaluation of CAC algorithms has been through simulation studies. We present an alternative approach: an evaluation environment for CAC algorithms that is based around an experimental test-rig. This paper presents the architecture of the test-rig and an evaluation of its performance.
Complexity and uncertainty in genetics
Authors: Churchill Gary A.
Published: January 2007

In this article, we discuss issues that arise in the statistical analysis of complex genetic traits using inbred line crosses. Current methods of analysis that are in widespread use often fail to detect gene x gene interactions and thus can present an overly simplified view of a complex genetic system. Uncertainty regarding estimated parameters and model specification is inherent in any statistical analysis of data. Our goal is to fully determine the component genes and their potential interactions based on information derived from an experimental cross. It is important for statisticians and geneticists alike to recognize both the power and the limitations of this approach.
Using atomic-level structure to probe protein function
Authors: Edelman Marvin , Sobolev Vladimir
Published: January 2007

Molecular docking is relevant to drug design. Our analytical approach and some issues involved in docking and structure analysis are described.
Towards application/file-level characterization of block references
Authors: Choi Jongmoo , Noh Sam H. , Min Sang Lyul , Cho Yookun
Published: January 2007

Two contributions are made in this paper. First, we show that system level characterization of file block references is inadequate for maximizing buffer cache performance. We show that a finer-grained characterization approach is needed. Though application level characterization methods have been proposed, this is the first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to consider file level characterizations. We propose an Application/File-level Characterization (AFC) scheme where we detect on-line the reference characteristics at the application level and then at the file level, if necessary. The results of this characterization are used to employ appropriate replacement policies in the buffer cache to maximize performance. The second contribution is in proposing an efficient and fair buffer allocation scheme. Application or file level resource management is infeasible unless there exists an allocation scheme that is efficient and fair. We propose the Δ
HIT
allocation scheme that takes away a block from the application/file where the removal results in the smallest reduction in the number of expected buffer cache hits. Both the AFC and Δ
HIT
schemes are on-line schemes that detect and allocate as applications execute. Experiments using trace-driven simulations show that substantial performance improvements can be made. For single application executions the hit ratio increased an average of 13 percentage points compared to the LRU policy, with a maximum increase of 59 percentage points, while for multiple application executions, the increase is an average of 12 percentage points, with a maximum of 32 percentage points for the workloads considered.
High-capacity Internet middleware
Authors: Tomlinson Gary , Major Drew , Lee Ron
Published: January 2007

Previous studies measuring the performance of general-purpose operating systems running large-scale Internet server applications, such as proxy caches, have identified design deficiencies that contribute to lower than expected performance and scalability. This paper introduces a high-capacity proxy cache service built upon a specialized operating system designed to efficiently support large-scale Internet middleware. It suggests that specialized operating systems can better meet the needs of these services than can their general-purpose counterparts. It concludes with the measured performance and scalability of this proxy cache service.
Multimedia courseware on HIV/AIDS
Authors: Awang Nor Hazilawati
Published: January 2007

This project aimed at developing a multimedia courseware on HIV/AIDS for two levels: 1) Beginner level, targeting patients and their families, as an awareness tool for general knowledge, and 2) Expert level, targeting medical students and researchers. A CD has been developed. Some of the topics discussed are included in this article.
Parallelization of a legacy research program using OpenMP
Authors: Landman Joseph , Piecuch Piotr
Published: January 2007

OpenMP is a standard for shared-memory parallel (SMP) programming that uses directives to specify the parallelism of the program, without requiring a significant investment in time for rewriting the program as other parallel programming standards require. Using these directives within an existing research code, we demonstrate parallel speedups of 20 on 32 CPUs.