An Automatic and Symbolic Parallelization System for Distributed Memory Parallel Computers

This paper describes ASPAR (Automatic and Symbolic PARallelization) which consists of a source-to-source parallelizer and a set of interactive graphic tools. While the issues of data dependency have already been explored and used in many parallel computer systems such as vector and shared memory machines, distributed memory parallel computers require, in addition, explicit data decomposition. New symbolic analysis and data-dependency analysis methods are used to determine an explicit data decomposition scheme. Automatic parallelization models using high level communications are also described in this paper. The target applications are of the “regular-mesh" type typical of many scientific calculations. The system has been implemented for the language C, and is designed for easy modification for other languages such as Fortran

Accuracy and speed in computing the Chebyshev collocation derivative

We studied several algorithms for computing the Chebyshev spectral derivative and compare their roundoff error. For a large number of collocation points, the elements of the Chebyshev differentiation matrix, if constructed in the usual way, are not computed accurately. A subtle cause is is found to account for the poor accuracy when computing the derivative by the matrix-vector multiplication method. Methods for accurately computing the elements of the matrix are presented, and we find that if the entities of the matrix are computed accurately, the roundoff error of the matrix-vector multiplication is as small as that of the transform-recursion algorithm. Results of CPU time usage are shown for several different algorithms for computing the derivative by the Chebyshev collocation method for a wide variety of two-dimensional grid sizes on both an IBM and a Cray 2 computer. We found that which algorithm is fastest on a particular machine depends not only on the grid size, but also on small details of the computer hardware as well. For most practical grid sizes used in computation, the even-odd decomposition algorithm is found to be faster than the transform-recursion method

Computational intelligence techniques for maximum energy efficiency of cogeneration processes based on internal combustion engines

153 p.El objeto de la tesis consiste en desarrollar estrategias de modelado y optimización del rendimiento energético de plantas de cogeneración basadas en motores de combustión interna (MCI), mediante el uso de las últimas tecnologías de inteligencia computacional. Con esta finalidad se cuenta con datos reales de una planta de cogeneración de energía, propiedad de la compañía EnergyWorks, situada en la localidad de Monzón (provincia de Huesca). La tesis se realiza en el marco de trabajo conjunto del Grupo de Diseño en Electrónica Digital (GDED) de la Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU y la empresa Optimitive S.L., empresa dedicada al software avanzado para la mejora en tiempo real de procesos industriale

Integrating Private Water Development Activities into Federal Land and Resource Planning and Management

92 pages

A Regional Guidebook for Applying the Hydrogeomorphic Approach to the Functional Assessment

The Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Approach is a method for developing and applying indices for the site-specific assessment of wetland functions. The HGM Approach was initially designed to be used in the context of the Clean Water Act Section 404 Regulatory Program permit review process to analyze project alternatives, minimize impacts, assess unavoidable impacts, determine mitigation requirements, and monitor the success of compensatory mitigation. However, a variety of other potential uses have been identified, including the design of wetland restoration projects, and management of wetlands.https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/ebooks/1014/thumbnail.jp

Integrating Private Water Development Activities into Federal Land and Resource Planning and Management

92 pages

An evaluation of the utilization of remote sensing in resource and environmental management of the Chesapeake Bay region

A nine-month study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the NASA Wallops Chesapeake Bay Ecological Program in remote sensing. The study consisted of a follow-up investigation and information analysis of actual cases in which remote sensing was utilized by management and research personnel in the Chesapeake Bay region. The study concludes that the NASA Wallops Chesapeake Bay Ecological Program is effective, both in terms of costs and performance

Use of the Palliative Performance Scale to estimate survival among home hospice patients with heart failure

AimsEstimating survival is challenging in the terminal phase of advanced heart failure. Patients, families, and health‐care organizations would benefit from more reliable prognostic tools. The Palliative Performance Scale Version 2 (PPSv2) is a reliable and validated tool used to measure functional performance; higher scores indicate higher functionality. It has been widely used to estimate survival in patients with cancer but rarely used in patients with heart failure. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic cut‐points of the PPSv2 for predicting survival among patients with heart failure receiving home hospice care.Methods and resultsThis retrospective cohort study included 1114 adult patients with a primary diagnosis of heart failure from a not‐for‐profit hospice agency between January 2013 and May 2017. The primary outcome was survival time. A Cox proportional‐hazards model and sensitivity analyses were used to examine the association between PPSv2 scores and survival time, controlling for demographic and clinical variables. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to quantify the diagnostic performance of PPSv2 scores by survival time. Lower PPSv2 scores on admission to hospice were associated with decreased median (interquartile range, IQR) survival time [PPSv2 10 = 2 IQR: 1–5 days; PPSv2 20 = 3 IQR: 2–8 days] IQR: 55–207. The discrimination of the PPSv2 at baseline for predicting death was highest at 7 days [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.802], followed by an AUC of 0.774 at 14 days, an AUC of 0.736 at 30 days, and an AUC of 0.705 at 90 days.ConclusionsThe PPSv2 tool can be used by health‐care providers for prognostication of hospice‐enrolled patients with heart failure who are at high risk of near‐term death. It has the greatest utility in patients who have the most functional impairment.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148390/1/ehf212398_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148390/2/ehf212398.pd

Wildwood/Kraemer Lake County Park Observational Study: The Effects of Fragmentation on Old-Growth Forest Species

Habitat fragmentation generates forest fragments with increased ratio of edge . This edge effect alters the natural community. Old growth forests support deep forest communities which rely on the closed canopy for survival, often indicators of healthy old growth communities. Putative old growth forest patches were identified in Wildwood Park and St. John’s Arboretum/University. One study objective was to collect baseline data on flora and fauna in Wildwood to confirm the presence of old-growth patches. The main ecological goal of the study was to determine if bird and plant communities exhibited patterns consistent with the operating assumption of 50 acre old-growth relicts surrounded by forest buffers of varying size, and if so, whether the communities in the buffers followed expectations of ecological theory. Birds and plants known to associate with old growth habitats were identified at Wildwood and then compared to similar habitats at St. John’s. The research included three sites, one at Wildwood (WW) and two at St. John’s (SJA & SJU), a total of 14 plots in all. Each site had a different amount of plots depending on the size of buffer zone at that site. After surveying the plots, we compared richness between the different zones (core & buffer) to determine if old growth species richness is higher in old growth core areas of the forest than the surrounding successional buffer that isolates the core from the edge effect . Richness was inconclusive with no statistical significance seen; possibly due to the small sample size or unforeseen weather events. The strongest patterns observed (via ordination analyses) were when vegetative cluster analysis and canonical correspondence were run. Cluster analysis indicated four to five of the six old growth plots clustered in all seasons. Canonical correspondence analysis were performed, plotting CCA Axis 1 vs Axis 2; generating graphs with the points (samples) labeled three different ways (site, zone and season). In each case there appeared visually to be patterning on either Axis 1 or 2 (or both), so we ran a series of analyses of variance to determine whether these patterns were statistically significant. One-way ANOVA’s indicated statistically significant differences (by the Tukey’s Test) in seasons, zones and sites. The most robust patterns occurred when comparing site differences. This study found strong vegetative diversity patterns among seasons, zones and sites with what appears to be no difference between the sizes of the buffer zones but rather the land management practices