Expanded delta networks for very large parallel computers

In this paper we analyze a generalization of the traditional delta network, introduced by Patel [21], and dubbed Expanded Delta Network (EDN). These networks provide in general multiple paths that can be exploited to reduce contention in the network resulting in increased performance. The crossbar and traditional delta networks are limiting cases of this class of networks. However, the delta network does not provide the multiple paths that the more general expanded delta networks provide, and crossbars are to costly to use for large networks. The EDNs are analyzed with respect to their routing capabilities in the MIMD and SIMD models of computation.The concepts of capacity and clustering are also addressed. In massively parallel SIMD computers, it is the trend to put a larger number processors on a chip, but due to I/O constraints only a subset of the total number of processors may have access to the network. This is introduced as a Restricted Access Expanded Delta Network of which the MasPar MP-1 router network is an example

Lowest common ancestor interconnection networks

Lowest Common Ancestor (LCA) networks are built using switches capable of connecting u + d inputs/outputs in a permutation pattern. For n source nodes and I stages of switches, n/d switches are used in stage l - n/d - u/d in stage l - 2, and in general , n-u^l-i-l/d^l-i switches in stage i. The resulting hierarchical structure possesses interesting connectivity and permutational properties. A full characterization of LCA networks is presented together with a permutation routing algorithm for a family of LCA networks. The algorithm uses the network itself to collect and disseminate information about the permutation. A schedule of O(dp log_d/u n) passes is obtained with a switch set-up cost factor of O(log_d/u n) (p is the minimum number of passes that an algorithm with global knowledge schedules)

Psychosocial Factors that Contribute to HIV/AIDS Risk Behavior among Young Black College Women

The primary purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between certain factors associated with the Theory of Gender and Power including: sexual relationships, condom use self-efficacy, substance use, and perceived risk to HIV/AIDS risk behaviors among young Black college women. It provides an intellectual context for empirically-based and theory-supported interventions geared toward this population. African American women are disproportionately burdened by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Statistics show that African American women account for 64% of all HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2005 compared to White women at 19% and Hispanic women at 15% (CDC, 2005). Typically, the majority of HIV/AIDS research focuses on prevention for lowincome, substance abusing minority women, adolescents, and men who have sex with men (MSM), while young Black college women are ignored as a risk group. Though this group does not have some of the common risk factors commonly associated with HIV such as poverty, injection drug use, or low levels of education, they still engage in behaviors that place them at risk for contracting HIV. This study consisted of convenience sample of 189 young Black women from Clark Atlanta University between the ages of 18 and 24. Participants were recruited through various campus student organizations. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test each research hypothesis. Results indicated that type(s) of sexual relationship was the strongest predictor of condom use among young Black college women and accounted for 2.5% of the variance in their condom use. HIV/AIDS knowledge, condom use self-efficacy, substance use nor HIV/AIDS perceived risk predicted this sample’s condom use

A Pedagogical Paradigm for International Graduate Students Studying Community Counseling

The authors introduce a pedagogical paradigm for international graduate students studying community counseling in the United States. The paradigm is based on previous research conducted by the authors on the educational experience of four international graduate students in a master‟s level community counseling program. The paradigm includes five phases and is in the form of a path with an emphasis on respecting the world cultures of students from other countries and addressing the special needs of international students studying in the United States. The paradigm contributes to the ongoing dialog related to the pedagogy of counselor education

Characteristics of the Reflection of Lamb Waves from Defects in Plates and Pipes

The detection of corrosion defects in pipework is an extremely important topic, particularly in the oil and chemical industries. The established procedures rely on the removal of any insulation material followed by localised inspection which is extremely expensive. A cheap and rapid inspection method would therefore be of great value. Researchers at Imperial College have developed a rapid testing scheme, utilising Lamb waves which propagate along the pipe. It is essentially a pulse-echo scheme: the instrumentation is located at a single position on the pipe; it excites waves in the pipe and then receives reflections which return from any corrosion defects. Details of the development of the technique and field trials have been reported elsewhere [1–5]

Adult-perpetrated Animal Abuse: Development of a Proclivity Scale

There is a clear discrepancy in the reporting of animal cruelty complaints, prosecutions and convictions suggesting that any prevalence figures of abuse are significant under-representations. Therefore, it can be inferred that there is a large number of animal abusers who are unapprehended. Currently there is no validated tool that assesses the proclivity or propensity to engage in animal abuse amongst members of the general public. Such a tool would enable researchers to study individuals who may think like animal abusers or may be unapprehended offenders themselves. This paper presents the newly developed Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale (AAPS) and some preliminary findings. The results from our two studies show that: (1) the psychometric properties of the AAPS indicate that the scale is a highly reliable measure; (2) the AAPS relates to measures assessing offence-supportive attitudes and reflects the gender differences seen in the literature; and (3) the AAPS demonstrates cross-national validity. These findings support that the AAPS, similar to other offending proclivity measures, is a tool that can be used to examine the factors most related to animal abuse propensity. We discuss how the AAPS can contribute to future developments in theory and practice in the field

Local Tobacco Control: Application of the Essential Public Health Services Model in a County Health Department’s Efforts to Put It Out Rockland

In 2000, Rockland County, a small suburban county north of New York City, dedicated $1 million of its Master Settlement Agreement funds to a comprehensive tobacco control program, Put It Out Rockland. Developed and implemented by the county health department, this program used an essential public health services model and an ongoing financial investment, within the context of strong statewide tobacco control efforts, to lower adult smoking rates to 9.7$6.75 cost per capita, this comprehensive effort yielded 11 000 fewer smokers and translated to a potential savings of more than $24 million for the county

Air-Coupled Ultrasonic Transducers for the Detection of Defects in Plates

In order to minimise the problems due to the acoustic impedance mismatch between solids and air, the non destructive testing of materials using ultrasonic transducers generally requires either contact transducers or immersion transducers to be used [1]. Air-coupled transducers however would be very advantageous for testing structures which must be not contaminated with couplant and also for all in-situ industrial applications. Although the propagation of ultrasonic waves from laser generation [2] involves air-coupling, the difficulties due to the experimental set-up of this technique and the financial investment it implies are two major disadvantages

Lunar elemental composition and ivestigations with D-CIXS x-ray mapping spectrometer on SMART-1

The D-CIXS Compact X-ray Spectrometer on ESA SMART-1 successfully launched in Sept 2003 can derive 45 km resolution images of the Moon with a spectral resolution of 185 eV, providing the first high-resolution global map of rock forming element abundances