622 research outputs found
The Adaptive Priority Queue with Elimination and Combining
Priority queues are fundamental abstract data structures, often used to
manage limited resources in parallel programming. Several proposed parallel
priority queue implementations are based on skiplists, harnessing the potential
for parallelism of the add() operations. In addition, methods such as Flat
Combining have been proposed to reduce contention by batching together multiple
operations to be executed by a single thread. While this technique can decrease
lock-switching overhead and the number of pointer changes required by the
removeMin() operations in the priority queue, it can also create a sequential
bottleneck and limit parallelism, especially for non-conflicting add()
operations.
In this paper, we describe a novel priority queue design, harnessing the
scalability of parallel insertions in conjunction with the efficiency of
batched removals. Moreover, we present a new elimination algorithm suitable for
a priority queue, which further increases concurrency on balanced workloads
with similar numbers of add() and removeMin() operations. We implement and
evaluate our design using a variety of techniques including locking, atomic
operations, hardware transactional memory, as well as employing adaptive
heuristics given the workload.Comment: Accepted at DISC'14 - this is the full version with appendices,
including more algorithm
Phase Difference Between the Electromagnetic and Strong Amplitudes for psi(2S) and J/psi Decays into Pairs of Pseudoscalar Mesons
Using the data for 24.5x10^6 psi(2S) produced in e^+e^- annihilations at
sqrt{s}=3686 MeV at the CESR-c e^+e^- collider and 8.6x10^6 J/psi produced in
the decay psi(2S)->pi^+pi^-J/psi, the branching fractions for psi(2S) and J/psi
decays to pairs of pseudoscalar mesons, pi^+pi^-, K^+K^-, and K_S K_L, have
been measured using the CLEO-c detector. We obtain branching fractions
Br(psi(2S)->pi^+pi^-)=(7.6+-2.5+-0.6)x10^-6,
Br(psi(2S)->K^+K^-)=(74.8+-2.3+-3.9)x10^-6, Br(psi(2S)->K_S
K_L)=(52.8+-2.5+-3.4)x10^-6, and Br(J/psi->pi^+pi^-)=(1.47+-0.13+-0.13)x10^-4,
Br(J/psi->K^+K^-)=(2.86+-0.09+-0.19)x10^-4, Br(J/psi+-K_S
K_L)=(2.62+-0.15+-0.14)x10^-4, where the first errors are statistical and the
second errors are systematic. The phase differences between the amplitudes for
electromagnetic and strong decays of psi(2S) and J/psi to 0^{-+} pseudoscalar
pairs are determined by a Monte Carlo method to be
\delta(psi(2S)_{PP}=(110.5^{+16.0}_{-9.5})^o and
\delta(J/psi)_{PP}=(73.5^{+5.0}_{-4.5})^o. The difference between the two is
\Delta\delta = \delta(psi(2S))_{PP}-\delta(J/psi)_{PP}
=(37.0^{+16.5}_{-10.5})^o.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR
Mechanisms of the Influence of UV Irradiation on Collagen and Collagen-Ascorbic Acid Solutions
The study of the influence of UV irradiation on collagen solutions has shown the destabilization of the collagen molecule by calorimetric method. It is reflected both in changes of thermodynamic parameters of transition (Tm, ÎH, Cp = f (T)) and in the appearance of a low temperature peak, that is practically irreversible against rescanning. All these indicate that the important defects in the molecule occur. The ESR measurements have shown that the above-mentioned thermal changes are connected with the occurrence of free radicals in solution under UV irradiation. They interact with proline (Pro) residues of the protein with the appearance of secondary free radicals, with following migration to glycine (Gly) residues. The emergence of the free radicals at the Pro and then at the Gly residues may cause the dramatic structural defect resulting from the UV irradiation, which significantly alters the network of hydrogen bonds in the triple helix of the collagen molecule. All this is connected with destabilization of the collagen molecule, because the defects in amino acid residues probably lead to cleavage of covalent bonds near the damaged sites maintaining the triple helical structure. The presence of ascorbic acid in collagen solution protects the collagen molecule from occurring of secondary free radicals
Mechanisms of the influence of UV irradiation on collagen and collagen-ascorbic acid solutions
The study of the influence of UV irradiation on collagen solutions has shown the destabilization of the collagen molecule by calorimetric method. It is reflected both in changes of thermodynamic parameters of transition (Tm, ÎH, Cp=f(t)) and in the appearance of a low temperature peak, that is practically irreversible against rescanning. All these indicate that the important defects in the molecule occur. The ESR measurements have shown that the above-mentioned thermal changes are connected with the occurrence of free radicals in solution under UV irradiation. They interact with proline (Pro) residues of the protein with the appearance of secondary free radicals, with following migration to glycine (Gly) residues. The emergence of the free radicals at the Pro and then at the Gly residues may cause the dramatic structural defect resulting from the UV irradiation, which significantly alters the network of hydrogen bonds in the triple helix of the collagen molecule. All this is connected with destabilization of the collagen molecule, because the defects in amino acid residues probably lead to cleavage of covalent bonds near the damaged sites maintaining the triple helical structure. The presence of ascorbic acid in collagen solution protects the collagen molecule from occurring of secondary free radicals
Fate and effects of silver nanoparticles at the aquatic-terrestrial interface: A floodplain mesocosm experiment
The production volume of engineered inorganic nanoparticles (EINP) successively increased over the last years. Once released into the natural environment, these particles may change their size and surface properties in interaction with other substances. This is expected to control their mobility and their impact on biochemical processes. However, the underlying processes are not fully understood yet. Transformation processes and long-term fate of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (Ag NP) were investigated in an innovative floodplain mesocosm, which was run with river Rhine water and natural soil from an adjacent floodplain for 33 weeks. Flooding events were simulated every three weeks. The Ag NP with a concentration of 5 mg L-1 were continuously introduced into the water for three weeks followed by a three-week period without spiking. Every third week the ecotoxicological impact of Ag NP was determined by means of Gammarus mortality and feeding assays. At the end of the experiment, the total Ag concentrations were measured in profiles of the floodplain soil and the sediment as well as in algae that developed in the mesocosm. The total Ag concentration in the aquatic phase in the main zone as well as in the floodplain fluctuated according to the periodic Ag NP pulse. Further, significant amounts of Ag accumulated in algae (up to 4.7 mg g-1) and exposed leaves (up to 170 ÎŒg g-1). However, for the applied experimental conditions we did neither observed mortality nor sublethal effects on Gammarus feeding activity. More than 40 % of the Ag remained in the sediment of the main zone and 7 % were transported during flooding into the floodplain soil. Furthermore, 0.5 % of the Ag was still in the water phase. Most of the particles were immobilized in the top layer of the sediments and soil. Only very little transport in deeper soil layers was observed in the soil columns and sediment. Accumulation in algae, sediment, and soil is alarming for long-term environmental impact assessments and the long lifetime in the aqueous phase suggests long-range transport of Ag NP in rivers
E835 at FNAL: Charmonium Spectroscopy in Annihilations
I present preliminary results on the search for in its
and decay modes. We observe an excess of \eta_c\gamma{\cal P} \sim 0.001M=3525.8 \pm 0.2 \pm 0.2
\Gamma\leq10.6\pm 3.7\pm3.4(br) <
\Gamma_{\bar{p}p}B_{\eta_c\gamma} < 12.8\pm 4.8\pm4.5(br) J/\psi\pi^0$ mode.Comment: Presented at the 6th International Conference on Hyperons, Charm and
Beauty Hadrons (BEACH 2004), Chicago(Il), June 27-July 3,200
Interference Study of the chi_c0 (1^3P_0) in the Reaction Proton-Antiproton -> pi^0 pi^0
Fermilab experiment E835 has observed proton-antiproton annihilation
production of the charmonium state chi_c0 and its subsequent decay into pi^0
pi^0. Although the resonant amplitude is an order of magnitude smaller than
that of the non-resonant continuum production of pi^0 pi^0, an enhanced
interference signal is evident. A partial wave expansion is used to extract
physics parameters. The amplitudes J=0 and 2, of comparable strength, dominate
the expansion. Both are accessed by L=1 in the entrance proton-antiproton
channel. The product of the input and output branching fractions is determined
to be B(pbar p -> chi_c0) x B(chi_c0 -> pi^0 pi^0)= (5.09 +- 0.81 +- 0.25) x
10^-7.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by PRL (July 2003
Precision measurements of the total and partial widths of the psi(2S) charmonium meson with a new complementary-scan technique in antiproton-proton annihilations
We present new precision measurements of the psi(2S) total and partial widths
from excitation curves obtained in antiproton-proton annihilations by Fermilab
experiment E835 at the Antiproton Accumulator in the year 2000. A new technique
of complementary scans was developed to study narrow resonances with
stochastically cooled antiproton beams. The technique relies on precise
revolution-frequency and orbit-length measurements, while making the analysis
of the excitation curve almost independent of machine lattice parameters. We
study the psi(2S) meson through the processes pbar p -> e+ e- and pbar p ->
J/psi + X -> e+ e- + X. We measure the width to be Gamma = 290 +- 25(sta) +-
4(sys) keV and the combination of partial widths Gamma_e+e- * Gamma_pbarp /
Gamma = 579 +- 38(sta) +- 36(sys) meV, which represent the most precise
measurements to date.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables. Final manuscript accepted for
publication in Phys. Lett. B. Parts of the text slightly expanded or
rearranged; results are unchange
Observational Constraints on Interstellar Grain Alignment
We present new multicolor photo-polarimetry of stars behind the Southern
Coalsack. Analyzed together with multiband polarization data from the
literature, probing the Chamaeleon I, Musca, rho Opiuchus, R CrA and Taurus
clouds, we show that the wavelength of maximum polarization (lambda_max) is
linearly correlated with the radiation environment of the grains. Using
Far-Infrared emission data, we show that the large scatter seen in previous
studies of lambda_max as a function of A_V is primarily due to line of sight
effects causing some A_V measurements to not be a good tracer of the extinction
(radiation field strength) seen by the grains being probed. The derived slopes
in lambda_max vs. A_V, for the individual clouds, are consistent with a common
value, while the zero intercepts scale with the average values of the ratios of
total-to-selective extinction (R_V) for the individual clouds. Within each
cloud we do not find direct correlations between lambda_max and R_V. The
positive slope in consistent with recent developments in theory and indicating
alignment driven by the radiation field. The present data cannot conclusively
differentiate between direct radiative torques and alignment driven by H_2
formation. However, the small values of lambda_max(A_V=0), seen in several
clouds, suggest a role for the latter, at least at the cloud surfaces. The
scatter in the lambda_max vs. A_V relation is found to be associated with the
characteristics of the embedded Young Stellar Objects (YSO) in the clouds. We
propose that this is partially due to locally increased plasma damping of the
grain rotation caused by X-rays from the YSOs.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
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