Recognition of rotated objects and cognitive offloading in dogs

Recognition of rotated images can challenge visual systems. Humans often diminish the load of cognitive tasks employing bodily actions (cognitive offloading). To investigate these phenomena from a comparative perspective, we trained eight dogs (Canis familiaris) to discriminate between bidimensional shapes. We then tested the dogs with rotated versions of the same shapes, while measuring their accuracy and head tilts. Although generalization to rotated stimuli challenged dogs (overall accuracy: 55%), three dogs performed differently from chance level with rotated stimuli. The amplitude of stimulus rotation did not influence dogs’ performance. Interestingly, dogs tilted their head following the direction and amplitude of rotated stimuli. These small head movements did not influence their performance. Hence, we show that dogs might be capable of recognizing rotated 2D objects, but they do not use a cognitive offloading strategy in this task. This work paves the way to further investigation of cognitive offloading in non-human species

Many-core applications to online track reconstruction in HEP experiments

Interest in parallel architectures applied to real time selections is growing in High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. In this paper we describe performance measurements of Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) and Intel Many Integrated Core architecture (MIC) when applied to a typical HEP online task: the selection of events based on the trajectories of charged particles. We use as benchmark a scaled-up version of the algorithm used at CDF experiment at Tevatron for online track reconstruction - the SVT algorithm - as a realistic test-case for low-latency trigger systems using new computing architectures for LHC experiment. We examine the complexity/performance trade-off in porting existing serial algorithms to many-core devices. Measurements of both data processing and data transfer latency are shown, considering different I/O strategies to/from the parallel devices.Comment: Proceedings for the 20th International Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP); missing acks adde

High resolution infrared and Raman spectra of 13C12CD2: The CD stretching fundamentals and associated combination and hot bands

11 pags.; 4 figs.; 9 tabs.© 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. Infrared and Raman spectra of mono 13C fully deuterated acetylene, 13C12CD2, have been recorded and analysed to obtain detailed information on the C—D stretching fundamentals and associated combination, overtone, and hot bands. Infrared spectra were recorded at an instrumental resolution ranging between 0.006 and 0.01 cm−1 in the region 1800–7800 cm−1. Sixty new bands involving the ν 1 and ν 3 C—D stretching modes also associated with the ν 4 and ν 5 bending vibrations have been observed and analysed. In total, 5881 transitions have been assigned in the investigated spectral region. In addition, the Q branch of the ν 1 fundamental was recorded using inverse Raman spectroscopy, with an instrumental resolution of about 0.003 cm−1. The transitions relative to each stretching mode, i.e., the fundamental band, its first overtone, and associated hot and combination bands involving bending states with υ 4 + υ 5 up to 2 were fitted simultaneously. The usual Hamiltonian appropriate to a linear molecule, including vibration and rotation l-type and the Darling–Dennison interaction between υ 4 = 2 and υ 5 = 2 levels associated with the stretching states, was adopted for the analysis. The standard deviation for each global fit is ≤0.0004 cm−1, of the same order of magnitude of the measurement precision. Slightly improved parameters for the bending and the ν 2 manifold have been also determined. Precise values of spectroscopic parameters deperturbed from the resonance interactions have been obtained. They provide quantitative information on the anharmonic character of the potential energy surface, which can be useful, in addition to those reported in the literature, for the determination of a general anharmonic force field for the molecule. Finally, the obtained values of the Darling–Dennison constants can be valuable for understanding energy flows between independent vibrations.The Bologna authors acknowledge the Università di Bologna and the financial support of the Ministero dell’ Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca (PRIN 2012 “Spettroscopia e Tecniche computazionali per la ricerca Astrofisica, atmosferica e Radioastronomica”). D.B. and R.Z.M. acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through Research Grant No. FIS2012-38175.Peer Reviewe

NaNet: a Low-Latency, Real-Time, Multi-Standard Network Interface Card with GPUDirect Features

While the GPGPU paradigm is widely recognized as an effective approach to high performance computing, its adoption in low-latency, real-time systems is still in its early stages. Although GPUs typically show deterministic behaviour in terms of latency in executing computational kernels as soon as data is available in their internal memories, assessment of real-time features of a standard GPGPU system needs careful characterization of all subsystems along data stream path. The networking subsystem results in being the most critical one in terms of absolute value and fluctuations of its response latency. Our envisioned solution to this issue is NaNet, a FPGA-based PCIe Network Interface Card (NIC) design featuring a configurable and extensible set of network channels with direct access through GPUDirect to NVIDIA Fermi/Kepler GPU memories. NaNet design currently supports both standard - GbE (1000BASE-T) and 10GbE (10Base-R) - and custom - 34~Gbps APElink and 2.5~Gbps deterministic latency KM3link - channels, but its modularity allows for a straightforward inclusion of other link technologies. To avoid host OS intervention on data stream and remove a possible source of jitter, the design includes a network/transport layer offload module with cycle-accurate, upper-bound latency, supporting UDP, KM3link Time Division Multiplexing and APElink protocols. After NaNet architecture description and its latency/bandwidth characterization for all supported links, two real world use cases will be presented: the GPU-based low level trigger for the RICH detector in the NA62 experiment at CERN and the on-/off-shore data link for KM3 underwater neutrino telescope

High-speed data transfer with FPGAs and QSFP+ modules

We present test results and characterization of a data transmission system based on a last generation FPGA and a commercial QSFP+ (Quad Small Form Pluggable +) module. QSFP+ standard defines a hot-pluggable transceiver available in copper or optical cable assemblies for an aggregated bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps. We implemented a complete testbench based on a commercial development card mounting an Altera Stratix IV FPGA with 24 serial transceivers at 8.5 Gbps, together with a custom mezzanine hosting three QSFP+ modules. We present test results and signal integrity measurements up to an aggregated bandwidth of 12 Gbps.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Published on JINST Journal of Instrumentation proceedings of Topical Workshop on Electronics for Particle Physics 2010, 20-24 September 2010, Aachen, Germany(R Ammendola et al 2010 JINST 5 C12019

GPU-based Real-time Triggering in the NA62 Experiment

Over the last few years the GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units) paradigm represented a remarkable development in the world of computing. Computing for High-Energy Physics is no exception: several works have demonstrated the effectiveness of the integration of GPU-based systems in high level trigger of different experiments. On the other hand the use of GPUs in the low level trigger systems, characterized by stringent real-time constraints, such as tight time budget and high throughput, poses several challenges. In this paper we focus on the low level trigger in the CERN NA62 experiment, investigating the use of real-time computing on GPUs in this synchronous system. Our approach aimed at harvesting the GPU computing power to build in real-time refined physics-related trigger primitives for the RICH detector, as the the knowledge of Cerenkov rings parameters allows to build stringent conditions for data selection at trigger level. Latencies of all components of the trigger chain have been analyzed, pointing out that networking is the most critical one. To keep the latency of data transfer task under control, we devised NaNet, an FPGA-based PCIe Network Interface Card (NIC) with GPUDirect capabilities. For the processing task, we developed specific multiple ring trigger algorithms to leverage the parallel architecture of GPUs and increase the processing throughput to keep up with the high event rate. Results obtained during the first months of 2016 NA62 run are presented and discussed

APEnet+: high bandwidth 3D torus direct network for petaflops scale commodity clusters

We describe herein the APElink+ board, a PCIe interconnect adapter featuring the latest advances in wire speed and interface technology plus hardware support for a RDMA programming model and experimental acceleration of GPU networking; this design allows us to build a low latency, high bandwidth PC cluster, the APEnet+ network, the new generation of our cost-effective, tens-of-thousands-scalable cluster network architecture. Some test results and characterization of data transmission of a complete testbench, based on a commercial development card mounting an Altera FPGA, are provided.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, proceeding of CHEP 2010, Taiwan, October 18-2

Cripto promotes A–P axis specification independently of its stimulatory effect on Nodal autoinduction

The EGF-CFC gene cripto governs anterior–posterior (A–P) axis specification in the vertebrate embryo. Existing models suggest that Cripto facilitates binding of Nodal to an ActRII–activin-like kinase (ALK) 4 receptor complex. Cripto also has a crucial function in cellular transformation that is independent of Nodal and ALK4. However, how ALK4-independent Cripto pathways function in vivo has remained unclear. We have generated cripto mutants carrying the amino acid substitution F78A, which blocks the Nodal–ALK4–Smad2 signaling both in embryonic stem cells and cell-based assays. In criptoF78A/F78A mouse embryos, Nodal fails to expand its own expression domain and that of cripto, indicating that F78 is essential in vivo to stimulate Smad-dependent Nodal autoinduction. In sharp contrast to cripto-null mutants, criptoF78A/F78A embryos establish an A–P axis and initiate gastrulation movements. Our findings provide in vivo evidence that Cripto is required in the Nodal–Smad2 pathway to activate an autoinductive feedback loop, whereas it can promote A–P axis formation and initiate gastrulation movements independently of its stimulatory effect on the canonical Nodal–ALK4–Smad2 signaling pathway