A parallel expert system for the control of a robotic air vehicle

Expert systems can be used to govern the intelligent control of vehicles, for example the Robotic Air Vehicle (RAV). Due to the nature of the RAV system the associated expert system needs to perform in a demanding real-time environment. The use of a parallel processing capability to support the associated expert system's computational requirement is critical in this application. Thus, algorithms for parallel real-time expert systems must be designed, analyzed, and synthesized. The design process incorporates a consideration of the rule-set/face-set size along with representation issues. These issues are looked at in reference to information movement and various inference mechanisms. Also examined is the process involved with transporting the RAV expert system functions from the TI Explorer, where they are implemented in the Automated Reasoning Tool (ART), to the iPSC Hypercube, where the system is synthesized using Concurrent Common LISP (CCLISP). The transformation process for the ART to CCLISP conversion is described. The performance characteristics of the parallel implementation of these expert systems on the iPSC Hypercube are compared to the TI Explorer implementation

Development of a comprehensive software engineering environment

The generation of a set of tools for software lifecycle is a recurring theme in the software engineering literature. The development of such tools and their integration into a software development environment is a difficult task because of the magnitude (number of variables) and the complexity (combinatorics) of the software lifecycle process. An initial development of a global approach was initiated in 1982 as the Software Development Workbench (SDW). Continuing efforts focus on tool development, tool integration, human interfacing, data dictionaries, and testing algorithms. Current efforts are emphasizing natural language interfaces, expert system software development associates and distributed environments with Ada as the target language. The current implementation of the SDW is on a VAX-11/780. Other software development tools are being networked through engineering workstations

The third dimension: How fire-related research can advance ecology and evolutionary biology

Most of the Earth’s vegetated surface is fireprone but the relevance of fire in understanding how nature works is not always recognized. We aim to show that, by adding the fire dimension to observations on biological phenomena, interpretations can be im-proved; how fire-related research can be used to answer ‘fundamental’ questions in ecology; and how theories/models developed for fireprone ecosystems can be applied to advancing disturbance ecology, biogeography and evolutionary biology more generally. We compiled lists from the world-wide web of the most highly cited papers in fire ecology, and examined papers that had been approached from multiple viewpoints, including fire. We show that great advances over the last 20 years have been made in our understanding of the pivotal role of fire as a driver of many ecological processes and a powerful selective agent/evolutionary trigger among biota. We document 21 sets of observations originally interpreted in the context of the two traditional dimensions, prevailing environment and biotic interactions, but can also be shown to have a strong, if not dominant, historical link to fire. We note that fire-related research is able to address 55 of the 100 questions considered ‘fundamental’ in ecology and that many have already received some attention in fireprone ecosystems. We show how theories/ models that had their origins in fireprone systems can be applied to other disturbance-prone systems and thus have wide application in ecology and evolutionary biology. Fire and other disturbances should be included as variables in research about possible critical environmental and biotic constraints controlling ecosystem function in general. Adding this third dimension to research endeavours greatly enriches our understanding of how nature works at the global scale in an era where ecosystems are changing rapidly and novel species-environmental interactions are emerging

Genetic lines differ in Toll-like receptor gene expression in spleens of chicks inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis

Toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize evolutionarily conserved molecular motifs (pathogen-associated molecular patterns) of infectious microbes and initiate innate immune response upon activation with relevant pathogens. This study investigated the acute effect of Salmonella Enteritidis challenge on TLR mRNA expression in cecum and spleen of birds from 3 distinct genetic lines. Chicks from broiler, Leghorn, and Fayoumi lines were inoculated or mock-inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The mRNA expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5 genes were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR of cecum and spleen tissue harvested at 2 or 18 h postinoculation (PI). There were no significant genetic line effects on TLR mRNA expression in spleen or cecum of mock-infected birds, or in the cecum of infected birds. Genetic line effect was significant (P \u3c 0.05) on TLR mRNA expression in the spleen of Salmonella Enteritidis- infected birds. The Fayoumi line had higher TLR2 and TLR4 expression than Leghorn, higher TLR2 mRNA expression than broiler, and the broiler line had higher TLR5 expression than Leghorn and Fayoumi. In Salmonella Enteritidis-infected birds, the TLR2 expression in both cecum and spleen and TLR4 expression in spleen were significantly higher at 18 h PI than 2 h PI. The results demonstrate a significant genetic line effect on TLR expression in the spleen of Salmonella Enteritidis-infected birds, which may partly explain genetic variability in immune response to Salmonella Enteritidis

Operation of LEP with bunch trains

Following an intensive MD program in 1994, a bunch train scheme was adopted as the operational mode for LEP. The configuration was used throughout 1995 and produced record luminosities. The year culminated in a high energy bunch train run which produced encouraging results for LEP2. In spite of this, the bunch train scheme met with varying degrees of success and the overall performance was not as good as expected. The performance of the machine is presented, together with the problems encountered and the various optimisation techniques used. The performance of related hardware and instrumentation is discussed

Vertical beam size, non-closure and LEP performance

The luminosity in LEP is critically dependent on the vertical beam size and thus on the effective control of contributing factors. Electrostatic separation bumps are used in LEP to avoid parasitic beam encounters and to allow the possibility of running with bunch trains. These vertical bumps are not closed at highest energies. The non-closure leads to different orbits for electrons and positrons and prevents effective minimisation of the residual vertical dispersion for both beams simultaneously. The various sources of the non-closure and a correction scheme which globally minimises the effects of this non-closure using only a few degrees of freedom are presented. The contributions to the vertical beam size from dispersion, coupling, beam-beam and other effects are quantified and the means used to control them are discussed

Pre-Gondwanan-breakup origin of Beauprea (Proteaceae) explains its historical presence in New Caledonia and New Zealand

New Caledonia and New Zealand belong to the now largely submerged continent Zealandia. Their high levels of endemism and species richness are usually considered the result of transoceanic dispersal events followed by diversification after they re-emerged from the Pacific Ocean in the mid-Cenozoic. We explore the origin and evolutionary history of Beauprea (Proteaceae), which is now endemic to New Caledonia but was once spread throughout eastern Gondwana, including New Zealand. We review the extensive Beauprea-type pollen data in the fossil records and analyze the relationship of these fossil taxa to extant genera within Proteaceae. We further reconstruct the phylogenetic relations among nine extant species of Beauprea and estimate the age of the Beauprea clade. By incorporating extinct taxa into the Beauprea phylogenetic tree, we reconstruct the ancient distribution of this genus. Our analysis shows that Beauprea originated c. 88 Ma (million years ago) in Antarctica–Southeastern Australia and spread throughout Gondwana before its complete breakup. We propose that Beauprea, already existing as two lineages, was carried with Zealandia when it separated from the rest of Gondwana c. 82 Ma, thus supporting an autochthonous origin for Beauprea species now in New Caledonia and historically in New Zealand up to 1 Ma. We show that the presence of Beauprea through transoceanic dispersal is implausible. This means that neither New Caledonia nor New Zealand has been entirely submerged since the Upper Cretaceous; thus, possible vicariance and allopatry must be taken into account when considering the high levels of endemism and species richness of these island groups