GPU Accelerated counterexample generation in LTL model checking

Strongly Connected Component (SCC) based searching is one of the most popular LTL model checking algorithms. When the SCCs are huge, the counterexample generation process can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with fairness assumptions. In this work, we propose a GPU accelerated counterexample generation algorithm, which improves the performance by parallelizing the Breadth First Search (BFS) used in the counterexample generation. BFS work is irregular, which means it is hard to allocate resources and may suffer from imbalanced load. We make use of the features of latest CUDA Compute Architecture-NVIDIA Kepler GK110 to achieve the dynamic parallelism and memory hierarchy so as to handle the irregular searching pattern in BFS.We build dynamic queue management, task scheduler and path recording such that the counterexample generation process can be completely finished by GPU without involving CPU. We have implemented the proposed approach in PAT model checker. Our experiments show that our approach is effective and scalable. ?Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.EI0413-429882

Does basic energy access generate socioeconomic benefits? A field experiment with off-grid solar power in India

This article assesses the socioeconomic effects of solar microgrids. The lack of access to electricity is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of more than a billion people. Off-grid solar technologies hold potential as an affordable and clean solution to satisfy basic electricity needs. We conducted a randomized field experiment in India to estimate the causal effect of off-grid solar power on electricity access and broader socioeconomic development of 1281 rural households. Within a year, electrification rates in the treatment group increased by 29 to 36 percentage points. Daily hours of access to electricity increased only by 0.99 to 1.42 hours, and the confidence intervals are wide. Kerosene expenditure on the black market decreased by 47 to 49 rupees per month. Despite these strong electrification and expenditure effects, we found no systematic evidence for changes in savings, spending, business creation, time spent working or studying, or other broader indicators of socioeconomic development

Enhanced defect emission in Co doped ZnO nanorods synthesized by electrochemical route

We present the effects of Co doping on the morphology, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanocoatings in detail. Highly oriented wurtzite ZnO nanorods were fabricated by electrodeposition method using Zn(NO3)2 as the electrolyte. Again, the Co doped (0.03 mM CoSO4) ZnO nanocoatings were synthesized on ITO coated glass substrates. The surface morphology and the structural properties of the coatings were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The FESEM data (Fig. 1) showed the top view of oriented hexagonal ZnO nanorods. The XRD pattern showed a shift in (002) diffraction peak of ZnO towards higher 2Ѳ values by the substitution of dopant, which indicates that the Zn2+ site is successfully replaced by the dopant Co2+. Moreover, the photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL, 325 nm excitation) was used to study the UV emission and the defect emission of the doped and undoped ZnO nanostructures. The PL data (Fig. 2) revealed a blue shift in the UV emission for the doped sample which signifies that for ZnO coating prepared with 0.03 mM CoSO4, the energy gap increased from 378 nm (3.27 eV) to 375 nm (3.30 eV). Also, the intensity of deep level emission (~ 600 nm) increased for the doped one as compared to the pure ZnO coating. Our results demonstrate that Co doping may be responsible for the blue shift in band gap of ZnO nanocrystals. The oxygen defects or Zn interstitials may be responsible for the broadening of the PL peak at 600 nm

Patient Attitudes Toward a Physician Led Radiology Review: Improved Understanding of Medical Conditions and a Potential New Quality Metric

Objectives: We were interested in understanding patient perspectives regarding the importance of reviewing their imaging studies with a surgeon. Specific Aims: 1. What value do patients place on viewing their imaging? 2. Do patients have a better understanding of their disease and planned operation after a surgeon led review of imaging studies? 3. Do patients find viewing images an accessible educational tool?https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1022/thumbnail.jp

Deep Learning

Deep Learning was developed as a Machine learning approach to influence advanced input-output mappings. It had been for learning concerning multiple levels of illustration and abstraction to create sense of the information such as images, text and sound. Deep learning excels at distinguish patterns in unstructured information, that most of the people grasp as media like images, sound, video and text

Record of stranded whales along Karnataka coast

A whale was stranded in the beach of Guijerbettu, Udupi district, Karnataka on 21.12.2001 . The whale was found in live condition. Thelocal person tried to rescue it but was in vain and later it died. The whale was identified as Balaenopteramusculus (Blue whale). Few vertebrae have been collected and preserved in the museum of Mangalore Research Centre of CMFRI for future identification up to the species level. Another whale (genus : Balaenoptera) was stranded in Kota, Udupi district, Karnataka near the shore of Arama temple on 11.08.2004 in decayed condition