Level of detail for complex urban scenes with varied animated crowds, using XML

We present a system capable of handling several thousands of varied animated characters within a crowd. These characters are designed to have geometric, color animation and behaviour variety, nevertheless when a crowd becomes bigger, more memory is needed and is often difficult to achieve this objective. To solve this problem, we implemented two complementary data structures

Role of the ρ(1450)\rho(1450) in low-energy observables from an analysis in the meson dominance approach

The $\rho(1450)$ vector meson ($\rho^\prime$) is becoming increasingly important to properly describe precision observables. We analyse a set of decay modes and cross sections, in the low-energy regime, to determine the role played by this meson. This is done through the extraction of the parameters for its description, in the context of the vector meson dominance model and its effective hadronic interactions, involving the low mass lying hadrons ($\rho$, $\omega$ and $\pi$). In a first step, we determine the parameters of the model from ten decay modes which are insensitive to the $\rho^\prime$. Then, we consider the $\omega \rightarrow 3\pi$ decay and exhibit the need to extend the description, by incorporating the $\rho^\prime$ and a contact term as prescribed by the Wess-Zumino-Witten anomaly. In a second step, we incorporate the data from the $e^+e^- \rightarrow 3\pi$ cross section (as measured by SND, CMD2, BABAR and BESIII) and then the $e^+e^- \rightarrow \pi^0 \pi^0 \gamma$ data (as measured by SND and CDM2) to further restrict the $\rho^\prime$ parameters validity region. As an application of the results, we compute the $e^+e^- \rightarrow 4\pi$ cross section for the so-called omega channel, measured by BABAR, and find a good description of the data considering the parameters found. As a byproduct, the coupling between $\rho$, $\omega$ and $\pi$ ($g_{\rho\omega\pi}= 11.314 \pm 0.383$ GeV$^{-1}$) is found to be consistent with all the relevant observables, upon the inclusion of the $\rho^\prime$ and the contact term.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures. Text revisited and discussion extended. Format for figures and tables adjusted. Accepted for publication in PR

Static Graphs for Coding Productivity in OpenACC

The main contribution of this work is to increase the coding productivity for GPU programming by using the concept of Static Graphs. To do so, we have combined the new CUDA Graph API with the OpenACC programming model. We use as test cases a well-known and widely used problems in HPC and AI: the Particle Swarm Optimization. We complement the OpenACC functionality with the use of CUDA Graph, achieving accelerations of more than one order of magnitude, and a performance very close to a reference and optimized CUDA code. Finally, we propose a new specification to incorporate the concept of Static Graphs into the OpenACC specification.This project has received funding from the EPEEC project from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under grant agreement No. 801051.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Perdas de reguladores de crescimento no algodoeiro devido à chuva

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) applied to cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) can be washed off by rainfall. It is expected that the closer the rainfall to spraying time, the higher the product loss and the higher the amount of product to be reapplied to reach the desired growth rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of time between rainfall and application of either mepiquat chloride or chlormequat chloride to cotton on plant growth, as well as, estimate the need for PGR reapplication. Cotton was grown in 12-L pots with soil in a greenhouse. PGRs were applied forty days after seedling emergence, when 50% of plants had one pinhead square. Rainfall was simulated 1, 2, 4, 6, or 24 h after spraying. Plant height was measured just before PGR application and then at 3-d intervals for 30 d. At harvest, the number of reproductive branches and structures were counted before dry matter phytomass determination. Both growth regulators reduced cotton dry matter yields regardless of rainfall interval. PGRs controlled excessive plant growth; however, their efficiency was reduced as the time elapsed until rainfall was shorter. Product losses were detected after all rainfall intervals, which, in field conditions would require PGR reapplication. Mepiquat chloride rates to be reapplied after rain were on average 17% higher than chlormequat chloride rates.Reguladores de crescimento aplicados às plantas de algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum L.) podem ser lavados em função da ocorrência de chuvas. Chuvas que ocorrem próximas à época de aplicação podem ocasionar elevada perda e necessidade de reaplicação dos produtos visando à taxa de crescimento desejada. Avaliou-se o efeito do intervalo de tempo entre a ocorrência de chuva simulada e a aplicação de cloreto de mepiquat e cloreto de chlormequat no algodoeiro no crescimento das plantas, além de estimar a necessidade de reaplicação dos reguladores. Plantas de algodão foram cultivadas em vasos de 12 L que permaneceram em casa de vegetação. Os reguladores de crescimento foram aplicados 40 dias após a emergência, quando 50% das plantas apresentavam botão floral. A chuva foi simulada 1, 2, 4, 6 e 24 horas após a aplicação dos reguladores. Determinou-se a altura das plantas antes da aplicação dos produtos e a cada 3 dias até o 30º dia. Na colheita, foi avaliado o número de ramos e estruturas reprodutivas, com posterior determinação da massa da matéria seca. Também foi determinado o crescimento acumulado e taxa de crescimento das plantas. Os dois reguladores reduziram a massa da matéria seca das plantas, independente do intervalo para ocorrência da chuva. O crescimento excessivo das plantas foi controlado, porém, com eficiência reduzida quanto menor o intervalo para simulação de chuva. Em todos os períodos avaliados houve perda de produtos, com necessidade de reaplicação. A taxa de reaplicação de cloreto de mepiquat para os diferentes intervalos de chuva foi, em média, 17% maior

Características Radiológicas y su correlación Histopatológica de los Tumores CerebralesGliales en Pacientes del Servicio de Neurocirugía del Hospital Antonio Lenin Fonseca Martínez, de Enero 2012 a Diciembre del 2016

Los gliomas son los tumores primarios más frecuentes del SNC en adultos, representan del 64-70% de todos los casos y la mayoría son astrocitomas, su mortalidad se ha incrementado en los últimos 30 años en países industrializados. Este incremento ha ocurrido por los avances de las técnicas de neuroimagen, en especial la tomografía computarizada. Evaluar las características radiológicas y su correlación histopatológica de los tumores gliales supratentoriales. Métodos: estudio descriptivo, observacional, retrospectivo de corte transversal, en paciente ingresados con tumor cerebral glial supratentorial en el servicio de neurocirugía del hospital Antonio Lenin Fonseca, de enero del 2012 a diciembre del 2016. El universo 192 pacientes, con reporte tomográfico prequirúrgico realizados por residentes del CAT. La muestra fueron 81 pacientes. Se analizaron las variables: edad, sexo, procedencia, variables tomográficas, grado del tumor, diagnostico presuntivo por TC, graduación histológica, diagnóstico definitivo y evaluación de la correlación en el diagnostico por tomografía con el histopatológico. las neoplasias predominaron en mayores de 50 años, sexo masculino y procedencia Managua. La clasificación más frecuente según el grado del tumor en los reportes de Tc fueron los tumores gliales de alto grado y el diagnostico presuntivo en su mayoría, glioblastomas multiforme. Las lesiones hipodensas (48.1%), contornos irregulares (53.1 %) y el efecto de masa (54%) predominó en el grupo de los gliomas de alto grado, mientras que en los de bajo grado predomino el realce homogéneo. La histología predominante fue el glioblastoma multiforme (35.8%). El índice de correspondencia o acuerdo entre los hallazgos y la gradación por tomografía respecto al histopatológico fue positivo en 81.5 % y el índice de correspondencia para diagnóstico tomográfico con el definitivo fue positivo en el 53.1%. la concordancia de los hallazgos tomográficos reportados por los residentes y la graduación de los tumores fue adecuada, no siendo así para el diagnóstico de presunción con el histopatológico que estaba por debajo de la medi

Probing structure and energetics of proton-bound complexes N2…HCO+ and N2H+…OC using computational chemistry methods

N2…HCO+ and N2H+…OC are predicted to exist in interstellar clouds. These complexes involve HCO+ and N2H+ fragments that are bound to N2 and CO, respectively using hydrogen-bonded interaction. The reason these molecules are important is that the existence of nitrogen can be measured indirectly through ion-molecular complexes studied in this work. The measured vibrational spectra of molecules is an excellent way to characterize and detect molecules. We used B3LYP, MP2, and CCSD(T) computational methods to predict the structure and vibrational frequencies of N2…HCO+ and N2H+…OC and their fragments. The aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets were used. The stability of the complexes was described in terms of dissociations energies De and their zero-point energy (ZPE) corrected values, Do. Both molecular complexes exhibit a linear geometry. Vibrational frequencies were obtained using normal mode analysis. The N2H+…OC proton transfer vibrations occur at around 1800 – 1900 cm-1. H+ bound within HCO+ exhibit C-H vibration at ~2500-2700 cm-1. The N2…HCO+. complex is more stable than N2H+…OC by ~7000 cm-1. The ZPE corrected values for dissociation energies, Do for N2…HCO+ --\u3e N2 + HCO+ and N2H+…OC --\u3e N2H+ + OC are ~3500 cm-1 and ~5000 cm-1, respectively

Towards enhancing coding productivity for GPU programming using static graphs

The main contribution of this work is to increase the coding productivity of GPU programming by using the concept of Static Graphs. GPU capabilities have been increasing significantly in terms of performance and memory capacity. However, there are still some problems in terms of scalability and limitations to the amount of work that a GPU can perform at a time. To minimize the overhead associated with the launch of GPU kernels, as well as to maximize the use of GPU capacity, we have combined the new CUDA Graph API with the CUDA programming model (including CUDA math libraries) and the OpenACC programming model. We use as test cases two different, well-known and widely used problems in HPC and AI: the Conjugate Gradient method and the Particle Swarm Optimization. In the first test case (Conjugate Gradient) we focus on the integration of Static Graphs with CUDA. In this case, we are able to significantly outperform the NVIDIA reference code, reaching an acceleration of up to 11× thanks to a better implementation, which can benefit from the new CUDA Graph capabilities. In the second test case (Particle Swarm Optimization), we complement the OpenACC functionality with the use of CUDA Graph, achieving again accelerations of up to one order of magnitude, with average speedups ranging from 2× to 4×, and performance very close to a reference and optimized CUDA code. Our main target is to achieve a higher coding productivity model for GPU programming by using Static Graphs, which provides, in a very transparent way, a better exploitation of the GPU capacity. The combination of using Static Graphs with two of the current most important GPU programming models (CUDA and OpenACC) is able to reduce considerably the execution time w.r.t. the use of CUDA and OpenACC only, achieving accelerations of up to more than one order of magnitude. Finally, we propose an interface to incorporate the concept of Static Graphs into the OpenACC Specifications.his research was funded by EPEEC project from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under grant agreement No. 801051. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan, accessed on 13 April 2022).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version