OpenCL + OpenSHMEM Hybrid Programming Model for the Adapteva Epiphany Architecture

There is interest in exploring hybrid OpenSHMEM + X programming models to extend the applicability of the OpenSHMEM interface to more hardware architectures. We present a hybrid OpenCL + OpenSHMEM programming model for device-level programming for architectures like the Adapteva Epiphany many-core RISC array processor. The Epiphany architecture comprises a 2D array of low-power RISC cores with minimal uncore functionality connected by a 2D mesh Network-on-Chip (NoC). The Epiphany architecture offers high computational energy efficiency for integer and floating point calculations as well as parallel scalability. The Epiphany-III is available as a coprocessor in platforms that also utilize an ARM CPU host. OpenCL provides good functionality for supporting a co-design programming model in which the host CPU offloads parallel work to a coprocessor. However, the OpenCL memory model is inconsistent with the Epiphany memory architecture and lacks support for inter-core communication. We propose a hybrid programming model in which OpenSHMEM provides a better solution by replacing the non-standard OpenCL extensions introduced to achieve high performance with the Epiphany architecture. We demonstrate the proposed programming model for matrix-matrix multiplication based on Cannon's algorithm showing that the hybrid model addresses the deficiencies of using OpenCL alone to achieve good benchmark performance.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, OpenSHMEM 2016: Third workshop on OpenSHMEM and Related Technologie

A Meta Analysis of Critical Success Factors for Computer Technology Projects

Project managers are continually in pursuit of a magic formula that will deliver a successful project. Companies arc interested in formulas for project success because billions of dollars arc wasted each year, in U.S.A. Information Technology projects alone. through poorly managed or failed projects. Failing projects arc not only bad for the individual project team members, but a failed project\u27s impacts emanate outward to cause companies to decline or die. In addition, the targeted customers who receive inferior products, late products, or no products at all (due to project failures) are significantly impacted as well. Because failed computer technology projects arc not isolated to the U.S.A., ultimately the entire world economy would be benefited by the identification of reliable critical success factors. This study investigates, through a meta analysis of current research and literature, the existence of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that influence the ability to deliver successful projects. Twenty-nine literature sources, from three different categories of literature (Researchers, Orgarizations, and Experts) were used as input to the analysis. The results obtained from the analysis yielded seventeen CSFs which contribute to the success of a project. Project management Clear goals and objectives Project team competence Requirements management User & stakeholder involvement Senior management support Organization change management Architecture and design 360 degree communication Quality management Iterative & incremental development Product development life cycle Interdepartmental cooperation Expectation management Individual and team attitudes Risk management Vendor managemen

Community Social Disorganization Theory Applied to Adolescent Academic Achievement

Over the years, the public education system has been transformed by outside political and societal forces to provide an equal opportunity for all students. Investigations of the public education system were not consistent and yielded divergent results on how to improve adolescent academic achievement. These divergent results were caused by different operationalizations of variables, data analytical procedures that possibly provided biased parameter estimates, and a failure to use a comprehensive theory. Although these results were inconsistent, the latest transformation of the public education system currently involves holding schools, administrators, parents, and students accountable for learning. The measurement of success in adolescent academic achievement was reflected by the results of standardized tests. Throughout the relevant literature, a strong link can be found between adolescent development, adolescent academic achievement, and adolescent social deviancy. In past and current research, the community social disorganization theory was used to explain variance in adolescent social deviancy. The purpose of this dissertation was twofold. First was conducting explanatory research using community contextual variables to investigate adolescent academic achievement. Second was the extension of multilevel analyses to investigate the school within its social context of the community. This dissertation employed community social disorganization theory to explain variations in adolescent academic achievement as measured by standardized tests. In addition to employing theory, this dissertation utilized structural equation modeling and multilevel analyses to reduce biased parameter estimates and to investigate the relationships between community contextual variables. These procedures were also used to determine whether contextual variables at the school level or the school district level influenced adolescent academic achievement and which was more significant. The first structural equation model of the school district for school year 1997–98 accounted for 68% of the variance in adolescent academic achievement. This model was replicated on a different school year and it accounted for 75% of the variance in adolescent academic achievement. Next, contextual variables at the school level were modeled and 65% of the variance was accounted for. A multilevel analysis with structural equation modeling was used with both school district and school contextual variables included. Within the school district, 80% of the relative variance in adolescent academic achievement was accounted for and at the between school district level 97% of the relative variance was accounted for. Although these findings of the multilevel analyses should be interpreted cautiously (Bollen, 1989; Gustafsson & Stahl, 2000; Joreskog, 1999b), this study advances the use of multilevel analyses. These strong models hold great promise for investigating adolescent academic achievement using the community social disorganization theory along with appropriate statistical methods of structural equation modeling and multilevel analyses. The multilevel analyses must be replicated with future data to provide confirmation and support of the current results

Review of George Eliot A Bibliographical History

This enormously impressive history is the fruit of something like thirty-five years of work by William Baker and John Ross. They have brought together a huge and comprehensive body of bibliographical information, broken down into five main sections and two appenctixes. There are extensive entries and notes on the major works; minor literary works (novellas and poetry); essays and reviews; miscellaneous writing (unpublished works in publishable genres, compilations of short extracts, partly authored writings, unpublished autobiographical writings); collections and collected works (more poetry, essays, novels and complete works); and \u27Eliotiana\u27 (sequels, settings for songs from The Spanish Gypsy, collections of illustrations, non-literary writings subsequently published). The indexes alone, \u27Works by George Eliot\u27 and \u27General Index\u27, run to forty-five pages. In the Introduction we learn, among other things, about editions, printings, issues and the states of issues, and how to translate a typical entry like\u27 A5.4.a 2\u27

Psychological consequences of childhood obesity: psychiatric comorbidity and prevention

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century with far-reaching and enduring adverse consequences for health outcomes. Over 42 million children <5 years worldwide are estimated to be overweight (OW) or obese (OB), and if current trends continue, then an estimated 70 million children will be OW or OB by 2025. The purpose of this review was to focus on psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial consequences of childhood obesity (OBy) to include a broad range of international studies. The aim was to establish what has recently changed in relation to the common psychological consequences associated with childhood OBy. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for articles presenting information on the identification or prevention of psychiatric morbidity in childhood obesity. Relevant data were extracted and narratively reviewed. Findings established childhood OW/OBy was negatively associated with psychological comorbidities, such as depression, poorer perceived lower scores on health-related quality of life, emotional and behavioral disorders, and self-esteem during childhood. Evidence related to the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and OBy remains unconvincing because of various findings from studies. OW children were more likely to experience multiple associated psychosocial problems than their healthy-weight peers, which may be adversely influenced by OBy stigma, teasing, and bullying. OBy stigma, teasing, and bullying are pervasive and can have serious consequences for emotional and physical health and performance. It remains unclear as to whether psychiatric disorders and psychological problems are a cause or a consequence of childhood obesity or whether common factors promote both obesity and psychiatric disturbances in susceptible children and adolescents. A cohesive and strategic approach to tackle this current obesity epidemic is necessary to combat this increasing trend which is compromising the health and well-being of the young generation and seriously impinging on resources and economic costs

Stepwise Unfolding of a β Barrel Protein by the AAA+ ClpXP Protease

In the AAA+ ClpXP protease, ClpX uses the energy of ATP binding and hydrolysis to unfold proteins before translocating them into ClpP for degradation. For proteins with C-terminal ssrA tags, ClpXP pulls on the tag to initiate unfolding and subsequent degradation. Here, we demonstrate that an initial step in ClpXP unfolding of the 11-stranded β barrel of superfolder GFP-ssrA involves extraction of the C-terminal β strand. The resulting 10-stranded intermediate is populated at low ATP concentrations, which stall ClpXP unfolding, and at high ATP concentrations, which support robust degradation. To determine if stable unfolding intermediates cause low-ATP stalling, we designed and characterized circularly permuted GFP variants. Notably, stalling was observed for a variant that formed a stable 10-stranded intermediate but not for one in which this intermediate was unstable. A stepwise degradation model in which the rates of terminal-strand extraction, strand refolding or recapture, and unfolding of the 10-stranded intermediate all depend on the rate of ATP hydrolysis by ClpXP accounts for the observed changes in degradation kinetics over a broad range of ATP concentrations. Our results suggest that the presence or absence of unfolding intermediates will play important roles in determining whether forced enzymatic unfolding requires a minimum rate of ATP hydrolysis.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant AI-15706

Representation of model error in a convective-scale ensemble prediction system

In this paper ensembles of forecasts (of up to six hours) are studied from a convection-permitting model with a representation of model error due to unresolved processes. The ensemble prediction system (EPS) used is an experimental convection-permitting version of the UK Met Office’s 24- member Global and Regional Ensemble Prediction System (MOGREPS). The method of representing model error variability, which perturbs parameters within the model’s parameterisation schemes, has been modified and we investigate the impact of applying this scheme in different ways. These are: a control ensemble where all ensemble members have the same parameter values; an ensemble where the parameters are different between members, but fixed in time; and ensembles where the parameters are updated randomly every 30 or 60 min. The choice of parameters and their ranges of variability have been determined from expert opinion and parameter sensitivity tests. A case of frontal rain over the southern UK has been chosen, which has a multi-banded rainfall structure. The consequences of including model error variability in the case studied are mixed and are summarised as follows. The multiple banding, evident in the radar, is not captured for any single member. However, the single band is positioned in some members where a secondary band is present in the radar. This is found for all ensembles studied. Adding model error variability with fixed parameters in time does increase the ensemble spread for near-surface variables like wind and temperature, but can actually decrease the spread of the rainfall. Perturbing the parameters periodically throughout the forecast does not further increase the spread and exhibits “jumpiness” in the spread at times when the parameters are perturbed. Adding model error variability gives an improvement in forecast skill after the first 2–3 h of the forecast for near-surface temperature and relative humidity. For precipitation skill scores, adding model error variability has the effect of improving the skill in the first 1–2 h of the forecast, but then of reducing the skill after that. Complementary experiments were performed where the only difference between members was the set of parameter values (i.e. no initial condition variability). The resulting spread was found to be significantly less than the spread from initial condition variability alone

The Quark Propagator from the Dyson-Schwinger Equations: I. the Chiral Solution

Within the framework of the Dyson-Schwinger equations in the axial gauge, we study the effect that non-perturbative glue has on the quark propagator. We show that Ward-Takahashi identities, combined with the requirement of matching perturbative QCD at high momentum transfer, guarantee the multiplicative renormalisability of the answer. Technically, the matching with perturbation theory is accomplished by the introduction of a transverse part to the quark-gluon vertex. We show that this transverse vertex is crucial for chiral symmetry breaking, and that massless solutions exist below a critical value of the strong coupling constant. Using the gluon propagator that we previously calculated, we obtain small corrections to the quark propagator, which keeps a pole at the origin in the chiral phase.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures; McGill/94-24, SHEP 93/94-26 We generalise our results by showing that they are not sensitive to the specific choice that we make for the transverse vertex. We illustrate that fact in two new figure

Stochastic Real-time Optimal Control for Bearing-only Trajectory Planning

A method is presented to simultaneously solve the optimal control problem and the optimal estimation problem for a bearing-only sensor. For bearing-only systems that require a minimum level of certainty in position relative to a source for mission accomplishment, some amount of maneuver is required to measure range. Traditional methods of trajectory optimization and optimal estimation minimize an information metric. This paper proposes constraining the final value of the information states with known time propagation dynamics relative to a given trajectory which allows for attainment of the required level of information with minimal deviation from a general performance index that can be tailored to a specific vehicle. The proposed method does not suffer from compression of the information metric into a scalar, and provides a route that will attain a particular target estimate quality while maneuvering to a desired relative point or set. An algorithm is created to apply the method in real-time, iteratively estimating target position with an Unscented Kalman Filter and updating the trajectory with an efficient pseudospectral method. Methods and tools required for hardware implementation are presented that apply to any real-time optimal control (RTOC) system. The algorithm is validated with both simulation and flight test, autonomously landing a quadrotor on a wire