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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

The fossil record of evolution: Data on diversification and extinction

Understanding of the evolution of complex life, and of the roles that changing terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments played in life's history, is dependent upon synthetic knowledge of the fossil record. Paleontologists have been describing fossils for more that two centuries. However, much of this information is dispersed in monographs and journal articles published throughout the world. Over the past several years, this literature was surveyed, and a data base on times of origination and extinction of fossil genera was compiled. The data base, which now holds approximately 32,000 genera, covers all taxonomic groups of marine animals, incorporates the most recent taxonomic assignments, and uses a detailed global time framework that can resolve originations and extinctions to intervals averaging three million years in duration. These data can be used to compile patterns of global biodiversity, measure rates of taxic evolution, and test hypotheses concerning adaptive radiations, mass extinctions, etc. Thus far, considerable effort was devoted to using the data to test the hypothesis of periodicity of mass extinction. Rates of extinction measured from the data base have also been used to calibrate models of evolutionary radiations in marine environments. It was observed that new groups, or clades of animals (i.e., orders and classes) tend to reach appreciable diversity first in nearshore environments and then to radiate in more offshore environments; during decline, these clades may disappear from the nearshore while persisting in offshore, deep water habitats. These observations have led to suggestions that there is something special about stressful or perturbed environments that promotes the evolution of novel kinds of animals that can rapidly replace their predecessors. The numerical model that is being investigated to study this phenomenon treats environments along onshore-offshore gradients as if they were discrete habitats. Other aspects of this investigation are presented.

Sepkoski, J. J., Jr.↗

Physical properties of alternatives to the fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons

Presented here are recommended values and correlations of selected physical properties of several alternatives to the fully halogenated chlorocarbons. The quality of the data used in this compilation varies widely, ranging from well-documented, high accuracy measurements from published sources to completely undocumented values listed on anonymous data sheets. That some of the properties for some fluids are available only from the latter type of source is clearly not the desired state of affairs. While some would reject all such data, the compilation given here is presented in the spirit of laying out the present state of knowledge and making available a set of data in a timely manner, even though its quality is sometimes uncertain. The correlations presented here are certain to change quickly as additional information becomes available.

Mclinden, Mark O.↗

Execution models for mapping programs onto distributed memory parallel computers

The problem of exploiting the parallelism available in a program to efficiently employ the resources of the target machine is addressed. The problem is discussed in the context of building a mapping compiler for a distributed memory parallel machine. The paper describes using execution models to drive the process of mapping a program in the most efficient way onto a particular machine. Through analysis of the execution models for several mapping techniques for one class of programs, we show that the selection of the best technique for a particular program instance can make a significant difference in performance. On the other hand, the results of benchmarks from an implementation of a mapping compiler show that our execution models are accurate enough to select the best mapping technique for a given program.

Sussman, Alan↗

Waste streams in a typical crewed space habitat: An update

A compilation of generation rates and chemical compositions of potential waste streams in a typical crewed space habitat, reported in a prior NASA Technical Memorandum and a related journal article, was updated. This report augments that compilation by the inclusion of the following new data: those data uncovered since completion of the prior report; those obtained from Soviet literature relevant to life support issues; and those for various minor human body wastes not presented previously (saliva, flatus, hair, finger- and toenails, dried skin and skin secretions, tears, and semen), but included here for purposes of completeness. These waste streams complement those discussed previously: toilet waste (urine, feces, etc.), hygiene water (laundry, shower/handwash, dishwasher water and cleansing agents), trash, humidity condensate, perspiration and respiration water, trace contaminants, and dust generation. This report also reproduces the latest information on the environmental control and life support system design parameters for Space Station Freedom.

Golub, M. A.↗

Sizing the science data processing requirements for EOS

The methodology used in the compilation and synthesis of baseline science requirements associated with the 30 + EOS (Earth Observing System) instruments and over 2,400 EOS data products (both output and required input) proposed by EOS investigators is discussed. A brief background on EOS and the EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is presented, and the approach is outlined in terms of a multilayer model. The methodology used to compile, synthesize, and tabulate requirements within the model is described. The principal benefit of this approach is the reduction of effort needed to update the analysis and maintain the accuracy of the science data processing requirements in response to changes in EOS platforms, instruments, data products, processing center allocations, or other model input parameters. The spreadsheets used in the model provide a compact representation, thereby facilitating review and presentation of the information content.

Wharton, Stephen W.↗

Computing Reliabilities Of Ceramic Components

CARES/PC computer program performs statistical analysis of data obtained from fracture of simple, uniaxial tensile or flexural specimens of ceramics and estimates Weibull and Batdorf material parameters from these data. CARES/PC is subset of Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures (CARES) program (LEW-15168), which calculates fast-fracture reliabilities or failure probabilities of ceramic components by use of Batdorf and Weibull models to describe effects of multiaxial stress states on strengths of materials. CARES/PC written and compiled with the Microsoft FORTRAN v5.0 compiler.

Szatmary, S. A.↗

Users manual for program NYQUIST: Liquid rocket nyquist plots developed for use on a PC computer

The piping in a liquid rocket can assume complex configurations due to multiple tanks, multiple engines, and structures that must be piped around. The capability to handle some of these complex configurations have been incorporated into the NYQUIST code. The capability to modify the input on line has been implemented. The configurations allowed include multiple tanks, multiple engines, and the splitting of a pipe into unequal segments going to different (or the same) engines. This program will handle the following type elements: straight pipes, bends, inline accumulators, tuned stub accumulators, Helmholtz resonators, parallel resonators, pumps, split pipes, multiple tanks, and multiple engines. The code is too large to compile as one program using Microsoft FORTRAN 5; therefore, the code was broken into two segments: NYQUIST1.FOR and NYQUIST2.FOR. These are compiled separately and then linked together. The final run code is not too large (approximately equals 344,000 bytes).

Armstrong, Wilbur C.↗

Nuclear safety for the space exploration initiative

The results of a study to identify potential hazards arising from nuclear reactor power systems for use on the lunar and Martian surfaces, related safety issues, and resolutions of such issues by system design changes, operating procedures, and other means are presented. All safety aspects of nuclear reactor power systems from prelaunch ground handling to eventual disposal were examined consistent with the level of detail for SP-100 reactor design at the 1988 System Design Review and for launch vehicle and space transport vehicle designs and mission descriptions as defined in the 90-day Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) study. Information from previous aerospace nuclear safety studies was used where appropriate. Safety requirements for the SP-100 space nuclear reactor system were compiled. Mission profiles were defined with emphasis on activities after low earth orbit insertion. Accident scenarios were then qualitatively defined for each mission phase. Safety issues were identified for all mission phases with the aid of simplified event trees. Safety issue resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were compiled. Resolution approaches for those safety issues not covered by the SP-100 program were identified. Additionally, the resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were examined in light of the moon and Mars missions.

Dix, Terry E.↗

Combining constraint satisfaction and local improvement algorithms to construct anaesthetists' rotas

A system is described which was built to compile weekly rotas for the anaesthetists in a large hospital. The rota compilation problem is an optimization problem (the number of tasks which cannot be assigned to an anaesthetist must be minimized) and was formulated as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The forward checking algorithm is used to find a feasible rota, but because of the size of the problem, it cannot find an optimal (or even a good enough) solution in an acceptable time. Instead, an algorithm was devised which makes local improvements to a feasible solution. The algorithm makes use of the constraints as expressed in the CSP to ensure that feasibility is maintained, and produces very good rotas which are being used by the hospital involved in the project. It is argued that formulation as a constraint satisfaction problem may be a good approach to solving discrete optimization problems, even if the resulting CSP is too large to be solved exactly in an acceptable time. A CSP algorithm may be able to produce a feasible solution which can then be improved, giving a good, if not provably optimal, solution.

Smith, Barbara M.↗

Efficiently modeling neural networks on massively parallel computers

Neural networks are a very useful tool for analyzing and modeling complex real world systems. Applying neural network simulations to real world problems generally involves large amounts of data and massive amounts of computation. To efficiently handle the computational requirements of large problems, we have implemented at Los Alamos a highly efficient neural network compiler for serial computers, vector computers, vector parallel computers, and fine grain SIMD computers such as the CM-2 connection machine. This paper describes the mapping used by the compiler to implement feed-forward backpropagation neural networks for a SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) architecture parallel computer. Thinking Machines Corporation has benchmarked our code at 1.3 billion interconnects per second (approximately 3 gigaflops) on a 64,000 processor CM-2 connection machine (Singer 1990). This mapping is applicable to other SIMD computers and can be implemented on MIMD computers such as the CM-5 connection machine. Our mapping has virtually no communications overhead with the exception of the communications required for a global summation across the processors (which has a sub-linear runtime growth on the order of O(log(number of processors)). We can efficiently model very large neural networks which have many neurons and interconnects and our mapping can extend to arbitrarily large networks (within memory limitations) by merging the memory space of separate processors with fast adjacent processor interprocessor communications. This paper will consider the simulation of only feed forward neural network although this method is extendable to recurrent networks.

Farber, Robert M.↗

The properties of and analytical methods for detection of LiOH and Li2CO3

Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is used as a CO2 absorbent in the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Portable Life Support System (PLSS). The first objective was to survey parameters that may be used to indicate conversion of LiOH to Li2CO3, and compile a list of all possible properties, including physical, chemical, structural, and electrical, that may serve to indicate the occurrence of reaction. These properties were compiled for the reactant (LiOH), the intermediate monohydrate compound (LiOH.H2O), and the final product (Li2CO3). The second objective was to survey measurement and analytical techniques which may be used in conjunction with each of the properties identified above, to determine the extent of conversion of LiOH to Li2CO3. Both real-time and post-run techniques were of interest. The techniques were also evaluated in terms of complexity, technology readiness, materials/equipment availability, and cost, where possible.

Selvaduray, Guna↗

An analysis of the history of dust activity on Mars

A comprehensive list of dust storm activity on Mars has been compiled from various published lists and additional data. For uniformity and clarity, each event is classified using a new system that includes a well-defined nomenclature. Maps showing the reported locations of events have been compiled. Detailed commentaries describe the events and/or circumstances of their observation. The seasonal distribution of Martian dust events is diagrammed and discussed together with a seasonal and annual (Mars years) timeline that includes the frequency of photographic coverage. Regional dust storms tend to occur most frequently, and all planet-encircling dust storms have been observed during the southern spring and summer seasons, although there is significant interannual variability.

Martin, Leonard J.↗

ASAP: An Ada static source code analyzer program

A user's manual is described and is provided for ASAP, an automated tool for static source code analysis of programs written in the Ada programming language. The purpose of the analysis is to collect and store information pertaining to the analyzed Ada compilation unit's size, complexity, usage of Ada language constructs and features, and static interface with other Ada compilation units.

Doubleday, Dennis Lee↗

NACA Investigation of Fuel Performance in Piston-Type Engines

This report is a compilation of many of the pertinent research data acquired by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics on fuel performance in piston engines. The original data for this compilation are contained in many separate NACA reports which have in the present report been assembled in logical chapters that summarize the main conclusions of the various investigations. Complete details of each investigation are not included in this summary; however, such details may be found, in the original reports cited at the end of each chapter.

Barnett, Henry C↗

A summary of lateral-stability derivatives calculated for wing plan forms in supersonic flow

A compilation of theoretical values of the lateral-stability derivatives for wings at supersonic speeds is presented in the form of design charts. The wing plan forms for which this compilation has been prepared include a rectangular, two trapezoidal, two triangular, a fully-tapered swept-back, a sweptback hexagonal, an unswept hexagonal, and a notched triangular plan form. A full set of results, that is, values for all nine of the lateral-stability derivatives for wings, was available for the first six of these plan forms only. The reasons for the incompleteness of the results available for other plan forms are discussed.

Jones, Arthur L↗

System monitoring and diagnosis with qualitative models

A substantial foundation of tools for model-based reasoning with incomplete knowledge was developed: QSIM (a qualitative simulation program) and its extensions for qualitative simulation; Q2, Q3 and their successors for quantitative reasoning on a qualitative framework; and the CC (component-connection) and QPC (Qualitative Process Theory) model compilers for building QSIM QDE (qualitative differential equation) models starting from different ontological assumptions. Other model-compilers for QDE's, e.g., using bond graphs or compartmental models, have been developed elsewhere. These model-building tools will support automatic construction of qualitative models from physical specifications, and further research into selection of appropriate modeling viewpoints. For monitoring and diagnosis, plausible hypotheses are unified against observations to strengthen or refute the predicted behaviors. In MIMIC (Model Integration via Mesh Interpolation Coefficients), multiple hypothesized models of the system are tracked in parallel in order to reduce the 'missing model' problem. Each model begins as a qualitative model, and is unified with a priori quantitative knowledge and with the stream of incoming observational data. When the model/data unification yields a contradiction, the model is refuted. When there is no contradiction, the predictions of the model are progressively strengthened, for use in procedure planning and differential diagnosis. Only under a qualitative level of description can a finite set of models guarantee the complete coverage necessary for this performance. The results of this research are presented in several publications. Abstracts of these published papers are presented along with abtracts of papers representing work that was synergistic with the NASA grant but funded otherwise. These 28 papers include but are not limited to: 'Combined qualitative and numerical simulation with Q3'; 'Comparative analysis and qualitative integral representations'; 'Model-based monitoring of dynamic systems'; 'Numerical behavior envelopes for qualitative models'; 'Higher-order derivative constraints in qualitative simulation'; and 'Non-intersection of trajectories in qualitative phase space: a global constraint for qualitative simulation.'

Kuipers, Benjamin↗

Rain-rate data base development and rain-rate climate analysis

The single-year rain-rate distribution data available within the archives of Consultative Committee for International Radio (CCIR) Study Group 5 were compiled into a data base for use in rain-rate climate modeling and for the preparation of predictions of attenuation statistics. The four year set of tip-time sequences provided by J. Goldhirsh for locations near Wallops Island were processed to compile monthly and annual distributions of rain rate and of event durations for intervals above and below preset thresholds. A four-year data set of tropical rain-rate tip-time sequences were acquired from the NASA TRMM program for 30 gauges near Darwin, Australia. They were also processed for inclusion in the CCIR data base and the expanded data base for monthly observations at the University of Oklahoma. The empirical rain-rate distributions (edfs) accepted for inclusion in the CCIR data base were used to estimate parameters for several rain-rate distribution models: the lognormal model, the Crane two-component model, and the three parameter model proposed by Moupfuma. The intent of this segment of the study is to obtain a limited set of parameters that can be mapped globally for use in rain attenuation predictions. If the form of the distribution can be established, then perhaps available climatological data can be used to estimate the parameters rather than requiring years of rain-rate observations to set the parameters. The two-component model provided the best fit to the Wallops Island data but the Moupfuma model provided the best fit to the Darwin data.

Crane, Robert K.↗

Mobile and replicated alignment of arrays in data-parallel programs

When a data-parallel language like FORTRAN 90 is compiled for a distributed-memory machine, aggregate data objects (such as arrays) are distributed across the processor memories. The mapping determines the amount of residual communication needed to bring operands of parallel operations into alignment with each other. A common approach is to break the mapping into two stages: first, an alignment that maps all the objects to an abstract template, and then a distribution that maps the template to the processors. We solve two facets of the problem of finding alignments that reduce residual communication: we determine alignments that vary in loops, and objects that should have replicated alignments. We show that loop-dependent mobile alignment is sometimes necessary for optimum performance, and we provide algorithms with which a compiler can determine good mobile alignments for objects within do loops. We also identify situations in which replicated alignment is either required by the program itself (via spread operations) or can be used to improve performance. We propose an algorithm based on network flow that determines which objects to replicate so as to minimize the total amount of broadcast communication in replication. This work on mobile and replicated alignment extends our earlier work on determining static alignment.

Chatterjee, Siddhartha↗