APEnet+: high bandwidth 3D torus direct network for petaflops scale commodity clusters

We describe herein the APElink+ board, a PCIe interconnect adapter featuring the latest advances in wire speed and interface technology plus hardware support for a RDMA programming model and experimental acceleration of GPU networking; this design allows us to build a low latency, high bandwidth PC cluster, the APEnet+ network, the new generation of our cost-effective, tens-of-thousands-scalable cluster network architecture. Some test results and characterization of data transmission of a complete testbench, based on a commercial development card mounting an Altera FPGA, are provided.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, proceeding of CHEP 2010, Taiwan, October 18-2

High-speed data transfer with FPGAs and QSFP+ modules

We present test results and characterization of a data transmission system based on a last generation FPGA and a commercial QSFP+ (Quad Small Form Pluggable +) module. QSFP+ standard defines a hot-pluggable transceiver available in copper or optical cable assemblies for an aggregated bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps. We implemented a complete testbench based on a commercial development card mounting an Altera Stratix IV FPGA with 24 serial transceivers at 8.5 Gbps, together with a custom mezzanine hosting three QSFP+ modules. We present test results and signal integrity measurements up to an aggregated bandwidth of 12 Gbps.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Published on JINST Journal of Instrumentation proceedings of Topical Workshop on Electronics for Particle Physics 2010, 20-24 September 2010, Aachen, Germany(R Ammendola et al 2010 JINST 5 C12019

Ethylene-propene copolymerization. Monomer reactivity and reaction mechanism

The relative reactivity of ethylene and propene in the first insertion steps of Ziegler-Natta copolymerization has been evaluated by analyzing via 13CNMR the %enriched end groups of copolymer fractionsofdifferentstereoregularity. Somepossibleinferencesconcerningreactionmechanismarereported

APENet: LQCD clusters a la APE

Developed by the APE group, APENet is a new high speed, low latency, 3-dimensional interconnect architecture optimized for PC clusters running LQCD-like numerical applications. The hardware implementation is based on a single PCI-X 133MHz network interface card hosting six indipendent bi-directional channels with a peak bandwidth of 676 MB/s each direction. We discuss preliminary benchmark results showing exciting performances similar or better than those found in high-end commercial network systems.Comment: Lattice2004(machines), 3 pages, 4 figure

ATTRITION OF BED MATERIALS AND FUEL PELLETS FOR FLUIDIZED BED GASIFICATION APPLICATION

This paper reports on a study of the attrition/fragmentation behavior of different bed materials and fuel pellets for application in fluidized bed gasification. Three different bed materials displaying catalytic activity, namely fresh and sintered dolomite and a Ni-alumina catalyst, were tested for their resistance to fragmentation and attrition in fluidized bed. The fresh dolomite displayed extensive particle breakage upon calcination and a large production of attrited fines during fluidized bed operation. The other two materials were much more resistant to attrition and appeared to be suitable for further long-term operation testing. The attrition/fragmentation resistance of three pelletized fuels, one based on wood and the other two on a mixture of wood and coal, was also characterized under both inert and gasification conditions. Pellet breakage by primary fragmentation upon devolatilization appeared to be rather limited for all fuels. On the contrary, attrition of carbon fines from the char particles during gasification was extensive, due to a gasification-assisted attrition mechanism

Mast cells, microRNAs and others: The role of translational research on colorectal cancer in the forthcoming era of precision medicine

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease, molecularly and anatomically, that develops in a multi-step process requiring the accumulation of several genetic or epigenetic mutations that lead to the gradual transformation of normal mucosa into cancer. In fact, tumorigenesis is extremely complex, with many immunologic and non-immunologic factors present in the tumor microenvironment that can influence tumorigenesis. In the last few years, a role for mast cells (MCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) and v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B (BRAF) in cancer development and progression has been suggested, and numerous efforts have been made to thoroughly assess their correlation with CRC to improve patient survival and quality of life. The identification of easily measurable, non-invasive and cost-effective biomarkers, the so-called “ideal biomarkers”, for CRC screening and treatment remains a high priority. The aim of this review is to discuss the emerging role of mast cells (MCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), KRAS and BRAF as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC, evaluating their influence as potential therapy targets in the forthcoming era of precision medicine

Vaginal lactoferrin in prevention of preterm birth in women with bacterial vaginosis

Objective: To evaluate use of vaginal lactoferrin in prevention of preterm birth (PTB) in women with first trimester bacterial vaginosis and prior spontaneous PTB.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of all consecutive singleton gestations with prior PTB, and first trimester diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis. Women who were found to have bacterial vaginosis were recommended lactoferrin 300 mg vaginal tablets daily for 21 days. The primary outcome was the incidence of PTB at less than 37 weeks of gestations. Outcomes were compared in women who received daily lactoferrin with those who did notResults: During the study period, 847 pregnant women with prior spontaneous PTB were screened for bacterial vaginosis. Of them, 193 were found to have bacterial vaginosis in the first trimester, with an overall incidence of 22.8%. Out of the 193 women, 125 met the inclusion criteria for the study and were analyzed. Sixty of the included women received vaginal lactoferrin, while 65 did not. Women who received supplementation with lactoferrin had a significantly lower rate of PTB < 37 weeks (25.0 versus 44.6%; p = .02), lower mean gestational age at delivery (37.7 ± 3.2 versus 35.9 ± 4.1 weeks; p = .01), and lower rate of admission for threatened PTL (45.0 versus 70.8%; p = .04). No between-group differences were noticed in the other outcomes, including chorioamnionitis, PPROM < 34 weeks, and neonatal outcomes. No cases of late miscarriage were reported in our cohort. No cases of adverse events were reported.Conclusion: Based on this small single-center retrospective study, supplementation with vaginal lactoferrin in women with first trimester bacterial vaginosis may be an option to reduce the risk of preterm delivery

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and colorectal cancer: From physiology to surgery

The pursuit of this paper is to collect principal reviews and systematic reviews about hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and cytoreductive surgery (CRS) used in colorectal cancer (CRC). We focus on principal biological aspects of CRC, hyperthermia effects, and surgical procedures. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE for the principal reviews and systematic reviews published from 2010 to 2021 regarding the bimodal treatment (CRS + HIPEC) against local and advanced CRC. In the literature, from several studies, it seems that the efficacy of bimodal treatment with an accurate CRS can extend overall survival. Despite these studies, there are not still any straight guidelines more detailed and scheduled about the use of combined treatment in patients with CRC. Even if the concept is still not very clear and shared, after a careful evaluation of the published data, and after some technical and pathophysiological descriptions, we concluded that it is possible to improve the overall survival and quality of life and to reduce the tumor relapse in patients affected by locally advanced (pT4) CRC with peritoneal metastases