An Exploration in Implementing Fault Tolerance in Scientific Simulation Application Software

The ability for scientific simulation software to detect and recover from errors and failures of supporting hardware and software layers is becoming more important due to the pressure to shift from large, specialized multi-million dollar ASCI computing platforms to smaller, less expensive interconnected machines consisting of off-the-shelf hardware. As evidenced by the CPlant{trademark} experiences, fault tolerance can be necessary even on such a homogeneous system and may also prove useful in the next generation of ASCI platforms. This report describes a research effort intended to study, implement, and test the feasibility of various fault tolerance mechanisms controlled at the simulation code level. Errors and failures would be detected by underlying software layers, communicated to the application through a convenient interface, and then handled by the simulation code itself. Targeted faults included corrupt communication messages, processor node dropouts, and unacceptable slowdown of service from processing nodes. Recovery techniques such as re-sending communication messages and dynamic reallocation of failing processor nodes were considered. However, most fault tolerance mechanisms rely on underlying software layers which were discovered to be lacking to such a degree that mechanisms at the application level could not be implemented. This research effort has been postponed and shifted to these supporting layers

Examining healthcare professionals’ beliefs and actions regarding the physical health of people with schizophrenia

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2019-09-15, accepted 2020-08-13, registration 2020-08-13, pub-electronic 2020-08-20, online 2020-08-20, collection 2020-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: Medical Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000265Abstract: Background: People with schizophrenia have a higher premature mortality risk compared with the general population mainly due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, people with schizophrenia are less likely to access physical health services or have their physical health investigated and monitored. Aims: To examine the beliefs and actions of mental health professionals regarding the physical health of people with schizophrenia. Method: Two hundred and fifty-five healthcare professionals who support people with schizophrenia within Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), United Kingdom and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust (PCFT), United Kingdom took part. Beliefs and actions were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire, which was constructed around two primary domains (1) CVD risk factors; and (2) physical health interventions. Descriptive statistics were reported and responses between different healthcare professional groups were compared. Results: The overwhelming majority of participants were aware of established CVD risk factors with 98% identifying family history of CVD, 98% for smoking and 96% for high blood pressure. Most participants believed nearly all healthcare professionals were responsible for monitoring the physical health of people with schizophrenia, regardless of job speciality. There were 67% of participants who reported delivering an intervention to improve sedentary behaviour for people with schizophrenia. However, awareness of government and NHS recommended lifestyle interventions were low. Conclusions: This study found good knowledge regarding many established CVD risk factors but little clarity regarding who is responsible for monitoring the physical health of people with schizophrenia and how often brief lifestyle interventions are being implemented

Social cognition in multiple sclerosis:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To quantify the magnitude of deficits in theory of mind (ToM) and facial emotion recognition among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) relative to healthy controls. Methods: An electronic database search of Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase was conducted from inception to April 1, 2016. Eligible studies were original research articles published in peer-reviewed journals that examined ToM or facial emotion recognition among patients with a diagnosis of MS and a healthy control comparison group. Data were independently extracted by 2 authors. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g. Results: Twenty-one eligible studies were identified assessing ToM (12 studies) and/or facial emotion recognition (13 studies) among 722 patients with MS and 635 controls. Deficits in both ToM (g -0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.88 to -0.55, p < 0.001) and facial emotion recognition (g -0.64, 95% CI -0.81 to -0.47, p < 0.001) were identified among patients with MS relative to healthy controls. The largest deficits were observed for visual ToM tasks and for the recognition of negative facial emotional expressions. Older age predicted larger emotion recognition deficits. Other cognitive domains were inconsistently associated with social cognitive performance. Conclusions: Social cognitive deficits are an overlooked but potentially important aspect of cognitive impairment in MS with potential prognostic significance for social functioning and quality of life. Further research is required to clarify the longitudinal course of social cognitive dysfunction, its association with MS disease characteristics and neurocognitive impairment, and the MS-specific neurologic damage underlying these deficits

Search for Nanosecond Near-infrared Transients around 1280 Celestial Objects

Stars and planetary system

Rapid Quantification of Biofouling With an Inexpensive, Underwater Camera and Image Analysis

To reduce the transport of potentially invasive species on ships\u27 submerged surfaces, rapid-and accurate-estimates of biofouling are needed so shipowners and regulators can effectively assess and manage biofouling. This pilot study developed a model approach for that task. First, photographic images were collected in situ with a submersible, inexpensive pocket camera. These images were used to develop image processing algorithms and train machine learning models to classify images containing natural assemblages of fouling organisms. All of the algorithms and models were implemented in a widely available software package (MATLAB©). Initially, an unsupervised clustering model was used, and three types of fouling were delineated. Using a supervised classification approach, however, seven types of fouling could be identified. In this manner, fouling was successfully quantified over time on experimental panels immersed in seawater. This work provides a model for the easy, quick, and cost-effective classification of biofouling

Panoramic optical and near-infrared SETI instrument: prototype design and testing

The Pulsed All-sky Near-infrared Optical Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (PANOSETI) is an instrument program that aims to search for fast transient signals (nano-second to seconds) of artificial or astrophysical origin. The PANOSETI instrument objective is to sample the entire observable sky during all observable time at optical and near-infrared wavelengths over 300 - 1650 nm$^1$. The PANOSETI instrument is designed with a number of modular telescope units using Fresnel lenses ($\sim$0.5m) arranged on two geodesic domes in order to maximize sky coverage$^2$. We present the prototype design and tests of these modular Fresnel telescope units. This consists of the design of mechanical components such as the lens mounting and module frame. One of the most important goals of the modules is to maintain the characteristics of the Fresnel lens under a variety of operating conditions. We discuss how we account for a range of operating temperatures, humidity, and module orientations in our design in order to minimize undesirable changes to our focal length or angular resolution.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Investigation into the role of the germline epigenome in the transmission of glucocorticoid-programmed effects across generations.

BACKGROUND: Early life exposure to adverse environments affects cardiovascular and metabolic systems in the offspring. These programmed effects are transmissible to a second generation through both male and female lines, suggesting germline transmission. We have previously shown that prenatal overexposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (Dex) in rats reduces birth weight in the first generation (F1), a phenotype which is transmitted to a second generation (F2), particularly through the male line. We hypothesize that Dex exposure affects developing germ cells, resulting in transmissible alterations in DNA methylation, histone marks and/or small RNA in the male germline. RESULTS: We profile epigenetic marks in sperm from F1 Sprague Dawley rats expressing a germ cell-specific GFP transgene following Dex or vehicle treatment of the mothers, using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, small RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing for H3K4me3, H3K4me1, H3K27me3 and H3K9me3. Although effects on birth weight are transmitted to the F2 generation through the male line, no differences in DNA methylation, histone modifications or small RNA were detected between germ cells and sperm from Dex-exposed animals and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Although the phenotype is transmitted to a second generation, we are unable to detect specific changes in DNA methylation, common histone modifications or small RNA profiles in sperm. Dex exposure is associated with more variable 5mC levels, particularly at non-promoter loci. Although this could be one mechanism contributing to the observed phenotype, other germline epigenetic modifications or non-epigenetic mechanisms may be responsible for the transmission of programmed effects across generations in this model

Long‐lived Snell dwarf mice display increased proteostatic mechanisms that are not dependent on decreased mTORC1 activity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111144/1/acel12329.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111144/2/acel12329-sup-0001-SuppInfo.pd

The Frequency of Rapid Rotation Among K Giant Stars

We present the results of a search for unusually rapidly rotating giant stars in a large sample of K giants (~1300 stars) that had been spectroscopically monitored as potential targets for the Space Interferometry Mission's Astrometric Grid. The stars in this catalog are much fainter and typically more metal-poor than those of other catalogs of red giant star rotational velocities, but the spectra generally only have signal-to-noise (S/N) of ~20-60, making the measurement of the widths of individual lines difficult. To compensate for this, we have developed a cross-correlation method to derive rotational velocities in moderate S/N echelle spectra to efficiently probe this sample for rapid rotator candidates. We have discovered 28 new red giant rapid rotators as well as one extreme rapid rotator with a vsini of 86.4 km/s. Rapid rotators comprise 2.2% of our sample, which is consistent with other surveys of brighter, more metal-rich K giant stars. Although we find that the temperature distribution of rapid rotators is similar to that of the slow rotators, this may not be the case with the distributions of surface gravity and metallicity. The rapid rotators show a slight overabundance of low gravity stars and as a group are significantly more metal-poor than the slow rotators, which may indicate that the rotators are tidally-locked binaries.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 25 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Tables 1 and 2 are provided in their full form as plain text ancillary file