Ajitts: adaptive just-in-time transaction scheduling

Lecture Notes in Computer Science 7891, 2013Distributed transaction processing has benefited greatly from optimistic concurrency control protocols thus avoiding costly fine-grained synchronization. However, the performance of these protocols degrades significantly when the workload increases, namely, by leading to a substantial amount of aborted transactions due to concurrency conflicts. Our approach stems from the observation that when the abort rate increases with the load as already executed transactions queue for longer periods of time waiting for their turn to be certified and committed. We thus propose an adaptive algorithm for judiciously scheduling transactions to minimize the time during which these are vulnerable to being aborted by concurrent transactions, thereby reducing the overall abort rate. We do so by throttling transaction execution using an adaptive mechanism based on the locally known state of globally executing transactions, that includes out-of-order execution. Our evaluation using traces from the industry standard TPC-E workload shows that the amount of aborted transactions can be kept bounded as system load increases, while at the same time fully utilizing system resources and thus scaling transaction processing throughput.(undefined

The detection of acute risk of self-injury project:Protocol for an ecological momentary assessment study among individuals seeking treatment

Background:Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major mental health concern. Despite increased research efforts on establishing the prevalence and correlates of the presence and severity of NSSI, we still lack basic knowledge of the course, predictors, and relationship of NSSI with other self-damaging behaviors in daily life. Such information will be helpful for better informing mental health professionals and allocating treatment resources. The DAILY (Detection of Acute rIsk of seLf-injurY) project will address these gaps among individuals seeking treatment.Objective: This protocol paper presents the DAILY project's aims, design, and materials used. The primary objectives are to advance understanding of (1) the short-term course and contexts of elevated risk for NSSI thoughts, urges, and behavior; (2) the transition from NSSI thoughts and urges to NSSI behavior; and (3) the association of NSSI with disordered eating, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A secondary aim is to evaluate the perspectives of individuals seeking treatment and mental health professionals regarding the feasibility, scope, and utility of digital self-monitoring and interventions that target NSSI in daily life.Methods: The DAILY project is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (Belgium). Data collection involves 3 phases: a baseline assessment (phase 1), 28 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) followed by a clinical session and feedback survey (phase 2), and 2 follow-up surveys and an optional interview (phase 3). The EMA protocol consists of regular EMA surveys (6 times per day), additional burst EMA surveys spaced at a higher frequency when experiencing intense NSSI urges (3 surveys within 30 minutes), and event registrations of NSSI behavior. The primary outcomes are NSSI thoughts, NSSI urges, self-efficacy to resist NSSI, and NSSI behavior, with disordered eating (restrictive eating, binge eating, and purging), substance use (binge drinking and smoking cannabis), and suicidal thoughts and behaviors surveyed as secondary outcomes. The assessed predictors include emotions, cognitions, contextual information, and social appraisals.Results: We will recruit approximately 120 individuals seeking treatment aged 15 to 39 years from mental health services across the Flanders region of Belgium. Recruitment began in June 2021 and data collection is anticipated to conclude in August 2023.Conclusions: The findings of the DAILY project will provide a detailed characterization of the short-term course and patterns of risk for NSSI and advance understanding of how, why, and when NSSI and other self-damaging behaviors unfold among individuals seeking treatment. This will inform clinical practice and provide the scientific building blocks for novel intervention approaches outside of the therapy room that support people who self-injure in real time

Nitrogen Excretion and Ammonia Emissions from Pigs Fed Modified Diets

Two swine feeding trials were conducted (initial body weight = 47 ± 2 and 41 ± 3 kg for Trials 1 and 2, respectively) to evaluate reduced crude protein (CP) and yucca (Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies) extract–supplemented diets on NH3 emissions. In Trial 1, nine pigs were offered a corn–soybean meal diet (C, 174 g kg−1 CP), a Lys-supplemented diet (L, 170 g kg−1 CP), or a 145 g kg−1 CP diet supplemented with Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp (LMTT). In Trial 2, nine pigs were fed diet L supplemented with 0, 62.5, or 125 mg of yucca extract per kg diet. Each feeding period consisted of a 4-d dietary adjustment followed by 72 h of continuous NH3 measurement. Urine and fecal samples were collected each period. Feeding the LMTT diet reduced (P \u3c 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F) compared to diet L. Fecal N concentration decreased with a reduction in dietary CP, but urinary ammonium increased from pigs fed diet LMTT (2.0 g kg−1, wet basis) compared to those fed diet C (1.1 g kg−1) or L (1.0 g kg−1). When pigs were fed reduced CP diets NH3emission rates decreased (2.46, 2.16, and 1.05 mg min−1 for diets C, L, and LMTT). Yucca had no effect on feed intake, ADG, or G:F. Ammonium and N concentrations of manure and NH3 emission rates did not differ with yucca content. Caution must be executed to maintain animal performance when strategies are implemented to reduce NH3 emissions

Integration of fluorescence collection optics with a microfabricated surface electrode ion trap

We have successfully demonstrated an integrated optical system for collecting the fluorescence from a trapped ion. The system, consisting of an array of transmissive, dielectric micro-optics and an optical fiber array, has been intimately incorporated into the ion-trapping chip without negatively impacting trapping performance. Epoxies, vacuum feedthrough, and optical component materials were carefully chosen so that they did not degrade the vacuum environment, and we have demonstrated light detection as well as ion trapping and shuttling behavior comparable to trapping chips without integrated optics, with no modification to the control voltages of the trapping chip.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure

First delivery of a COVID-19 positive patient in Cameroon

Since its appearance in China in December 2019, COVID-19 which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a real global health problem. Pregnant women are not immune to this novel infection, which makes it difficult for proper management of pregnancy and childbirth. Authors present here the first case of childbirth in Cameroon of a 19-year-old adolescent tested positive for COVID-19

Desmoglein-1 regulates esophageal epithelial barrier function and immune responses in eosinophilic esophagitis

The desmosomal cadherin desmoglein-1 (DSG1) is an essential intercellular adhesion molecule that is altered in various human cutaneous disorders; however, its regulation and function in allergic disease remains unexplored. Herein, we demonstrate a specific reduction in DSG1 in esophageal biopsies from patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an emerging allergic disorder characterized by chronic inflammation within the esophageal mucosa. Further, we show that DSG1 gene silencing weakens esophageal epithelial integrity, and induces cell separation and impaired barrier function (IBF) despite high levels of desmoglein-3 (DSG3). Moreover, DSG1 deficiency induces transcriptional changes that partially overlap with the transcriptome of inflamed esophageal mucosa; notably, periostin, a multipotent pro-inflammatory extracellular matrix molecule, is the top induced overlapping gene. We further demonstrate that IBF is a pathological feature in EoE, which can be partially induced through the downregulation of DSG1 by interleukin-13 (IL-13). Taken together, these data identify a functional role for DSG1 and its dysregulation by IL-13 in the pathophysiology of EoE and suggest that the loss of DSG1 may potentiate allergic inflammation through the induction of pro-inflammatory mediators such as periostin