Peripheral twists for torus topologies with arbitrary aspect ratio

A torus is a common topology used in supercomputer networks. Asymmetric Tori suffer from resource usage imbalance, which translates to reduced performance. Twisted Tori employ a twist in the peripheral links of one or more dimensions to improve the topological parameters and overall performance of asymmetric networks. 2D and 3D twisted tori with aspect ratios 2:1 and 2:1:1 have been studied in detail. However, commercial machines do not necessarily employ those aspects ratios. In this work we present an early study of the effect of peripheral link twisting in multidimensional twisted tori with arbitrary aspect ratios. We observe that, in the general case, it is impossible to find a specific twist that minimizes all the interesting topological parameters of the network. We also introduce a requirement for the use of several twists in multidimensional torus with adaptive routing.Postprint (author’s final draft

Eyelid Exfoliation Treatment Efficacy and Safety in Dry Eye Disease, Blepharitis, and Contact Lens Discomfort Patients: A Systematic Review

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and safety of eyelid exfoliation treatment in dry eye disease (DED), blepharitis, and contact lens (CL) discomfort patients. Methods: A systematic review that included only full-length randomized controlled studies, reporting the effects of eyelid exfoliation treatment in 2 databases, PubMed and Web of Science, was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. The search period was between October 29, 2022 and December 6, 2022. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to analyze the quality of the studies selected. Results: A total of 7 studies were included in this systematic review. Eyelid exfoliation treatment influence on DED, blepharitis, and CL discomfort were analyzed in 6, 4, and 2 studies, respectively. Eyelid exfoliation treatment achieved a better improvement than control group interventions in all reported variables. The mean differences between both groups were as follows: Ocular Surface Disease Index score of-5.0 ± 0.9 points, tear breakup time of 0.43 ± 0.2 seconds, ocular surface staining of-1.4 ± 1.5 points, meibomian glands secretions of 1.2 ± 1.1 points, meibomian glands yielding liquid secretion of 0.6 ± 0.3 points, microorganism load of-3.2 ± 4.7 points, and Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 of-2.15 ± 0.1 points. Minimal discomfort (n = 13) and eyelid irritation (n = 2) were the main complications after an eyelid exfoliation treatment. Conclusions: Eyelid exfoliation is a safe and effective treatment that should be indicated for DED, blepharitis, and CL discomfort

Aplicación de compuestos GRAS para el control de la pudrición blanda en frutos de Jaca (Artocarpus heterophyllus L.) causado por Rhizopus stolonifer

Jackfruit is affected by various pathogens in the post-harvest stage, among which is Rhizopus stolonifer, the causal agent of soft rot. To control this pathogen, fungicides are used which damage the environment and affect human health. This situation encourages the search for safe alternatives, among which is chitosan, which has fungicidal characteristics and controls the ripening of various fruits. Also, potassium sorbate is a compound that has traditionally been used to preserve food. In this study, chitosan (Chi) and potassium sorbate (PS) was applied to inhibit the development of R. stolonifer. Determining the mycelial growth, spore germination, sporulation, the severity of the disease, as well as the activity of enzymes involved in the defense of the fruit such as peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO). Obtaining a 100% reduction in mycelial growth and spore germination with the 1% Chi-1.0% PS combination. Furthermore, soft rot is not evident when the same treatment was applied to jackfruit, inducing the activity of POD and PPO. The application of chitosan combined with potassium sorbate may be a promising alternative against soft rot in jackfruit.El fruto de yaca es afectado por diversos patógenos en la etapa de postcosecha entre los que se encuentra el hongo Rhizopus stolonifer agente causal de la pudrición blanda. Para el control de este patógeno se utilizan fungicidas que dañan el medio ambiente y afectan la salud humana. Esta situación llevaa buscar alternativas seguras entre las que se encuentra el quitosano, con características fungicidas y control dela maduración en diversos frutos. Asimismo, el sorbato de potasio es un compuesto que se ha utilizado tradicionalmente para conservar alimentos. En este estudio se aplicó quitosano (Chi, por sus siglas en inglés) y sorbato de potasio (PS, por sus siglas en inglés) para inhibir el desarrollo de R. stolonifer. Se determinó el crecimiento micelial, germinación de esporas, esporulación, severidad de la enfermedad, así como la actividad de las enzimas involucradas en la defensa del fruto como la peroxidasa (POD) y la polifenoloxidasa (PPO). El resultado es una reducción al 100% del crecimiento micelial y la germinación de esporas con la combinación 1% Chi-1.0%PS, tampoco se manifestó unapudrición blanda cuando se aplicó el mismo tratamiento en la yaca, con la inducción en la actividad de POD y PPO. La aplicación de quitosano combinado con sorbato de potasio puede ser una alternativa prometedora contra la pudrición blanda en frutos de yaca

A meta-analytical review of the responses in the MMPI-2/MMPI-2-RF clinical and restructured scales of parents in child custody dispute

Parental attribute evaluation in relation to child custody comprises psychological and psychopathology. Additionally, defensiveness must be suspected on this setting. The worldwide reference psychometric measurement instrument for this purpose is the MMPI. With the aim of knowing the responses of parents litigating by child custody, a meta-analytic review of the responses to clinical and restructured scales was performed. A total of 21 primary studies (studies with a simulation design i.e., participants were instructed to answer as parents litigating by child custody were found were disregarded) were found, obtaining 291 effect sizes for clinical scales and 1 for restructured scales. The results showed positive, significant and generalizable mean true effect size in the Hy, Pd and Pa scales; a negative, significant and generalizable in the Ma and Si scales, and non-generalizable in the Pt y Sc scales; and a trivial mean true effect size in the Hs and D scales. Parent gender was studied as a moderator having no found differences between the responses of mothers and fathers. The implications of the results for forensic evaluation practices are discussed.La evaluación de las capacidades parentales para el ejercicio de la guarda y custodia de los hijos incluye el ajuste psicológico y la psicopato-logía. En esta evaluación, además, se ha de sospechar disimulación. El ins-trumento psicométrico de referencia para dicha evaluación es el MMPI. Para conocer de lo informado por los progenitores en disputa por la cus-todia nos planteamos una revisión meta-analítica de las escalas clínicas y las escalas clínicas reestructuradas. Encontramos 21 estudios primarios con progenitores (se descartaron los diseños de simulación de progenitores en disputa) de los que obtuvieron 291 tamaños del efecto para las escalas clí-nicas y 1 para las reestructuradas. Los resultados mostraron un tamaño del efecto promedio positivo, significativo, y generalizable en las escalas Hy, Pd y Pa; negativo, significativo y generalizable en las escalas Ma y Siy no gene-ralizable en las escalas Pty Sc; y un tamaño del efecto promedio insignifi-cante en las escalas Hsy D. Se estudió el género como moderador, no ha-llándose diferencias entre padres y madres. Se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados para la práctica forense.Esta investigación fue financiada, en parte, con un proyecto del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España de refencia PSI2017-87278-RS

Practical Lessons from the Deployment and Management of a Smart City Internet-of-Things Infrastructure: The SmartSantander testbed case

The smart cities vision is inexorably turning into a reality. Among the different approaches used to realize more intelligent and sustainable environments, a common denominator is the role that information and communication technologies will play. Moreover, if there is one of these technologies that emerges among the rest, it is the Internet-of-Things (IoT). The ability to ubiquitously embed sensing and actuating capabilities that this paradigm enables is at the forefront of the technologies driving the urban environments transformation. However, there are very little practical experiences of the IoT infrastructure deployment at a large scale. This paper presents practical solutions to the main challenges faced during the deployment and management of a city-scale IoT infrastructure, which encompasses thousands of sensors and other information sources. The experience we have gained during the deployment and operation of the IoT-based smart city infrastructure carried out at Santander (Spain) has led to a number of practical lessons that are summarized in this paper. Moreover, the challenges and problems examples, excerpted from our own real-life experience, are described as motivators for the adopted solutions.This work was supported in part by the research project SmartSantander through the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission under Grant FP7-ICT-2009-5 and in part by the Spanish Government by means of the project ADVICE "Dynamic provisioning of connectivity in high density 5G wireless scenarios" under Grant TEC2015-71329-C2-1-R

Feeding Difficulties Associated with IBD during the Working Day: Qualitative Study, Alicante Spain

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Nutrition is a key aspect as it can modulate much of the symptomatology. People affected by IBD often experience difficulties at work in all areas, including adapting their dietary management to workplace situations. The aim of this study is to identify the difficulties associated with eating during the working day in people diagnosed with IBD. A qualitative study was conducted through a nominal and focus group with people affected by IBD. After the thematic analysis of the data, three main themes emerged: management of food during the working day, searching for strategies to live with the disease, and the importance of visibility and support. This study shows that IBD influences the working life of people with IBD and makes it difficult to maintain an adequate diet. The institutions in charge of the treatment of IBD patients should consider the support of multidisciplinary teams, including nutrition professionals, as a fundamental part of the pathology control and dietary treatment to minimize its repercussions at work

Do mosquitoes transmit the avian malaria-like parasite Haemoproteus? An experimental test of vector competence using mosquito saliva

[Background] The life-cycle of many vector-borne pathogens includes an asexual replication phase in the vertebrate host and sexual reproduction in the insect vector. However, as only a small array of parasites can successfully develop infective phases inside an insect, few insect species are competent vectors for these pathogens. Molecular approaches have identified the potential insect vectors of blood parasites under natural conditions. However, the effectiveness of this methodology for verifying mosquito competence in the transmission of avian malaria parasites and related haemosporidians is still under debate. This is mainly because positive amplifications of parasite DNA in mosquitoes can be obtained not only from sporozoites, the infective phase of the malaria parasites that migrate to salivary glands, but also from different non-infective parasite forms in the body of the vector. Here, we assessed the vectorial capacity of the common mosquito Culex pipiens in the transmission of two parasite genera.[Methods] A total of 1,560 mosquitoes were allowed to feed on five house sparrows Passer domesticus naturally infected by Haemoproteus or co-infected by Haemoproteus/Plasmodium. A saliva sample of the mosquitoes that survived after 13 days post-exposure was taken to determine the presence of parasite DNA by PCR.[Results] Overall, 31.2% mosquito’s head-thorax and 5.8% saliva samples analysed showed positive amplifications for avian malaria parasites. In contrast to Haemoproteus DNA, which was not found in either the body parts or the saliva, Plasmodium DNA was detected in both the head-thorax and the saliva of mosquitoes. Parasites isolated from mosquitoes feeding on the same bird corresponded to the same Plasmodium lineage.[Conclusions] Our experiment provides good evidence for the competence of Cx. pipiens in the transmission of Plasmodium but not of Haemoproteus. Molecular analyses of saliva are an effective method for testing the vector competence of mosquitoes and other insects in the transmission of vector-borne pathogens.This study was funded by projects CGL2012-30759 and CGL2015-65055-P from the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and European Regional Development’s funds (FEDER). We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI). R.G.L. was supported by a FPI grant (BES-2013-065274), J.M.P. by a Juan de la Cierva contract, L.G. by a contract under the Excelence Projects from Junta de Andalucía (RNM-7800) and J.Y. by a grant from China Scholarship Council.Peer reviewe

Managing large amounts of data generated by a Smart City internet of things deployment

The Smart City concept is being developed from a lot of different axes encompassing multiple areas of social and technical sciences. However, something that is common to all these approaches is the central role that the capacity of sharing information has. Hence, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are seen as key enablers for the transformation of urban regions into Smart Cities. Two of these technologies, namely Internet of Things and Big Data, have a predominant position among them. The capacity to "sense the city" and access all this information and provide added-value services based on knowledge derived from it are critical to achieving the Smart City vision. This paper reports on the specification and implementation of a software platform enabling the management and exposure of the large amount of information that is continuously generated by the IoT deployment in the city of Santander.This work has been partially funded by the research project SmartSantander, under FP7- ICT-2009-5 of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to the Spanish government for the funding in the following project: "Connectivity as a Service: Access for the Internet of the Future", COSAIF (TEC2012-38574-C02-01)

Large-scale mobile sensing enabled internet-of-things testbed for smart city services

Smart cities are one of the key application domains for the Internet-of-Things paradigm. Extending the Web into the physical realm of a city, by means of the widespread deployment of spatially distributed Internet-addressable devices with sensing and/or actuation capabilities, allows improving efficiency of city services. Vehicles moving around the city become excellent probes when the objective is to gather information across the city in a cost effective manner. Public transportation fleets, taxis, or vehicles such as waste collection trucks cover most of the urban areas with a limited number of vehicles. This paper presents the deployment of a large scale Internet-of-Things testbed that has been carried out in the city of Santander. It extends previous descriptions by providing a specification of one of the unique features of the testbed, namely, the devices that have been installed on 140 buses, taxis, and vans that every day drive around the city. Besides the physical characteristics of the devices installed and the lessons learnt during the deployment, the paper introduces the three mobile sensing network strategies used for distributing the data gathered. Finally, the paper sketches some of smart city services which might be provided using the information coming from the mobile IoT devices.This work has been partially funded by Research Project SmartSantander, under FP7-ICT-2009-5 of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community. The authors would like to acknowledge the collaboration with the rest of partners within the consortium leading to the results presented in this paper.The authors would also like to express their gratitude to the Spanish government for the funding in the following project: “Connectivity as a Service: Access for the Internet of the Future,” COSAIF (TEC2012-38574-C02- 01)