GPU in Physics Computation: Case Geant4 Navigation

General purpose computing on graphic processing units (GPU) is a potential method of speeding up scientific computation with low cost and high energy efficiency. We experimented with the particle physics simulation toolkit Geant4 used at CERN to benchmark its geometry navigation functionality on a GPU. The goal was to find out whether Geant4 physics simulations could benefit from GPU acceleration and how difficult it is to modify Geant4 code to run in a GPU. We ported selected parts of Geant4 code to C99 & CUDA and implemented a simple gamma physics simulation utilizing this code to measure efficiency. The performance of the program was tested by running it on two different platforms: NVIDIA GeForce 470 GTX GPU and a 12-core AMD CPU system. Our conclusion was that GPUs can be a competitive alternate for multi-core computers but porting existing software in an efficient way is challenging

Shifting shorelines

Sea level rise is predicted to radically transform coastal landscapes in the coming centuries. Caused by climate change, the impact is already felt in low-lying communities around the world. Although the consequences of rising sea levels will be severe and irreversible, the slow pace of change and high level of uncertainty regarding its future trajectory make the issue challenging to plan for. However, adaptation to changing coastlines is necessary, especially in densely built urban areas. Climate adaptation initiatives are unlikely to be successful without public support. Yet research shows that people are likely to dismiss or underestimate the personal impact of climate change due to perceived psychological and temporal distance. Research on new approaches to climate communication have found that visualizing the impact of climate change, including sea level rise, has yielded promising results in both raising awareness as well as increasing engagement in local climate adaptation. The aim of this study is to look at how sea level rise and possible adaptation measures can be visually communicated to facilitate dialogue between planning experts and lay audiences. This report describes the process and considerations involved in the production of sea level rise visualizations of a chosen site in Kalmar, Sweden. The produced imagery was presented to the public during an exhibition where participants were invited to engage in a discussion on sea level rise and give their feedback on the visualizations. These responses were analyzed and discussed to assess the effectiveness of the produced visuals in facilitating dialogue. The result of this study shows how illustrating climate change impact on local level, tailored to the community, is a powerful tool for facilitating communication.The project also revealed the challenges in illustrating climate futures from accommodating uncertainty to visualizing potential solutions.This study supports previous findings on the power of imagery in reshaping collective imaginations and evoking emotions. Thus visualization justifiably has an important role in visioning possible futures for transforming coastal communities

"Aika vierii, kello lyö – iäisyys ymmärryksen suo": Tukholman kehruuhuoneeseen tuomittujen suomalaistaustaisten naisten kokemushorisontti 1780-luvulla

Pro gradu -tutkielmassa käsittelen Tukholman Långholmenille lähetettyjä suomalaistaustaisia naisvankeja 1780-luvulla ja selvitän, minkälaista kokemusta kehruuhuoneympäristö sääntöineen, tiloineen ja materiaaleineen rakensi. Pyrin valottamaan kehruuhuoneen arjessa olevia rajoitteita ja mahdollisuuksia muun muassa kolmen naistapauksen kautta. Lisäksi selvitän, minkälaisia keinoja naisvangeilla oli selvitä ankarissa olosuhteissa. Mikrohistoriallisen, prosopografisen sekä kollektiivibiografisen tutkimuksen päätutkimusaineisto koostuu Ruotsin Valtionarkiston alkuperäisaineistoista, kuten vankilistoista, Tukholman kamarikollegion Långholmenin kehruuhuoneen pää-, kuitti- ja tositekirjoista sekä vankeudenhoitoa koskevasta aihekokoelmasta. Tarkastelen laajaa aineistoa laadullisen sisällönanalyysin ja kokemuksen tunneteorioiden avulla. Lisäksi tulkitsen tutkimustuloksia tutkimuskirjallisuuden tietoja vasten ja vertailen valitsemiani tapauksia keskenään toimijuuden näkökulmien kannalta. Tukholman kehruuhuoneelle vuosina 1780–1789 lähetetyt 68 elinkautis- tai määräaikaistuomittua suomalaistaustaista naisrikollista kytkeytyivät Långholmenin kehruuhuoneella toteutettuun pakkotyöhön merkantilismin hyötynäkökulman, valistuksen ajan aatteiden sekä rikosoikeuden muutoksien kautta. Kehruuhuone tuotti moniarvoista kokemusta, joka jakautui tilan ja materiaalisuuden kautta aistittaviin fyysisiin kokemuksiin, kuten kipuun ja nälkään sekä toisaalta myös kokemusyhteisön kautta saavutettaviin jaettuihin henkisiin ja sosiaalisiin tunnekokemuksiin, kuten toivoon ja pelkoon. Tietyt ominaisuudet, kuten nuoruus, terveys sekä kyky sopeutua, liittoutua ja ystävystyä sekä vankien että esivallan kanssa, olivat hyödyksi kehruuhuoneolosuhteissa. Tutkielmassa korostuvat 1700-luvun jälkipuoliskon Ruotsin oikeus- ja rikoshistorian, vähemmistöjen sosiaali- ja kulttuurihistorian sekä tunteiden ja kokemuksen historian näkökulmat. Tutkielma osoittaa, kuinka naisvangit pystyivät haastamaan Långholmenin kehruuhuoneen käytäntöjä. Naisvankien toimijuus avaa näkymiä vankilahierarkian rajojen venyttämiselle. Lisäksi määräaikaisesta kehruuhuonetuomiosta selviytynyt naisvanki saattoi hyötyä vankeusajastaan, koska se mahdollisti taidollisen erikoistumisen ja itsensä elättämisen käsityöpainotteisessa toimenkuvassa

HybVIO : Pushing the Limits of Real-time Visual-inertial Odometry

We present HybVIO, a novel hybrid approach for combining filtering-based visual-inertial odometry (VIO) with optimization-based SLAM. The core of our method is highly robust, independent VIO with improved IMU bias modeling, outlier rejection, stationarity detection, and feature track selection, which is adjustable to run on embedded hardware. Long-term consistency is achieved with a loosely-coupled SLAM module. In academic benchmarks, our solution yields excellent performance in all categories, especially in the real-time use case, where we outperform the current state-of-the-art. We also demonstrate the feasibility of VIO for vehicular tracking on consumer-grade hardware using a custom dataset, and show good performance in comparison to current commercial VISLAM alternatives.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Association between infection with H. pylori and atopy in young Ethiopian children: a longitudinal study

Background: Epidemiological evidence from developed countries indicates that Helicobacter pylori infection correlates with a reduced risk of atopy and allergic disorders, however limited data are available from low-income countries. Objective: We examined associations between H. pylori infection in early childhood and atopy and reported allergic disorders at the age of 6.5 years in an Ethiopian birth cohort. Methods: A total of 856 children (85.1% of the 1006 original singletons in a population-based birth cohort) were followed up at age six and half years. An interviewer-led questionnaire administered to mothers provided information on demographic and lifestyle variables. Questions on allergic disease symptoms were based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) core allergy and environmental questionnaire. Serum samples were analysed for total IgE levels and anti-H. pylori cytotoxin associated gene A (CagA) IgG antibody using commercially available ELISA kits. Stool samples were analysed for H. pylori antigen using a rapid immunochromatographic test. The independent effects of H. pylori infection (measured at age 3, 5 and 6.5 years) on prevalence and incidence of atopy and reported allergic disorders (measured at age 6.5 years) were determined using multiple logistic regression. Results: In cross-sectional analysis, current H. pylori infection at age 6.5 years was inversely, though not significantly, related to prevalence of atopy and ‘any allergic condition’ at age 6.5 years. However detection of H. pylori infection at any point up to age 6.5 years was associated with a significantly reduced odds of both atopy and ‘any allergic condition’ (adjusted OR AOR, 95% CI, 0.54; 0.32 to 0.92, p=0.02, and 0.31; 0.10 to 0.94, p=0.04, respectively). In longitudinal analyses, H. pylori infection at age 3 was inversely associated with incidence of atopy (AOR, 95% CI, 0.49; 0.27 to 0.89, p=0.02). Furthermore, among H. pylori infected children, those with a CagA+ strain had a more pronounced reduction in odds of atopy (AOR=0.35 vs. 0.63 for CagA+ vs. CagA-) and this reduction reached borderline significance. Conclusion: These data are consistent with the hypothesis that early exposure to H. pylori is inversely associated with atopy and allergic conditions. A possible modest protective association against atopy was observed in those infected with a more virulent CagA+ strain of H. pylori. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Bakteerien mikrobilääkeherkkyyden tuloksen tulkinta muuttuu

Bakteerien mikrobilääkeherkkyysmäärityksissä herkän (S) ja resistentin (R) tuloksen määritelmät pysyvät ennallaan, mutta välimuotoisesti herkän (I) tuloksen tulkinta on muuttumassa. Jatkossa I-tulos tarkoittaa sitä, että bakteerin aiheuttama infektio on hoidettavissa kyseisellä lääkkeellä, mutta annostuksen on oltava riittävän suuri. Suomessa uusi määritelmä otetaan käyttöön asteittain vuoden 2021 aikana