Exploiting asynchrony from exact forward recovery for DUE in iterative solvers

This paper presents a method to protect iterative solvers from Detected and Uncorrected Errors (DUE) relying on error detection techniques already available in commodity hardware. Detection operates at the memory page level, which enables the use of simple algorithmic redundancies to correct errors. Such redundancies would be inapplicable under coarse grain error detection, but become very powerful when the hardware is able to precisely detect errors. Relations straightforwardly extracted from the solver allow to recover lost data exactly. This method is free of the overheads of backwards recoveries like checkpointing, and does not compromise mathematical convergence properties of the solver as restarting would do. We apply this recovery to three widely used Krylov subspace methods, CG, GMRES and BiCGStab, and their preconditioned versions. We implement our resilience techniques on CG considering scenarios from small (8 cores) to large (1024 cores) scales, and demonstrate very low overheads compared to state-of-the-art solutions. We deploy our recovery techniques either by overlapping them with algorithmic computations or by forcing them to be in the critical path of the application. A trade-off exists between both approaches depending on the error rate the solver is suffering. Under realistic error rates, overlapping decreases overheads from 5.37% down to 3.59% for a non-preconditioned CG on 8 cores.This work has been partially supported by the European Research Council under the European Union's 7th FP, ERC Advanced Grant 321253, and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under grant TIN2012-34557. L. Jaulmes has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports under grant FPU2013/06982. M. Moreto has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellowship JCI-2012-15047. M. Casas has been partially supported by the Secretary for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia and the Co-fund programme of the Marie Curie Actions of the European Union's 7th FP (contract 2013 BP B 00243).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Measuring the impact and costs of a universal group based parenting programme : protocol and implementation of a trial

Background Sub-optimal parenting is a common risk factor for a wide range of negative health, social and educational outcomes. Most parenting programmes have been developed in the USA in the context of delinquency prevention for targeted or indicated groups and the main theoretical underpinning for these programmes is behaviour management. The Family Links Nurturing Programme (FLNP) focuses on family relationships as well as behaviour management and is offered on a universal basis. As a result it may be better placed to improve health and educational outcomes. Developed in the UK voluntary sector, FLNP is popular with practitioners, has impressed policy makers throughout the UK, has been found to be effective in before/after and qualitative studies, but lacks a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence base. Methods/Design A multi-centre, investigator blind, randomised controlled trial of the FLNP with a target sample of 288 south Wales families who have a child aged 2-4 yrs living in or near to Flying Start/Sure Start areas. Changes in parenting, parent child relations and parent and child wellbeing are assessed with validated measures immediately and at 6 months post intervention. Economic components include cost consequences and cost utility analyses based on parental ranking of states of quality of life. Attendance and completion rates and fidelity to the FLNP course delivery are assessed. A nested qualitative study will assess reasons for participation and non-participation and the perceived value of the programme to families. By the end of May 2010, 287 families have been recruited into the trial across four areas of south Wales. Recruitment has not met the planned timescales with barriers including professional anxiety about families entering the control arm of the trial, family concern about video and audio recording, programme facilitator concern about the recording of FLNP sessions for fidelity purposes and delays due to the new UK research governance procedures. Discussion Whilst there are strong theoretical arguments to support universal provision of parenting programmes, few universal programmes have been subjected to randomised controlled trials. In this paper we describe a RCT protocol with quantitative and qualitative outcome measures and an economic evaluation designed to provide clear evidence with regard to effectiveness and costs. We describe challenges implementing the protocol and how we are addressing these

Compulsive buying behavior: Re‐evaluating its dimensions and screening

Despite the significant research in the consumer behavior literature on compulsive buying behavior (CBB), there is still no general agreement about the dimensionality or diagnostic screening of the disorder. Previous studies have identified two principal dimensions: compulsivity and impulsivity, although more recent strands of theory characterize CBB with reference to loss of self‐control and behavioral addiction. This study challenges the impulsive–compulsive paradigm by validating a new model with compulsive and self‐control impaired spending dimensions. The model more closely reflects the disorder's ego‐dystonic character, routed in an anxiety‐based reactive mechanism with uncontrollable buying and an inability to rationalize the behavior and its consequences. The study also develops and cross‐validates a new seven‐item CBB screening tool, using a comparative analysis with three existing screeners and an independent sample. The findings indicate that compulsive buying results from both compulsive and self‐control impaired impulsive elements, which are characteristic of behavioural addiction

The use of hydrothermal methods in the synthesis of novel open-framework materials

The preparation of inorganic compounds, exhibiting open-framework structures, by hydrothermal methods has been presented. To illustrate the efficacy of this approach, few select examples encompassing a wide variety and diversity in the structures have been provided. In all the cases, good quality single crystals were obtained, which were used for the elucidation of the structure. In the first example, simple inorganic network compounds based on phosphite and arsenate are described. In the second example, inorganic-organic hybrid compounds involving phosphite/arsenate along with oxalate units are presented. In the third example, new coordination polymers with interesting structures are given. The examples presented are representative of the type and variety of compounds one can prepare by careful choice of the reaction conditions

Comparative genomics of European Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC)

Background Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis, which results in significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. However, the diversity between isolates remains poorly understood. Here, a total of 272 APEC isolates collected from the United Kingdom (UK), Italy and Germany were characterised using multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) targeting 22 equally weighted factors covering virulence genes, R-type and phylogroup. Following these analysis, 95 of the selected strains were further analysed using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). Results The most prevalent phylogroups were B2 (47%) and A1 (22%), although there were national differences with Germany presenting group B2 (35.3%), Italy presenting group A1 (53.3%) and UK presenting group B2 (56.1%) as the most prevalent. R-type R1 was the most frequent type (55%) among APEC, but multiple R-types were also frequent (26.8%). Following compilation of all the PCR data which covered a total of 15 virulence genes, it was possible to build a similarity tree using each PCR result unweighted to produce 9 distinct groups. The average number of virulence genes was 6-8 per isolate, but no positive association was found between phylogroup and number or type of virulence genes. A total of 95 isolates representing each of these 9 groupings were genome sequenced and analysed for in silico serotype, Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The UK isolates showed the greatest variability in terms of serotype and MLST compared with German and Italian isolates, whereas the lowest prevalence of AMR was found for German isolates. Similarity trees were compiled using sequencing data and notably single nucleotide polymorphism data generated ten distinct geno-groups. The frequency of geno-groups across Europe comprised 26.3% belonging to Group 8 representing serogroups O2, O4, O18 and MLST types ST95, ST140, ST141, ST428, ST1618 and others, 18.9% belonging to Group 1 (serogroups O78 and MLST types ST23, ST2230), 15.8% belonging to Group 10 (serogroups O8, O45, O91, O125ab and variable MLST types), 14.7% belonging to Group 7 (serogroups O4, O24, O35, O53, O161 and MLST type ST117) and 13.7% belonging to Group 9 (serogroups O1, O16, O181 and others and MLST types ST10, ST48 and others). The other groups (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) each contained relatively few strains. However, for some of the genogroups (e.g. groups 6 and 7) partial overlap with SNPs grouping and PCR grouping (matching PCR groups 8 (13 isolates on 22) and 1 (14 isolates on 16) were observable). However, it was not possible to obtain a clear correlation between genogroups and unweighted PCR groupings. This may be due to the genome plasticity of E. coli that enables strains to carry the same virulence factors even if the overall genotype is substantially different. Conclusions The conclusion to be drawn from the lack of correlations is that firstly, APEC are very diverse and secondly, it is not possible to rely on any one or more basic molecular or phenotypic tests to define APEC with clarity, reaffirming the need for whole genome analysis approaches which we describe here. This study highlights the presence of previously unreported serotypes and MLSTs for APEC in Europe. Moreover, it is a first step on a cautious reconsideration of the merits of classical identification criteria such as R typing, phylogrouping and serotyping

Estimación de captura de carbono en parques urbanos del corregimiento de Rufina Alfaro, Panamá

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) has gained importance in the last decade; large quantities of this toxic gas are stored in the atmosphere, altering the daily life of people and contributing to global warming. Due to the above, this research focused on estimating the carbon in the biomass present in the trees of three parks in the Rufina Alfaro district, Panama City, and an inventory of parks and biomass was also elaborated. The estimation of biomass carbon sequestration was carried out through a forest inventory, where the tree species were identified, as well as the parks within the township with the highest carbon sequestration. To disseminate the results to community members and decision-makers, QR codes were created and placed on each tree, with information on the species, family, and carbon sequestration of the tree. The study area was delimited with the Google Earth application and the PictureThis tool was used to identify the species. With these data we proceeded to calculate the biomass area and the estimate of carbon sequestration, using the indirect method of Weissert, 2014. The biomass inventory of these 3 parks gave us a total of 162 trees. A total of 11 species and 10 tree families were obtained. The carbon sequestration estimate is 8,884.88 kg tons. The results of this research are a useful tool for decision-makers to develop better conservation measures for urban parks or to promote better practices for the sustainable development of urban communities.El Dióxido de Carbono (CO2) ha tomado importancia en esta década, grandes cantidades de este gas tóxico se almacenan en la atmósfera, alterando la vida cotidiana de las personas y contribuyendo al calentamiento global. Esta investigación se enfocó en realizar una estimación de carbono de la biomasa en tres parques del corregimiento Rufina Alfaro, Ciudad de Panamá. Se elaboró un inventario de parques y biomasa, la estimación de captura de carbono, se realizó a través de un inventario forestal; logrando identificar las especies de árboles y los parques con mayor captura de carbono. Para la divulgación de los resultados hacia los miembros de la comunidad, se crearon códigos QR, los cuales fueron colocados en cada árbol, con información sobre la especie, la familia y la captura de carbono. El área de estudio se delimitó con la aplicación Google Earth, y para la identificación de las especies de los árboles, se utilizó la herramienta PictureThis. Para el cálculo de la biomasa aérea y la estimación de captura de carbono, se empleó el método indirecto de Weissert, 2014. El inventariado de estos tres parques nos dio un total de 162 árboles, se encontraron 11 especies y 10 familias de árboles. La estimación de captura de carbono total fue de 8,884.88 kg toneladas. Los resultados de esta investigación son una herramienta útil, para que los tomadores de decisiones de la comunidad puedan elaborar mejores medidas de conservación y promuevan mejores prácticas para el desarrollo sostenible de los parques urbanos

Early postoperative risk stratification in patients with pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background: Early stratification of postoperative pancreatic fistula according to severity and/or need for invasive intervention may improve outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy. This study aimed to identify the early postoperative variables that may predict postoperative pancreatic fistula severity.Methods: All patients diagnosed with biochemical leak and clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula based on drain fluid amylase >300 U/L on the fifth postoperative day after pancreaticoduodenectomy were identified from a consecutive cohort from Birmingham, UK. Demographics, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative laboratory results on postoperative days 1 through 7 were retrospectively extracted. Independent predictors of clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula were identified using multivariable binary logistic regression and converted into a risk score, which was applied to an external cohort from Verona, Italy. Results: The Birmingham cohort had 187 patients diagnosed with postoperative pancreatic fistula (biochemical leak: 99, clinically relevant: 88). In clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula pa-tients, the leak became clinically relevant at a median of 9 days (interquartile range: 6-13) after pan-creaticoduodenectomy. Male sex (P = .002), drain fluid amylase-postoperative day 3 (P < .001), c-reactive protein postoperative day 3 (P < .001), and albumin-postoperative day 3 (P = .028) were found to be sig-nificant predictors of clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula on multivariable analysis. The multivariable model was converted into a risk score with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78 (standard error: 0.038). This score significantly predicted the need for invasive intervention (postoperative pancreatic fistula grades B3 and C) in the Verona cohort (n = 121; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.68; standard error = 0.06; P =.006) but did not predict clinically relevant -postoperative pancreatic fistula when grades B1 and B2 were included (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.52; standard error = 0.07; P = .802). Conclusion: We developed a novel risk score based on early postoperative laboratory values that can accurately predict higher grades of clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula requiring invasive intervention. Early identification of severe postoperative pancreatic fistula may allow earlier intervention. Crown Copyright (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Clinical and morphological characteristics of head-facial haemangiomas

BACKGROUND: Haemangiomas of the head or face are a frequent vascular pathology, consisting in an embryonic dysplasia that involves the cranial-facial vascular network. Haemangiomas show clinical, morphological, developmental and structural changes during their course. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of head-facial haemagiomas were studied in 28 individuals (9 males and 19 females) admitted in our Hospital. Sixteen of these patients(n = 16) underwent surgery for the removal of the haemangiomas. All the removed tissues were transferred in experimental laboratories for the staining of microanatomical details, somatic and visceral nerve fibres, adrenergic and catecholaminergic nerve fibres. Beta-adrenergic receptors were died with a fluorescent method. All results were submitted to the quantitative analysis of images and statistical evaluation of the data. RESULTS: The morphological results revealed numerous micro-anatomical characteristics of the haemangiomatous vessels. The somatic and visceral nerve fibres were poor and located exclusively in the adventitial layer. There was a marked decrease of adrenergic nerve fibres in the haemangiomatous vessels. The fluorescence of catecholaminergic nerve fibres and the overall area of fluorescent structures were also decreased in haemangiomatous vessels. Beta adrenergic receptors are strongly decreased in haemangiomatous vessels. The morphometrical analysis of images and statistical evaluation of the data confirmed all our experimental results. CONCLUSION: The catecholaminergic innervation of the human haemangiomatous vessels comprises nerve fibres containing the main catecholaminergic neurotransmitters that are sympathetic in nature. These neurotransmitters are closely related to beta-adrenergic receptors. The sympathetic nervous system plays a key role in the control of the vascular bed flow and vascular motility in both normal and haemangiomatous vessels