Using the Sirocco File System for high-bandwidth checkpoints.

The Sirocco File System, a file system for exascale under active development, is designed to allow the storage software to maximize quality of service through increased flexibility and local decision-making. By allowing the storage system to manage a range of storage targets that have varying speeds and capacities, the system can increase the speed and surety of storage to the application. We instrument CTH to use a group of RAM-based Sirocco storage servers allocated within the job as a high-performance storage tier to accept checkpoints, allowing computation to potentially continue asynchronously of checkpoint migration to slower, more permanent storage. The result is a 10-60x speedup in constructing and moving checkpoint data from the compute nodes. This demonstration of early Sirocco functionality shows a significant benefit for a real I/O workload, checkpointing, in a real application, CTH. By running Sirocco storage servers within a job as RAM-only stores, CTH was able to store checkpoints 10-60x faster than storing to PanFS, allowing the job to continue computing sooner. While this prototype did not include automatic data migration, the checkpoint was available to be pushed or pulled to disk-based storage as needed after the compute nodes continued computing. Future developments include the ability to dynamically spawn Sirocco nodes to absorb checkpoints, expanding this mechanism to other fast tiers of storage like flash memory, and sharing of dynamic Sirocco nodes between multiple jobs as needed

Uridine-derived ribose fuels glucose-restricted pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal disease notoriously resistant to therap

Stepping Up The Pressure: Arousal Can Be Associated With A Reduction In Male Aggression

The attentional myopia model of behavioral control [Mann and Ward, 2007] was tested in an experiment investigating the relationship between physiological arousal and aggression. Drawing on previous work linking arousal and narrowed attentional focus, the model predicts that arousal will lead to behavior that is relatively disinhibited in situations in which promoting pressures to aggress are highly salient. In situations in which inhibitory pressures are more salient, the model predicts behavior that is relatively restrained. In the experiment, 81 male undergraduates delivered noise-blasts against a provoking confederate while experiencing either high or low levels of physiological arousal and, at the same time, being exposed to cues that served either to promote or inhibit aggression. In addition to supporting the predictions of the model, this experiment provided some of the first evidence for enhanced control of aggression under conditions of heightened physiological arousal. Implications for interventions designed to reduce aggression are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 34:584–592, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Observational Constraints on the Ages of Molecular Clouds and the Star-Formation Timescale: Ambipolar-Diffusion--Controlled or Turbulence-Induced Star Formation?

We revisit the problem of the star formation timescale and the ages of molecular clouds. The apparent overabundance of star-forming molecular clouds over clouds without active star formation has been thought to indicate that molecular clouds are "short-lived" and that star formation is "rapid". We show that this statistical argument lacks self-consistency and, even within the rapid star-formation scenario, implies cloud lifetimes of approximately 10 Myr. We discuss additional observational evidence from external galaxies that indicate lifetimes of molecular clouds and a timescale of star formation of approximately 10 Myr . These long cloud lifetimes in conjunction with the rapid (approximately 1 Myr) decay of supersonic turbulence present severe difficulties for the scenario of turbulence-controlled star formation. By contrast, we show that all 31 existing observations of objects for which the linewidth, the size, and the magnetic field strength have been reliably measured are in excellent quantitative agreement with the predictions of the ambipolar-diffusion theory. Within the ambipolar-diffusion-controlled star formation theory the linewidths may be attributed to large-scale non-radial cloud oscillations (essentially standing large-amplitude, long-wavelength Alfven waves), and the predicted relation between the linewidth, the size, and the magnetic field is a natural consequence of magnetic support of self-gravitating clouds.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, uses emulateapj; accepted for publication in Ap

String Necklaces and Primordial Black Holes from Type IIB Strings

We consider a model of static cosmic string loops in type IIB string theory, where the strings wrap cycles within the internal space. The strings are not topologically stabilised, however the presence of a lifting potential traps the windings giving rise to kinky cycloops. We find that PBH formation occurs at early times in a small window, whilst at late times we observe the formation of dark matter relics in the scaling regime. This is in stark contrast to previous predictions based on field theoretic models. We also consider the PBH contribution to the mass density of the universe, and use the experimental data to impose bounds on the string theory parameters.Comment: 45 pages, 9 figures, LaTeX; published versio

Pickleball for Inactive Mid-Life and Older Adults in Rural Utah: A Feasibility Study

Many diseases, disabilities, and mental health conditions associated with aging can be delayed or prevented through regular exercise. Several barriers to exercise, many of which are exacerbated in rural communities, prevent mid-life and older adults from accessing its benefits. However, recently, a racquet sport named pickleball has become popular among older adults, and it appears to overcome some of these barriers. We conducted a feasibility study to evaluate the impact of a six-week pickleball intervention on measures of muscle function, cognitive function, perceived pain, and cardio-metabolic risk, as well as several psychosocial factors contributing to adherence in sedentary rural participants. Participants improved their vertical jump, cognitive performance, and reported a decrease in self-reported pain, suggesting improved physical and cognitive health across the sample. Participants also reported high levels of satisfaction and demonstrated good adherence over the duration of the study. Perhaps of greatest value was the overwhelmingly positive response from participants to the intervention and follow-up interviews reporting a desire to continue pickleball play beyond the study period. Overall, pickleball appears to be a promising intervention to, (1) elicit functional- and cognitive-related improvements, and (2) motivate mid-life and older adults to adhere to exercise sufficiently long to benefit their health

Factors Associated with Suicide Ideation in Severely Obese Bariatric Surgery‐Seeking Individuals

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/93709/1/j.1943-278X.2012.00110.x.pd

HPV, tumour metabolism and novel target identification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background Metabolic changes in tumour cells are used in clinical imaging and may provide potential therapeutic targets. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status is important in classifying head and neck cancers (HNSCC), identifying a distinct clinical phenotype; metabolic differences between these HNSCC subtypes remain poorly understood. Methods We used RNA sequencing to classify the metabolic expression profiles of HPV+ve and HPV−ve HNSCC, performed a meta-analysis on FDG-PET imaging characteristics and correlated results with in vitro extracellular flux analysis of HPV−ve and HPV+ve HNSCC cell lines. The monocarboxylic acid transporter-1 (MCT1) was identified as a potential metabolic target and tested in functional assays. Results Specific metabolic profiles were associated with HPV status, not limited to carbohydrate metabolism. There was dominance of all energy pathways in HPV-negative disease, with elevated expression of genes associated with glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. In vitro analysis confirmed comparative increased rates of oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis in HPV-negative cell lines. PET SUV(max) scores however were unable to reliably differentiate between HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumours. MCT1 expression was significantly increased in HPV-negative tumours, and inhibition suppressed tumour cell invasion, colony formation and promoted radiosensitivity. Conclusion HPV-positive and negative HNSCC have different metabolic profiles which may have potential therapeutic applications

Engaging Communities in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia: A Collaborative Approach to Modelling Marine Plastic Debris through Open Science and Online Visualization

Marine litter poses a complex challenge in Indonesia, necessitating a well-informed and coordinated strategy for effective mitigation. This study investigates the seasonality of plastic concentrations around Sulawesi Island in central Indonesia during the monsoon-driven wet and dry seasons. By using open data and methodologies including the HYCOM and Parcels models, we simulated the dispersal of plastic waste over three months during both the southwest and northeast monsoons. Our research extended beyond data analysis, as we actively engaged with local communities, researchers, and policymakers through a range of outreach initiatives, including the development of a web application to visualize model results. Our findings underscore the substantial influence of monsoon-driven currents on surface plastic concentrations, highlighting the seasonal variation in the risk to different regional seas. This study adds to the evidence provided by coarser resolution regional ocean modelling studies, emphasizing that seasonality is a key driver of plastic pollution within the Indonesian archipelago. Inclusive international collaboration and a community-oriented approach were integral to our project, and we recommend that future initiatives similarly engage researchers, local communities, and decision-makers in marine litter modelling results. This study will work to support in the application of model results in solutions to the marine litter problem