Automatic Selection of Dynamic Data Partitioning Schemes for Distributed Memory Multicomputers

Coordinated Science Laboratory was formerly known as Control Systems LaboratoryNational Aeronautics and Space Administration / NASA NAG 1-613Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) / DAA-H04-94-G-027

Baseline ultrasound and clinical correlates in children with cystic fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between abdominal ultrasound (US) findings and demographic, historical and clinical features in children with CF. Study design: Children age 3-12 years with CF without known cirrhosis, were enrolled in a prospective, multi-center study of US to predict hepatic fibrosis. Consensus US patterns were assigned by 3 radiologists as normal, heterogeneous, homogeneous, or cirrhosis. Data were derived from direct collection and U.S. or Toronto CF registries. Chi-square or ANOVA were used to compare variables among US groups and between normal and abnormal. Logistic regression was used to study risk factors for having abnormal US. Results: Findings in 719 subjects were normal (n=590, 82.1%), heterogeneous (64, 8.9%), homogeneous (41, 5.7%), and cirrhosis (24, 3.3%). Cirrhosis (p=0.0004), homogeneous (p<0.0001) and heterogeneous (p=0.03) were older than normal. More males were heterogeneous (p=0.001). More heterogeneous (15.0%, p=0.009) and cirrhosis (25.0%, p=0.005) ha

Labeling poststorm coastal imagery for machine learning: measurement of interrater agreement

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Goldstein, E. B., Buscombe, D., Lazarus, E. D., Mohanty, S. D., Rafique, S. N., Anarde, K. A., Ashton, A. D., Beuzen, T., Castagno, K. A., Cohn, N., Conlin, M. P., Ellenson, A., Gillen, M., Hovenga, P. A., Over, J.-S. R., Palermo, R., Ratliff, K. M., Reeves, I. R. B., Sanborn, L. H., Straub, J. A., Taylor, L. A., Wallace E. J., Warrick, J., Wernette, P., Williams, H. E. Labeling poststorm coastal imagery for machine learning: measurement of interrater agreement. Earth and Space Science, 8(9), (2021): e2021EA001896, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EA001896.Classifying images using supervised machine learning (ML) relies on labeled training data—classes or text descriptions, for example, associated with each image. Data-driven models are only as good as the data used for training, and this points to the importance of high-quality labeled data for developing a ML model that has predictive skill. Labeling data is typically a time-consuming, manual process. Here, we investigate the process of labeling data, with a specific focus on coastal aerial imagery captured in the wake of hurricanes that affected the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. The imagery data set is a rich observational record of storm impacts and coastal change, but the imagery requires labeling to render that information accessible. We created an online interface that served labelers a stream of images and a fixed set of questions. A total of 1,600 images were labeled by at least two or as many as seven coastal scientists. We used the resulting data set to investigate interrater agreement: the extent to which labelers labeled each image similarly. Interrater agreement scores, assessed with percent agreement and Krippendorff's alpha, are higher when the questions posed to labelers are relatively simple, when the labelers are provided with a user manual, and when images are smaller. Experiments in interrater agreement point toward the benefit of multiple labelers for understanding the uncertainty in labeling data for machine learning research.The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the U.S. Geological Survey (G20AC00403 to EBG and SDM), NSF (1953412 to EBG and SDM; 1939954 to EBG), Microsoft AI for Earth (to EBG and SDM), The Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2018-282 to EDL and EBG), and an Early Career Research Fellowship from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (to EBG). U.S. Geological Survey researchers (DB, J-SRO, JW, and PW) were supported by the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program as part of the response and recovery efforts under congressional appropriations through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-20; 133 Stat. 871)

Electronic and paper versions of a faces pain intensity scale: concordance and preference in hospitalized children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Assessment of pain in children is an important aspect of pain management and can be performed by observational methods or by self-assessment. The Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) is a self-report tool which has strong positive correlations with other well established self-report pain intensity measures. It has been recommended for measuring pain intensity in school-aged children (4 years and older). The objective of this study is to compare the concordance and the preference for two versions, electronic and paper, of the FPS-R, and to determine whether an electronic version of the FPS-R can be used by children aged 4 and older.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study is an observational, multicenter, randomized, cross-over, controlled, open trial. Medical and surgical patients in two pediatric hospitals (N = 202, age 4-12 years, mean age 8.3 years, 58% male) provided self-reports of their present pain using the FPS-R on a personal digital assistant (PDA) and on a paper version. Paper and electronic versions of the FPS-R were administered by a nurse in a randomized order: half the patients were given the PDA version first and the other half the paper version first. The time between the administrations was planned to be less than 30 minutes but not simultaneous. Two hundred and thirty-seven patients were enrolled; 35 were excluded from analysis because of misunderstanding of instructions or abnormal time between the two assessments.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Final population for analysis comprised 202 children. The overall weighted Kappa was 0.846 (95%CI: 0.795; 0.896) and the Spearman correlation between scores on the two versions was r_s= 0.911 (p < 0.0001). The mean difference of pain scores was less than 0.1 out of 10, which was neither statistically nor clinically significant; 83.2% of children chose the same face on both versions of the FPS-R. Preference was not modified by order, sex, age, hospitalization unit (medical or surgical units), or previous analgesics. The PDA was preferred by 87.4% of the children who expressed a preference.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The electronic version of the FPS-R can be recommended for use with children aged 4 to 12, either in clinical trials or in hospitals to monitor pain intensity.</p

Emerging topics in nanophononics and elastic, acoustic, and mechanical metamaterials:An overview

This broad review summarizes recent advances and “hot” research topics in nanophononics and elastic, acoustic, and mechanical metamaterials based on results presented by the authors at the EUROMECH 610 Colloquium held on April 25–27, 2022 in Benicássim, Spain. The key goal of the colloquium was to highlight important developments in these areas, particularly new results that emerged during the last two years. This work thus presents a “snapshot” of the state-of-the-art of different nanophononics- and metamaterial-related topics rather than a historical view on these subjects, in contrast to a conventional review article. The introduction of basic definitions for each topic is followed by an outline of design strategies for the media under consideration, recently developed analysis and implementation techniques, and discussions of current challenges and promising applications. This review, while not comprehensive, will be helpful especially for early-career researchers, among others, as it offers a broad view of the current state-of-the-art and highlights some unique and flourishing research in the mentioned fields, providing insight into multiple exciting research directions

Science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems

We present the science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. This roadmap was developed within the framework of the European Graphene Flagship and outlines the main targets and research areas as best understood at the start of this ambitious project. We provide an overview of the key aspects of graphene and related materials (GRMs), ranging from fundamental research challenges to a variety of applications in a large number of sectors, highlighting the steps necessary to take GRMs from a state of raw potential to a point where they might revolutionize multiple industries. We also define an extensive list of acronyms in an effort to standardize the nomenclature in this emerging field.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Heterogeneous Liver on Research Ultrasound Identifies Children with Cystic Fibrosis at High Risk of Advanced Liver Disease: Interim Results of a Prospective Observational Case-Controlled Study

Objective: To assess if a heterogeneous pattern on research liver ultrasound examination can identify children at risk for advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) liver disease. Study design: Planned 4-year interim analysis of a 9-year multicenter, case-controlled cohort study (Prospective Study of Ultrasound to Predict Hepatic Cirrhosis in CF). Children with pancreatic insufficient CF aged 3-12 years without known cirrhosis, Burkholderia species infection, or short bowel syndrome underwent a screening research ultrasound examination. Participants with a heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern were matched (by age, Pseudomonas infection status, and center) 1:2 with participants with a normal pattern. Clinical status and laboratory data were obtained annually and research ultrasound examinations biannually. The primary end point was the development of a nodular research ultrasound pattern, a surrogate for advanced CF liver disease. Results: There were 722 participants who underwent screening research ultrasound examination, of which 65 were heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern and 592 normal liver ultrasound pattern. The final cohort included 55 participants with a heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern and 116 participants with a normal liver ultrasound pattern. All participants with at least 1 follow-up research ultrasound were included. There were no differences in age or sex between groups at entry. Alanine aminotransferase (42 ± 22 U/L vs 32 ± 19 U/L; P = .0033), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (36 ± 34 U/L vs 15 ± 8 U/L; P < .001), and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (0.7 ± 0.5 vs 0.4 ± 0.2; P < .0001) were higher in participants with a heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern compared with participants with a normal liver ultrasound pattern. Participants with a heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern had a 9.1-fold increased incidence (95% CI, 2.7-30.8; P = .0004) of nodular pattern vs a normal liver ultrasound pattern (23% in heterogeneous liver ultrasound pattern vs 2.6% in normal liver ultrasound pattern). Conclusions: Research liver ultrasound examinations can identify children with CF at increased risk for developing advanced CF liver disease

Association Between Transient Elastography and Controlled Attenuated Parameter and Liver Ultrasound in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

Methods to identify children with cystic fibrosis (CF) at risk for development of advanced liver disease are lacking. We aim to determine the association between liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with research ultrasound (US) patterns and conventional hepatic markers as a potential means to follow liver disease progression in children with CF. ELASTIC (Longitudinal Assessment of Transient Elastography in CF) is a nested cohort of 141 patients, ages 7-21, enrolled in the Prediction by US of Risk of Hepatic Cirrhosis in CF (PUSH) Study. We studied the association between LSM with research-grade US patterns (normal [NL], heterogeneous [HTG], homogeneous [HMG], or nodular [NOD]) and conventional hepatic markers. In a subgroup (n = 79), the association between controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and US pattern was explored. Among 133 subjects undergoing VCTE, NOD participants (n = 26) had a significantly higher median (interquartile range) LSM of 9.1 kPa (6.3, 15.8) versus NL (n = 72, 5.1 kPa [4.2, 7.0]; P < 0.0001), HMG (n = 17, 5.9 kPa [5.2, 7.8]; P = 0.0013), and HTG (n = 18, 6.1 kPa [4.7, 7.0]; P = 0.0008) participants. HMG participants (n = 14) had a significantly higher mean CAP (SD) (270.5 dB/m [61.1]) compared with NL (n = 40, 218.8 dB/m [46.5]; P = 0.0027), HTG (n = 10, 218.1 dB/m [60.7]; P = 0.044), and NOD (n = 15, 222.7 dB/m [56.4]; P = 0.041) participants. LSM had a negative correlation with platelet count (rs = − 0.28, P = 0.0071) and positive correlation with aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (rs = 0.38, P = 0.0002), Fibrosis-4 index (rs = 0.36, P = 0.0007), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT; rs = 0.35, P = 0.0017), GGT-to-platelet ratio (rs = 0.35, P = 0.003), and US spleen size z-score (rs = 0.27, P = 0.0073). Conclusion: VCTE is associated with US patterns and conventional markers in patients with liver disease with CF

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines, their components or their platforms for pregnant women: A rapid review.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness as well as adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Many countries are vaccinating or considering vaccinating pregnant women with limited available data about the safety of this strategy. Early identification of safety concerns of COVID-19 vaccines, including their components, or their technological platforms is therefore urgently needed. METHODS: We conducted a rapid systematic review, as the first phase of an ongoing full systematic review, to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women, including their components, and their technological platforms (whole virus, protein, viral vector or nucleic acid) used in other vaccines, following the Cochrane methods and the PRISMA statement for reporting (PROSPERO-CRD42021234185).We searched literature databases, COVID-19 and pregnancy registries from inception February 2021 without time or language restriction and explored the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews retrieved. We selected studies of any methodological design that included at least 50 pregnant women or pregnant animals exposed to the vaccines that were selected for review by the COVAX MIWG in August 2020 or their components or platforms included in the COVID-19 vaccines, and evaluated adverse events during pregnancy and the neonatal period.Pairs of reviewers independently selected studies through the COVIDENCE web software and performed the data extraction through a previously piloted online extraction form. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: We identified 6768 records, 256 potentially eligible studies were assessed by full-text, and 37 clinical and non-clinical studies (38 reports, involving 2,397,715 pregnant women and 56 pregnant animals) and 12 pregnancy registries were included.Most studies (89%) were conducted in high-income countries. The most frequent study design was cohort studies (n=21), followed by surveillance studies, randomized controlled trials, and registry analyses. Most studies (76%) allowed comparisons between vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women (n=25) or animals (n=3) and reported exposures during the three trimesters of pregnancy.The most frequent exposure was to AS03 adjuvant in the context of A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccines (n=24), followed by aluminum-based adjuvants (n=11). Aluminum phosphate was used in Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion candidate vaccines (n=3) and Tdap vaccines (n=3). Different aluminum-based adjuvants were used in hepatitis vaccines. The replication-deficient simian adenovirus ChAdOx1 was used for a Rift Valley fever vaccine. Only one study reported exposure to messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines that also used lipid nanoparticles. Except for one preliminary report about A/H1N1 influenza vaccination (adjuvant AS03) - corrected by the authors in a more thorough analysis, all studies concluded that there were no safety concerns. CONCLUSION: This rapid review found no evidence of pregnancy-associated safety concerns of COVID-19 vaccines that were selected for review by the COVAX MIWG or of their components or platforms when used in other vaccines. However, the need for further data on several vaccine platforms and components is warranted given their novelty. Our findings support current WHO guidelines recommending that pregnant women may consider receiving COVID-19 vaccines, particularly if they are at high risk of exposure or have comorbidities that enhance the risk of severe disease

Space Charge at Nanoscale: Probing Injection and Dynamic Phenomena Under Dark/Light Configurations by Using KPFM and C-AFM

International audienc