A scalable PC-based parallel computer for lattice QCD

A PC-based parallel computer for medium/large scale lattice QCD simulations is suggested. The Eotvos Univ., Inst. Theor. Phys. cluster consists of 137 Intel P4-1.7GHz nodes. Gigabit Ethernet cards are used for nearest neighbor communication in a two-dimensional mesh. The sustained performance for dynamical staggered(wilson) quarks on large lattices is around 70(110) GFlops. The exceptional price/performance ratio is below $1/Mflop.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, Lattice2002(machines

Agroecosystem Performances of Livestock Farms in a Mountain Area of Sicily

Agroecosystem performance indicators (APIs) represent instruments for studying agroecosystem performance via an input/output approach and a knowledge base, with the aim of improving the sustainability level of the farm\u27s activity (Tellarini & Caporali, 2000). This research used APIs to evaluate the influence of stocking rate on the performance (in terms of energy) of farms in a mountainous area of northern Sicily, Italy

Changes in physiological and immunological parameters during the peripartum period in Zwerasca sheep

The aim of this study was to provide the picture of the dynamics of some blood parameters in the native Zerasca sheep breed during the peripartum period. Blood samples were collected from peripheral blood of 14 ewes at different times: from 21 d before lambing to 42 d after. Physiological and immunological parameters were evaluated: aspartate-aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, non-esterified fatty acids, total protein, total antioxidant capacity, free radicals, serum bactericidal activity and serum lysozyme. One-way repeated measures ANOVA test was performed. Results showed a significant influence of the peripartum and the deviation from the normal range on many parameters

redesign and manufacturing of a metal towing hook via laser additive manufacturing with powder bed

Abstract An approach to redesign and manufacture a metal towing hook via Selective Laser Melting is discussed. Some reference criteria and general guidelines are considered step-by-step to concurrently address lightening, manufacturability and job planning. Grounds are given for the application of Additive Manufacturing for complex components to the purpose of material saving and increased safety factor

'Will the Paris Agreement protect us from hydro-meteorological extremes?'

Multi-hazard assessment is needed to understand compound risk. Yet, modelling of multiple climate hazards has been limitedly applied at the global scale to date. Here we provide a first comprehensive assessment of global population exposure to hydro-meteorological extremes—floods, drought and heatwaves—under different temperature increase targets. This study shows how limiting temperature increase to 1.5 and 2 °C, as for the goals of the Paris Agreement, could substantially decrease the share of global population exposed compared to a 3 °C scenario. In a 2 °C world, population exposure would drop by more than 50%, in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and by about 40% in Europe and Oceania. A 1.5 °C stabilization would further reduce exposure of about an additional 10% to 30% across the globe. As the Parties of the Paris Agreement are expected to communicate new or updated nationally determined contributions by 2020, our results powerfully indicate the benefits of ratcheting up both mitigation and adaptation ambition

GridCertLib: a Single Sign-on Solution for Grid Web Applications and Portals

This paper describes the design and implementation of GridCertLib, a Java library leveraging a Shibboleth-based authentication infrastructure and the SLCS online certificate signing service, to provide short-lived X.509 certificates and Grid proxies. The main use case envisioned for GridCertLib, is to provide seamless and secure access to Grid/X.509 certificates and proxies in web applications and portals: when a user logs in to the portal using Shibboleth authentication, GridCertLib can automatically obtain a Grid/X.509 certificate from the SLCS service and generate a VOMS proxy from it. We give an overview of the architecture of GridCertLib and briefly describe its programming model. Its application to some deployment scenarios is outlined, as well as a report on practical experience integrating GridCertLib into portals for Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry applications, based on the popular P-GRADE and Django softwares.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figure; final manuscript accepted for publication by the "Journal of Grid Computing

Serological survey for mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in free-living wild boars from Campos Gerais region, Paraná, Brasil.

The south region of Brazil was responsible for 80.3% of total pork meat export in the country in 2015 (2), with the state of Paraná accountable for 21% of the total pork meat production in that year. Pig farming represented 5.7% of the agricultural gross income of the state in 2016, and the Campos Gerais region accounted for 13.2% of that amount (2). Wild boars are the result of crossbreeding between boars (Sus scrofa scrofa) and domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus). The total population of free-living wild boars in Brazil is unknown (11), but sightings are common in the crop fields and near livestock farms of different regions of Paraná state, including in Campos Gerais (9). The health status of pig herds is important in terms of maintenance and growth of pork production and exports and there are evidences that domestic pigs and wild boars share vulnerabilities in certain viral and bacterial pathogen infections (12). Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) is a bacterial pathogen that causes porcine enzootic pneumonia, an economically important disease that affects both domestic pigs and wild boars. Mhyo was first isolated in 1965, simultaneously in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the United States of America (USA) (3; 7). Economic losses related to this pathogen and mycoplasmal pneumonia in pig herds are associated with decreased feed efficiency, reduced average of the daily weight gain, and increased medication costs. Thus, knowing the health status of free-living wild boars in the regards of this pathogen is important for the biosecurity of the pork production. The aim of this study was to investigate antibodies against Mhyo in serum samples of free-living wild boars in Campos Gerais region