bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gain-of-function
IKZF1
variants in humans cause immune dysregulation associated with abnormal T/B cell late differentiation
Authors: Hoshino Akihiro , Boutboul David , Zhang Yuan , Kuehn Hye Sun , Hadjadj Jerôme , Özdemir Nihal , Celkan Tiraje , Walz Christoph , Picard Capucine , Lenoir Christelle , Mahlaoui Nizar , Klein Christoph , Peng Xiao , Azar Antoine , Reigh Erin , Cheminant Morgane , Fischer Alain , Rieux-Laucat Frédéric , Callebaut Isabelle , Hauck Fabian , Milner Joshua , Rosenzweig Sergio D. , Latour Sylvain
Published: March 2022

IKZF1/IKAROS is a key transcription factor of lymphocyte development expressed throughout hematopoiesis. Heterozygous germline
IKZF1
haploinsufficient (
IKZF1
HI
) and dominant-negative (
IKZF1
DN
) variants in humans cause B cell immune deficiency and combined immunodeficiency. Here, we identified previously unidentified heterozygous
IKZF1
variants (R183C/H) located in the DNA binding domain in eight individuals with inflammatory, autoimmune, allergic symptoms, and abnormal plasma cell (PC) proliferation. Leukocytes of patients exhibited specific defects including impaired IL-2 production by T cells, T helper (T
H
) skewing toward T
H
2, low numbers of regulatory T cells (T
reg
), eosinophilia, and abnormal PC proliferation. In contrast to IKZF1
HI
and IKZF1
DN
, IKZF1
R183H/C
proteins showed increased DNA binding associated with increased gene expression of T
H
2 and PC differentiation, thus demonstrating that
IKZF1
R183H/C
behave as gain-of-function (GOF) alleles. In vitro treatment with lenalidomide, known to degrade IKZF1, corrected T
H
2 and PC abnormalities caused by IKZF1
R183H/C
. These data extend the spectrum of pathological mechanisms associated with
IKZF1
deficiencies and highlight the role of IKZF1 in late lymphoid differentiation stages.
Supplemental Material: The problem of paleo-planforms
Authors: Lyster Sinead , al. et
Published: March 2022

Extended methodological details, information on dataset compilation and how to access the dataset, and a list of field localities.
Supplemental Material: Geochemical evidence for incorporation of subducting sediment-derived melts into the mantle source of Paleozoic high-Mg andesites from northwestern Tianshan in western China
Authors: Ma Li-Tao , Dai Li-Qun , al. et
Published: March 2022

Figures S1–S7 and Tables S1–S7.
Understanding how food safety risk perception influences dietary decision making among women in Phenom Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a qualitative study
Authors: Brown Sydney Morgan , Nguyen-Viet Hung , Grace Delia , Ty Chhay , Samkol Pok , Sokchea Huy , Pov Son , Young Melissa F
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To determine women’s perception of the risk of food safety and how it relates to diet, health and decision making as part of formative research for a market-based intervention that aims to improve the safety of animal-source foods sold in informal markets.

Design

Qualitative study including in-depth personal interviews with 24 caregivers were conducted and complemented with a second follow-up PhotoVoice interview, which allowed the women to photograph their meals and perceptions of food safety and nutrition. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis in MAXQDA. Participants were purposively sampled from a larger Safe Food, Fair Food for Cambodia study, conducted from May to August 2018.

Setting

Urban and periurban neighborhoods of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Participants

24 female caregivers (mothers and grandmothers) of children under age 5, each interviewed twice.

Findings

A primary food safety concern expressed was that chemicals (pesticides and other agricultural additives) in animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables may impact the health of their families by causing diarrhoea and problems during pregnancy. This fear created a lack of trust in markets, which influenced their food purchasing behaviours and strategies for making the food safer for their families. These mitigation strategies, including food selection and cleaning, vary among the women but are perceived as important to be able to provide their families with what they define as safe meals.

Conclusions

Interventions that wish to decrease rates of foodborne illness and increase animal source food consumption should also address the belief that the food system has been compromised by the addition of pesticides and agricultural additives.
Effects of tai chi and qigong on rehabilitation after COVID-19: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Ren J G , Guo J L , An Lin , Li Shuang , Zhang Z C , Chen Yan , Liu Hui , Lei Xiao
Published: March 2022

Introduction

COVID-19 is a public health emergency of international concern, which is characterised by rapid and widespread transmission, high mortality and complications. Several studies have shown the benefits of tai chi and qigong for recovery after COVID-19; however, no meta-analysis has been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tai chi and/or qigong on rehabilitation after COVID-19 through a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide a reference and basis for clinical application.

Methods and analysis

This study will use the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Knowledge Network, China Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database and Wanfang Database. The time period is from the inception of the database to November 2021, with no language restrictions. Searches will be conducted using the subject terms “Taichi”,“Qigong” and “COVID-19” plus free-text words. Articles will be screened and collected by two reviewers independently. Included studies will be assessed for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Revman V.5.3 software. The primary outcomes include 1-second forced expiratory volume and 1-second forced vital capacity, oxygen saturation, total white cell count and quality of life score. Secondary outcomes include time to remission of major symptoms, incidence of adverse events, clinical cure rate and mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will also be used to explore and interpret the heterogeneity. This protocol is written based on the guideline of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocol.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval and consent are unnecessary because no primary data will be collected. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021288962.
Efficacy and safety of endovascular therapy versus surgical clipping for patients with unruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysms
Authors: Luo Junjie , Wang Chengmou , Dai Yongjian , Chen Xin , Tian Xuecheng , Lin Yi , Qu Xinguo
Published: March 2022

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endovascular therapy versus neurosurgical clipping carried out for patients with unruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysms (MCABAs). Patients diagnosed with MCABAs were enrolled in this prospective study according to the inclusion and exclusion standard. Enrolled patients were divided into a study group (endovascular therapy) and a control group (neurosurgical clipping), with 65 cases in each group. In terms of efficacy, we found that the proportion of Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) grade 1 after treatment in the study group was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.001), while the proportion of GOS grades 2, 3, and 4 after treatment was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (p<0.05). The postoperative brain injury indicators neuron-specific enolase and S100β in the study group were significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.001), and the postoperative life activity score of patients in the study group was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.001). In terms of safety, the postoperative hospital stay of patients in the study group was significantly shorter than in the control group (p<0.001), and the incidence rate of postoperative pulmonary and intracranial infections in the study group was significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.05). Endovascular therapy for patients with unruptured MCABAs may be effective in improving outcomes and has better safety profile compared with neurosurgical clipping, but may increase the risk of postoperative recurrence.
Detectable universes inside regular black holes
Authors: Roupas Zacharias
Published: March 2022

While spacetime in the vicinity outside astrophysical black holes is believed to be well understood, the event horizon and the interior remain elusive. Here, we discover a degenerate infinite spectrum of novel general relativity solutions with the same mass-energy and entropy that describe a dark energy universe inside an astrophysical black hole. This regular cosmological black hole is stabilized by a finite tangential pressure applied on the dual cosmological-black hole event horizon, localized up to a quantum indeterminacy. We recover the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy formula from the classical fluid entropy, calculated at a Tolman temperature equal to the cosmological horizon temperature. We further calculate its gravitational quasi-normal modes. We find that cosmological black holes are detectable by gravitational-wave experiments operating within the$$\mu \mathrm{Hz}$$μHz–$$\mathrm{Hz}$$Hzrange, like LISA space-interferometer.
More Efficient Parallel Integer Sorting
Authors: Han Yijie , He Xin
Published: March 2022

We present a more efficient CREW PRAM algorithm for integer sorting. This algorithm sorts [Formula: see text] integers in [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] time and [Formula: see text] operations. It also sorts [Formula: see text] integers in [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] time and [Formula: see text] operations. Previous best algorithm [15] on both cases has time complexity [Formula: see text] but operation complexity [Formula: see text].
The Comparison, Analysis and Circuit Implementation of the Chaotic Systems
Authors: Yan Shaohui , Wang Qiyu , Sun Xi , Wang Ertong , Song Zhenlong , Shi Wanlin
Published: March 2022

A four-dimensional chaotic system with complex dynamical properties is constructed. The complexity of the system was evaluated by equilibrium point, Lyapunov exponential spectrum and bifurcation model. The coexistence of Lyapunov exponential spectrum and bifurcation model proves the coexistence of attractors. [Formula: see text] and SE complexity algorithms are used to compare and analyze the corresponding complexity characteristics of the system, and the most complex integer-order system is obtained. In addition, the circuit to switch between different chaotic attractors is novel. In particular, more complex parameters are selected for the fractional-order chaotic system through the analysis of parameter complexity, and the rich dynamics of the system are analyzed. Experimental results based on Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) platform verify the feasibility of the system. Finally, the most complex integer-order system is compared with its corresponding fractional-order system in image encryption, so that the fractional-order system has a better application prospect.
An Improved Multi Objective Mayfly Algorithm for Solving Optimal Power Flow Problem Considering Different Loading Conditions
Authors: Ramesh S. , Vijaya Bhaskar K. , Karunanithi K. , Ettappan M. , Chandrasekar P. , Raja S. P.
Published: March 2022

This paper presents an improved multi-objective mayfly algorithm (IMOMA) to resolve the optimal power flow (OPF) problem in a regulated power system network with different loading conditions. The OPF problem, considered a multi-objective optimization problem, comprises multiple objective functions related to economic, technical, operational and security aspects. The IMOMA algorithm has been developed by implementing the simulated binary crossover (SBX), polynomial mutation and dynamic crowding distance (DCD) operators in the original multi-objective mayfly algorithm (MOMA).The OPF problem is analyzed by considering multiple objective functions in the IEEE30-bus test system, the IEEE118-bus test system and the 62-bus Indian utility system. The hypervolume performance metric is used to compare the performance of the MOMA and IMOMA with respect to different operating scenarios. Further, loading conditions ranging between 150% and 50% of the base load are considered for the evaluation. The effectiveness of the IMOMA over the MOMA is observed from the results of the different loads. The best compromise solution is obtained from a set of pareto optimal solutions by implementing the TOPSIS method.
Instantaneous Lane-Changing Type Aware Lane Change Prediction Based on LSTM in Mixed Traffic Scenario
Authors: Gao Kai , Li Xunhao , Hu Lin , Yan Di , Luo Binren , Du Ronghua
Published: March 2022

With the rapid development and application of autonomous technology in vehicles, we are going to see more autonomous vehicles on the roads in a foreseeable future. While autonomous vehicles may have the advantage of reducing traffic accidents caused by human drivers’ neglect and/or fatigue, one of the challenges is how to develop autonomous driving algorithms such that autonomous vehicles can be safely deployed in a mixed traffic environment with both autonomous vehicles and human-driven vehicles. Instantaneous lane-changing type may be significantly different for human drivers, which would lead to traffic accidents with other vehicles including autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we propose a resilient algorithm for the prediction of the human driver’s lane-changing behaviors. The proposed algorithm uses a long-short term memory (LSTM) classifier to identify the conservative lane change and the aggressive lane changing and accordingly makes the accurate prediction on lane changes in the driving of vehicles by human drivers. The proposed method provides a useful addition in facilitating the design of more advanced driving algorithms for autonomous vehicles. Using the vehicle trajectory data in the NGSIM data set for a large number of simulations, the effectiveness of this method has been confirmed.
On global defensive k-alliances in zero-divisor graphs of finite commutative rings
Authors: Bennis Driss , Alaoui Brahim El , Ouarghi Khalid
Published: March 2022

The global defensive [Formula: see text]-alliance is a very well-studied notion in graph theory, it provides a method of classification of graphs based on relations between members of a particular set of vertices. In this paper, we explore this notion in zero-divisor graph of commutative rings. The established results generalize and improve recent work by Muthana and Mamouni who treated a particular case for [Formula: see text] known by the global defensive alliance. Various examples are also provided which illustrate and delimit the scope of the established results.
A Modular Working Vessel Decision Support System for Fuel Consumption Reduction
Authors: Sørensen Jan Corfixen , Lutzen Marie , Eriksen Stig , Jensen Jens Brauchli
Published: March 2022

Even though that there has been increasing focus on the energy-efficient operation of vessels and that the knowledge of cost-effective improvements is widespread in the industry, energy-efficient operation is only a minor topic on board many working vessels. A significant reduction in fuel can be achieved through changes in the operational practices, but to establish a successful system for best practices within energy-management the installation of a decision support system is essential. This article presents a decision support system for working vessels to determine best practice for the reduction of fuel consumption. Requirements for the system are defined through interviews with crew and observations on board vessels. Case studies are used for illustrating the usefulness. The use of generators onboard is analyzed using the software. It is found that the generators are not running optimally, but the crew can use the software to re-organize and find the most fuel-efficient loading range for the generators on board.
Value of Meiotic Spindle Imaging on Fertilization and Embryo Development Following Human Oocyte Piezo-ICSI
Authors: Hiraoka Kenichiro , Uchida Nozomi , Ishikawa Tomonori , Kawai Kiyotaka
Published: March 2022

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate accurately the effect of the meiotic spindle imaging of human oocytes on their fertilization and embryo development by using the Piezo-ICSI.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed 529 oocytes with the first polar body retrieved from 124 infertile couples (147 cycles) who attended our clinic between May 2016 and December 2018. Of these, 489 oocytes (92.4%) with visible meiotic spindle comprised the Spindle (+) group and 40 oocytes (7.6%) not observed meiotic spindle comprised the Spindle (−) group. The meiotic spindle was imaged using polarized light microscopy. The rates of fertilization, high-quality day-3 embryo, day-5 blastocyst, and high-quality day-5 blastocyst were evaluated in both groups.

Results: The fertilization rates of Spindle (+) and Spindle (−) were 92.0% (450/489) and 70.0% (28/40), respectively; high-quality day-3 embryo rates were 62.9% (283/450) and 35.7% (10/28); day-5 blastocyst rates were 53.7% (205/382) and 32.1% (9/28); high-quality day-5 blastocyst rates were 29.8% (114/382) and 3.6% (1/28). Fertilization, high-quality day-3 embryo, day-5 blastocyst, and high-quality day-5 blastocyst rates were significantly higher in the Spindle (+) group than in the Spindle (−) group.

Conclusion: Spindle imaging (i.e., oocytes with a visible meiotic spindle or with not observed meiotic spindle) influences the outcome of Piezo-ICSI in human oocytes, including fertilization and embryo development. To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the effect of meiotic spindle imaging on fertilization or embryo development among oocytes after Piezo-ICSI. The meiotic spindle imaging could be the indicator for the quality management of medical doctors and embryologists.
Dynamo-thermal subsidence and sag–salt section deposition as magma-rich rifted margins move off plume centres along incipient lines of break-up
Authors: Pindell James , Heyn Teunis
Published: March 2022

Magma-rich rifting generally occurs over mantle plumes or rising convection cells; magma-poor rifting does not. Plumes produce up to 2 km dynamic elevation, outcompeting synrift subsidence in active and ancient magma-rich rifts, as evidenced by top-rift unconformities. Magma-rich margins show anomalously fast and large post-tectonic subsidence, evidenced by thick, short-lived little-faulted sag–salt sections. Syndepositional thermal subsidence cannot be responsible alone, and lack of faulting argues against tectonic subsidence. We argue that dissipation of dynamic topography (dynamic subsidence) is the additional component with thermal subsidence. We depict the formation of the magma-rich central South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico salt-bearing margins relative to former plumes, showing that sag–salt deposition occurs as the margins migrate off plume flanks while supra-plume rifting continues. However, the pre-sag–salt basement must first be extended or eroded during dynamic elevation to fall below its pre-uplift elevation. ‘Dynamo-thermal subsidence’ creates ‘dynamo-thermal accommodation’, the sum and combined result of dynamic plus thermal subsidence, respectively. It is fast enough to negate the need for deep, sub-sea-level, subaerial depressions for accumulation of thick sag–salt sections. Also, differences in dynamic elevation during salt deposition explain differences in autochthonous salt thickness.

Supplementary material
: Supplementary figures, seismic data, structural restorations, a compilation of igneous activity and an extended figure caption are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5908896
MAPPER: Managing Application Performance via Parallel Efficiency Regulation
Authors: Srikanthan Sharanyan , Chakraborti Sayak , Ferro Princeton , Dwarkadas Sandhya
Published: March 2022

State-of-the-art systems, whether in servers or desktops, provide ample computational and storage resources to allow multiple simultaneously executing potentially parallel applications. However, performance tends to be unpredictable, being a function of algorithmic design, resource allocation choices, and hardware resource limitations.

In this article, we introduce MAPPER, a manager of application performance via parallel efficiency regulation. MAPPER uses a privileged daemon to monitor (using hardware performance counters) and coordinate all participating applications by making two coupled decisions: the degree of parallelism to allow each application to improve system efficiency while guaranteeing quality of service (QoS), and which specific CPU cores to schedule applications on. The QoS metric may be chosen by the application and could be in terms of execution time, throughput, or tail latency, relative to the maximum performance achievable on the machine. We demonstrate that using a normalized parallel efficiency metric allows comparison across and cooperation among applications to guarantee their required QoS. While MAPPER may be used without application or runtime modification, use of a simple interface to communicate application-level knowledge improves MAPPER’s efficacy. Using a QoS guarantee of 85% of the IPC achieved with a fair share of resources on the machine, MAPPER achieves up to 3.3

\( \times \)

speedup relative to unmodified Linux and runtime systems, with an average improvement of 17% in our test cases. At the same time, MAPPER violates QoS for only 2% of the applications (compared to 23% for Linux), while placing much tighter bounds on the worst case. MAPPER relieves hardware bottlenecks via task-to-CPU placement and allocates more CPU contexts to applications that exhibit higher parallel efficiency while guaranteeing QoS, resulting in both individual application performance predictability and overall system efficiency.
MetaSys: A Practical Open-source Metadata Management System to Implement and Evaluate Cross-layer Optimizations
Authors: Vijaykumar Nandita , Olgun Ataberk , Kanellopoulos Konstantinos , Bostanci F. Nisa , Hassan Hasan , Lotfi Mehrshad , Gibbons Phillip B. , Mutlu Onur
Published: March 2022

This article introduces the first open-source FPGA-based infrastructure, MetaSys, with a prototype in a RISC-V system, to enable the rapid implementation and evaluation of a wide range of cross-layer techniques in real hardware. Hardware-software cooperative techniques are powerful approaches to improving the performance, quality of service, and security of general-purpose processors. They are, however, typically challenging to rapidly implement and evaluate in real hardware as they require full-stack changes to the hardware, system software, and instruction-set architecture (ISA).

MetaSys implements a rich hardware-software interface and lightweight metadata support that can be used as a common basis to rapidly implement and evaluate new cross-layer techniques. We demonstrate MetaSys’s versatility and ease-of-use by implementing and evaluating three cross-layer techniques for: (i) prefetching in graph analytics; (ii) bounds checking in memory unsafe languages, and (iii) return address protection in stack frames; each technique requiring only ~100 lines of Chisel code over MetaSys.

Using MetaSys, we perform the first detailed experimental study to quantify the performance overheads of using a
single
metadata management system to enable multiple cross-layer optimizations in CPUs. We identify the key sources of bottlenecks and system inefficiency of a general metadata management system. We design MetaSys to minimize these inefficiencies and provide increased versatility compared to previously proposed metadata systems. Using three use cases and a detailed characterization, we demonstrate that a common metadata management system can be used to efficiently support diverse cross-layer techniques in CPUs. MetaSys is completely and freely available at
https://github.com/CMU-SAFARI/MetaSys
.
MemHC: An Optimized GPU Memory Management Framework for Accelerating Many-body Correlation
Authors: Wang Qihan , Peng Zhen , Ren Bin , Chen Jie , Edwards Robert G.
Published: March 2022

Themany-body correlation functionis a fundamental computation kernel in modern physics computing applications, e.g., Hadron Contractions in Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD). This kernel is both computation and memory intensive, involving a series of tensor contractions, and thus usually runs on accelerators like GPUs. Existing optimizations on many-body correlation mainly focus on individual tensor contractions (e.g., cuBLAS libraries and others). In contrast, this work discovers a new optimization dimension for many-body correlation by exploring the optimization opportunities among tensor contractions. More specifically, it targets general GPU architectures (both NVIDIA and AMD) and optimizes many-body correlation’s memory management by exploiting a set ofmemory allocation and communication redundancy eliminationopportunities: first,GPU memory allocation redundancy: the intermediate output frequently occurs as input in the subsequent calculations; second,CPU-GPU communication redundancy: although all tensors are allocated on both CPU and GPU, many of them are used (and reused) on the GPU side only, and thus, many CPU/GPU communications (like that in existing Unified Memory designs) are unnecessary; third,GPU oversubscription:limited GPU memory size causes oversubscription issues, and existing memory management usually results in near-reuse data eviction, thus incurring extra CPU/GPU memory communications.

Targeting these memory optimization opportunities, this article proposes MemHC, an optimized systematic GPU memory management framework that aims to accelerate the calculation of many-body correlation functions utilizing a series of new memory reduction designs. These designs involve optimizations for GPU memory allocation, CPU/GPU memory movement, and GPU memory oversubscription, respectively. More specifically, first, MemHC employs duplication-aware management and lazy release of GPU memories to corresponding host managing for better data reusability. Second, it implements data reorganization and on-demand synchronization to eliminate redundant (or unnecessary) data transfer. Third, MemHC exploits an optimized Least Recently Used (LRU) eviction policy called Pre-Protected LRU to reduce evictions and leverage memory hits. Additionally, MemHC is portable for various platforms including NVIDIA GPUs and AMD GPUs. The evaluation demonstrates that MemHC outperforms unified memory management by\( 2.18\times \)to\( 10.73\times \). The proposed Pre-Protected LRU policy outperforms the original LRU policy by up to\( 1.36\times \)improvement.1
A Qualitative Study of Experienced Course Coordinators’ Perspectives on Assessment in Introductory Programming Courses for Non-CS Majors
Authors: Riese Emma , Bälter Olle
Published: March 2022

Assessment plays an important role in education and can both guide and motivate learning. Assessment can, however, be carried out with different aims: providing the students with feedback that supports the learning (formative assessment) and judging to which degree the students have fulfilled the intended learning outcomes (summative assessment). In this study, we explore the instructors’ perspective on assessment within the context of introductory programming courses offered to non-computer-science majors at a public tuition-free state-funded university in a Nordic country. These courses are given to a large number of students and also employ several teaching assistants (TAs). We used constructivism as a basis for our study and investigated how instructors implement formative and summative assessments, how they view their role, and what expectations they have of their TAs in these assessments. We interviewed seven course coordinators (main instructors for introductory programming courses with additional administrative duties but without formal responsibility of the grading) and analyzed 205 course artifacts, such as syllabi, lab assignment instructions, and course material from the cross-department TA training course. The results showed that course coordinators use formative and summative assessments both separately and within the same activity. They view themselves as responsible for the assessments, as the planners and material developers, as the organizers and administrators, and as monitors of the assessments. However, the results also showed that these course coordinators delegate much of the responsibility for the assessments to their TAs and expect TAs to both grade the students and provide them with feedback and guidance. In addition, the TAs are also expected to act as informants about their students’ performance. The course coordinators’ role entails many different aspects, where communicating through instructions to both students and TAs is essential. We see that this implementation of assessment, with lots of responsibility distributed to the TAs, could be difficult to manage for a single faculty member who is not necessarily responsible for the grading. Based on the results, we outline some recommendations, such as offering TA training.
Faster Quantum-inspired Algorithms for Solving Linear Systems
Authors: Shao Changpeng , Montanaro Ashley
Published: March 2022

We establish an improved classical algorithm for solving linear systems in a model analogous to the QRAM that is used by quantum linear solvers. Precisely, for the linear system

\( A{\bf x}= {\bf b} \)

, we show that there is a classical algorithm that outputs a data structure for

\( {\bf x} \)

allowing sampling and querying to the entries, where

\( {\bf x} \)

is such that

\( \Vert {\bf x}- A^{+}{\bf b}\Vert \le \epsilon \Vert A^{+}{\bf b}\Vert \)

. This output can be viewed as a classical analogue to the output of quantum linear solvers. The complexity of our algorithm is

\( \widetilde{O}(\kappa _F^6 \kappa ^2/\epsilon ^2) \)

, where

\( \kappa _F = \Vert A\Vert _F\Vert A^{+}\Vert \)

and

\( \kappa = \Vert A\Vert \Vert A^{+}\Vert \)

. This improves the previous best algorithm [Gilyén, Song and Tang, arXiv:2009.07268] of complexity

\( \widetilde{O}(\kappa _F^6 \kappa ^6/\epsilon ^4) \)

. Our algorithm is based on the randomized Kaczmarz method, which is a particular case of stochastic gradient descent. We also find that when
A
is row sparse, this method already returns an approximate solution

\( {\bf x} \)

in time

\( \widetilde{O}(\kappa _F^2) \)

, while the best quantum algorithm known returns

\( | {\bf x} \rangle \)

in time

\( \widetilde{O}(\kappa _F) \)

when
A
is stored in the QRAM data structure. As a result, assuming access to QRAM and if
A
is row sparse, the speedup based on current quantum algorithms is quadratic.
An Energy-efficient and Privacy-aware Decomposition Framework for Edge-assisted Federated Learning
Authors: Shi Yimin , Duan Haihan , Yang Lei , Cai Wei
Published: March 2022

Deep Learning (DL) is an essential technology for modern intelligent sensor network and interactive multimedia applications, having problems with user data privacy when training on a central cloud. While Federated Learning (FL) motivates to preserve user privacy, it also causes new problems of lower user terminal usability and training efficiency, which caused substantial energy consumption. This article proposes a novel energy-efficient and privacy-aware decomposition framework to improve user-side FL efficiency under pre-defined privacy requirements with the assistance of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Software Decomposition. It takes the propagation of each neural layer as the migrating unit and considers the tradeoff relationship between privacy and efficiency. We also propose an online scheduling algorithm to optimize the framework’s training performance. Furthermore, we summarize eight privacy-sensitive information classes on which existing privacy attacks base and design configurable privacy preservation mechanisms for each class. Simulations and experiments prove the effectiveness of our framework and algorithm in FL efficiency improvement and the effects of different privacy constraints on the overall training efficiency.
Coordinated Motion Planning Through Randomized
k
-Opt
Authors: Liu Paul , Spalding-Jamieson Jack , Zhang Brandon , Zheng Da Wei
Published: March 2022

This article examines the approach taken by team
gitastrophe
in the CG:SHOP 2021 challenge. The challenge was to find a sequence of simultaneous moves of square robots between two given configurations that minimized either total distance travelled or makespan (total time). Our winning approach has two main components: an initialization phase that finds a good initial solution and a
k
-opt local search phase that seeks to optimize this solution. This led to a first-place finish in the distance category and a third-place finish in the makespan category.
Characterizing Concurrency Mechanisms for NVIDIA GPUs under Deep Learning Workloads (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Gilman Guin , Walls Robert J.
Published: March 2022

Hazelwood et al. observed that at Facebook data centers, variations in user activity (e.g. due to diurnal load) resulted in low utilization periods with large pools of idle resources [4]. To make use of these resources, they proposed using machine learning training tasks. Analagous lowutilization periods have also been observed at the scale of individual GPUs when using both GPU-based inference [1] and training [6]. The proposed solution to this latter problem was colocating additional inference or training tasks on a single GPU.We go a step further than these previous studies by considering the GPU at the microarchitectural level rather than treating it as a black box. Broadly, we consider the following question: are current GPU application- and block-level scheduling mechanisms sufficient to guarantee predictable and low turnaround times for latency-sensitive inference requests, while also consistently making use of unoccupied resources for best-effort training tasks? To answer this question, we explore both NVIDIA's concurrency mechanisms and the characteristics of the workload itself. Complicating our analyses, the NVIDIA scheduling hierarchy is proprietary and some mechanisms (e.g., time-slicing) are not well-documented, so their behavior must be reverseengineered from empirical observation.
Efficient and DoS-resistant Consensus for Permissioned Blockchains
Authors: Chen Xusheng , Zhao Shixiong , Qi Ji , Jiang Jianyu , Song Haoze , Wang Cheng , On Li Tsz , Hubert Chan T-H. , Zhang Fengwei , Luo Xiapu , Wang Sen , Zhang Gong , Cui Heming
Published: March 2022

Existing permissioned blockchain systems designate a fixed and explicit group of committee nodes to run a consensus protocol that confirms the same sequence of blocks among all nodes. Unfortunately, when such a system runs on a large scale on the Internet, these explicit committee nodes can be easily turned down by denialof- service (DoS) or network partition attacks. Although recent studies proposed scalable BFT protocols that run on a larger number of committee nodes, these protocols' efficiency drops dramatically when only a small number of nodes are attacked.
Optimal Speed Profile of a DVFS Processor under Soft Deadlines
Authors: Anselmi Jonatha , Gaujal Bruno , Rebuffi Louis-S´ebastien
Published: March 2022

Minimizing the energy consumption of embedded systems with real-time execution constraints is becoming more and more important. More functionalities and better performance/ cost tradeoffs are expected from such systems because of the increased use of real-time applications and the fact that batteries are becoming standard power supplies. Dynamically changing the speed of the processor is a common and efficient way to reduce energy consumption and remarkable gains can be obtained when considering cacheintensive and/or CPU-bound applications as the CPU energy consumption may dominate the overall energy consumption. In fact, this is the reason why modern processors are equipped with Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) technology [7]. In the deterministic case where job sizes and arrival times are known, a vast literature addressed the problem of designing both off-line and on-line algorithms to compute speed profiles that minimize the energy consumption subject to hard real-time constraints (deadlines) on job execution times; e.g., [5]. In a stochastic environment where only statistical information is available about job sizes and arrival times, it turns out that combining hard deadlines and energy minimization via DVFS-based techniques is much more difficult. In fact, forcing hard deadlines requires to be very conservative, i.e., to consider the worst cases. Matter of fact, existing approaches work within a finite number of jobs [6, 3].
New Insights into Cheese Microstructure
Authors: Ong Lydia , Li Xu , Ong Adabelle , Gras Sally L.
Published: March 2022

Microscopy is often used to assist the development of cheese products, but manufacturers can benefit from a much broader application of these techniques to assess structure formation during processing and structural changes during storage. Microscopy can be used to benchmark processes, optimize process variables, and identify critical control points for process control. Microscopy can also assist the reverse engineering of desired product properties and help troubleshoot production problems to improve cheese quality. This approach can be extended using quantitative analysis, which enables further comparisons between structural features and functional measures used within industry, such as cheese meltability, shreddability, and stretchability, potentially allowing prediction and control of these properties. This review covers advances in the analysis of cheese microstructure, including new techniques, and outlines how these can be applied to understand and improve cheese manufacture.
Nitrogen Plasma Modified Carbons for PEMFC with Increased Interaction with Catalyst and Ionomer
Authors: Parnière Alice , Blanchard Pierre-Yves , Cavaliere Sara , Donzel Nicolas , Prelot Bénédicte , Rozière Jacques , Jones Deborah J.
Published: March 2022

Vulcan XC72 carbon black, conventionally used as electrocatalyst support in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, was doped with nitrogen functionalities by exposing it to nitrogen plasma, and the effect on its morphology, structure and texture and surface properties was investigated. In particular, the strength of the interaction between the modified carbon and Nafion® ionomer was evaluated by isothermal titration calorimetry, and an enhanced exothermic effect was observed on increasing the amount of nitrogen at the Vulcan surface. The undoped and nitrogen-doped carbon blacks were catalysed with Pt nanoparticles, and the resulting materials were characterised for their electrocatalytic properties towards the oxygen reduction reaction. The electrocatalyst using nitrogen-doped supports are characterised by higher activity and stability, which is attributed to a strong Pt-support interaction promoted by the presence of the heteroatoms.
Development of Rechargeable Seawater Battery Module
Authors: Kim Dongyeop , Park Jeong-Sun , Lee Wang-Geun , Choi Yunseok , Kim Youngsik
Published: March 2022

Rechargeable seawater batteries (SWBs) use Na+ ions dissolved in water (seawater or salt-water) as the cathode material. They are attracting attention for marine applications such as light buoys, marine drones, auxiliary power for sailing boats and so on. So far, SWB design has been developed from the coin-type to prismatic-shape cell for research purposes to investigate cell components and electrochemical behaviors. However, for commercial applications, that generally require >12 V and >15 W, the development of an SWB module is required, including cell assembly and packing design. The purpose of this work was to conduct research on the SWB cell assembly method while considering the SWB’s properties and minimizing current imbalance. Additionally, a 5 Series (S) 4 Parallel (P) SWB module is constructed and validated using commercially available light buoys (12 V, 15 W).
People News - Spring 2022
Authors: Stetter Joseph
Published: March 2022

Solomon Zaromb In Memoriam
241st ECS Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada May 29-June 2, 2022
Authors: Chaves Frances
Published: March 2022

“Join us at this international conference as scientists, engineers, and researchers from academia, industry, and government laboratories come together to share results and discuss issues on related topics through a variety of formats, including oral presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, tutorial sessions, short courses, professional development workshops, a career expo, exhibits, and more! ECS meetings’ unique blend of electrochemical and solid state science and technology provides opportunities to absorb and exchange information on the latest scientific developments across a variety of interdisciplinary areas in a forum of your peers.”
Equality and Diversity in (Electrochemical) Sciences – 30 Years of Observations
Authors: Virtanen Sannakaisa
Published: March 2022

This article is not a research article on equality and diversity in science and engineering; it is not based on hard facts and figures. Instead, the article is based on the author’s experiences as a female scientist mostly working outside of her native country over 30 years. Therefore, for a large part the experience on equal opportunities and diversity here described are gender-related. The observations, comments and recommendations are subjective and hence may not be generally representative for all countries and/or all research institutes.
Promoting the Need for Greater Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering
Authors: Rincon Roberta
Published: March 2022

Engineering continues to suffer from a lack of gender diversity, but diversity is about more than just representation. This article explains what we mean by diversity and why it matters. The author explains how organizational climate and culture play a role in women’s decision to leave the profession, offering actionable ideas to help organizations retain diverse talent.
The Role of Professional Societies in Advancing Inclusion in Chemistry: Through the Lens of the American Chemical Society
Authors: LaFranzo Natalie
Published: March 2022

In response to a more heightened focus on social justice in recent years, many organizations have reflected on their values and on their role in championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR). The American Chemical Society (ACS) is no different. While historically there may have been an unspoken belief that the role of the ACS was to “stick to science,” it has become more well-understood that advancing our core values, including DEIR, is the right thing to do — both for our members and for the scientific community. Yet, the journey to progress has not been straight nor smooth, and there is still much work to be done.
Carotid intima-media thickness and flow-mediated dilation do not predict acute in-hospital outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19
Authors: Cristina-Oliveira Michelle , Meireles Kamila , Gil Saulo , Cavalcante Assis Fábio , Geber-Júnior João Carlos , Shinjo Samuel Katsuyuki , de Souza Heraldo Possolo , Cruz Santana Alfredo Nicodemos , Swinton Paul A. , Drager Luciano F. , Gualano Bruno , Roschel Hamilton , Peçanha Tiago
Published: March 2022

Studies have suggested a role of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis in COVID-19 pathophysiology. In this prospective cohort study, we assessed the prognostic value of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with COVID-19. Carotid IMT and FMD were not independent predictors of major outcomes. These results suggest that other risk factors may be the main drivers of clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.
Female rats are less prone to clinical heart failure than male rats in a juvenile rat model of right ventricular pressure load
Authors: Bossers Guido P. L. , Hagdorn Quint A. J. , Koop Anne-Marie C. , van der Feen Diederik E. , Bartelds B. , van Leusden Tom , De Boer Rudolf A. , Silljé Herman H. W. , Berger Rolf M. F.
Published: March 2022

In this study, we describe sex differences in our unique weanling rat model of increased RV pressure load by pulmonary artery banding. We are the first to assess temporal sex-related differences in RV adaptation during pubertal development. Female rats show superior RV function and less diastolic dysfunction and fibrosis compared with male rats. These differences are already present before puberty, indicating that the differences in RV adaptation are not only determined by sex hormones.
Matrix anisotropy promotes angiogenesis in a density-dependent manner
Authors: LaBelle Steven A. , Dinkins Shad S. , Hoying James B. , Budko Elena V. , Rauff Adam , Strobel Hannah A. , Lin Allen H. , Weiss Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2022

Matrix anisotropy and density have a considerable effect on angiogenic vessel growth and directional guidance. However, the current literature relies on 2-D and simplified models of angiogenesis (e.g., tubulogenesis and vasculogenesis). We present a method to align 3-D collagen scaffolds embedded with microvessel fragments to different levels of anisotropy. Neovessel growth increases with anisotropy and decreases with density, which may guide angiogenic neovessels across tissue interfaces such as during implant inosculation and tumorigenesis.
Global Reach 2018: sympathetic neural and hemodynamic responses to submaximal exercise in Andeans with and without chronic mountain sickness
Authors: Hansen Alexander B. , Amin Sachin B. , Hofstätter Florian , Mugele Hendrik , Simpson Lydia L. , Gasho Christopher , Dawkins Tony G. , Tymko Michael M. , Ainslie Philip N. , Villafuerte Francisco C. , Hearon Christopher M. , Lawley Justin S. , Moralez Gilbert
Published: March 2022

During submaximal exercise, convective oxygen transport is maintained in Andeans suffering from polycythemia. Light intensity exercise elicited similar cardiovascular and autonomic responses compared with healthy Andeans. However, during moderate-intensity exercise, we observed a blunted reduction in total peripheral resistance, which cannot be ascribed to an exaggerated increase in muscle sympathetic nerve activity, indicating possible contributions from other neural and/or nonneural mechanisms.
Assessments of microvascular function in organ systems
Authors: Xu Cynthia , Sellke Frank W. , Abid M. Ruhul
Published: March 2022

Microvascular disease plays critical roles in the dysfunction of all organ systems, and there are many methods available to assess the microvasculature. These methods can either assess the target organ directly or assess an easily accessible organ such as the skin or retina so that inferences can be extrapolated to the other systems and/or related diseases. Despite the abundance of exploratory research on some of these modalities and their possible applications, there is a general lack of clinical use. This deficiency is likely due to two main reasons: the need for standardization of protocols to establish a role in clinical practice or the lack of therapies targeted toward microvascular dysfunction. Also, there remain some questions to be answered about the coronary microvasculature, as it is complex, heterogeneous, and difficult to visualize in vivo even with advanced imaging technology. This review will discuss novel approaches that are being used to assess microvasculature health in several key organ systems, and evaluate their clinical utility and scope for further development.