UC Berkeley

Abstract: The ATLAS Google Project was established as part of an ongoing evaluation of the use of commercial clouds by the ATLAS Collaboration, in anticipation of the potential future adoption of such resources by WLCG grid sites to fulfil or complement their computing pledges. Seamless integration of Google cloud resources into the worldwide ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure was achieved at large scale and for an extended period of time, and hence cloud resources are shown to be an effective mechanism to provide additional, flexible computing capacity to ATLAS. For the first time a total cost of ownership analysis has been performed, to identify the dominant cost drivers and explore effective mechanisms for cost control. Network usage significantly impacts the costs of certain ATLAS workflows, underscoring the importance of implementing such mechanisms. Resource bursting has been successfully demonstrated, whilst exposing the true cost of this type of activity. A follow-up to the project is underway to investigate methods for improving the integration of cloud resources in data-intensive distributed computing environments and reducing costs related to network connectivity, which represents the primary expense when extensively utilising cloud resources.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among young adults, with evidence suggesting sleep problems as key risk factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between insomnia and sleep characteristics with major depressive episode (MDE) and anxiety disorders, and the association after accounting for baseline mental health symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the Students Health and Wellbeing Study (SHoT), surveying Norwegian higher education students aged 18 to 35 (N = 53,362). A diagnostic assessment of 10,460 participants was conducted in 2023. Self-reported insomnia, sleep duration, sleep onset latency, and wake after sleep onset were recorded in 2022. MDE and five types of anxiety disorders were assessed after one year using a self-administered CIDI 5.0. Analyses adjusted for age, sex, baseline mental health symptoms, and somatic conditions. RESULTS: Insomnia in young adults was associated with a significantly increased risk of MDE (adjusted RR = 3.50, 95 % CI = 3.18-3.84) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (adjusted RR = 2.82, 95 % CI = 2.55-3.12) one year later. Sleep duration showed a reversed J-shaped association with mental disorders, with both short and, to a lesser extent, long sleep durations linked to elevated risks, even after adjusting for baseline mental health symptoms and somatic conditions. Although the associations were attenuated after adjustment, they remained statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and abnormal sleep durations, predict mental health issues in young adults, even after accounting for baseline mental health and somatic health. Addressing sleep problems early may help prevent subsequent mental health conditions in this population.

The Scintillator Library (scintillator.lbl.gov) is a database of scintillator properties hosted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in a web-accessible format. It contains a variety of measured inorganic and organic scintillator properties extracted from peer-reviewed literature and manufacturer specifications. Data housed within the Scintillator Library supply an important resource for developers of scintillator-based detection systems and an aid for scientists seeking to establish connections between fundamental material and chemical properties and the associated scintillation performance.

Extant research shows that evidence-based parenting programs can improve parents’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy, leading to reduced child abuse and neglect, and promoting children’s emotional, social, and cognitive competencies. However, the impact of these programs is limited by low participation rates. Despite this, parents are actively engaging with online parenting content. Analyzing online behavior to understand parents’ information needs might illuminate topics to incorporate into parenting programs to improve parent participation. This study adopts a bottom-up Human-centered Design (HCD) approach to explore parents’ topical preferences for engaging with parenting information. Specifically, this study explores the 1) nature and prevalence of topics parents discuss online, 2) differences between mother-centric and father-centric online forums, and 3) changes in online topics since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from three prominent online parenting forums from February 2019 to July 2022 were analyzed using computational methods to uncover parenting topics across audiences and time periods. Findings revealed parent-centered topics such as postpartum depression/anxiety and work-family interface, and child-centered topics such as perinatal care. Both mother- and father-centric models identified early childcare topics, as well as notable gendered topics (e.g., breast/bottle feeding for the mother-centric group vs. financial considerations for the father-centric group). The time-oriented model highlighted increased challenges in parent mental health and child education/entertainment post-COVID. Findings suggest supplementing existing parenting interventions with services that focus on parental well-being and capacity, and considering both mixed audience and group-specific interventions to address the different needs of people identifying as mothers and fathers. This user-centered approach to program design has the potential to improve parent engagement in learning positive parenting practices to reduce child maltreatment and promote child well-being.

Understanding and predicting plant water dynamics during and after water stress is increasingly important but challenging because the high-dimensional nature of the soil-plant-atmosphere system makes it difficult to identify mechanisms and constrain behaviour. Datasets that capture hydrological, physiological and meteorological variation during changing water availability are relatively rare but offer a potentially valuable resource to constrain plant water dynamics. This study reports on a drydown and re-wetting experiment of potted Populus trichocarpa, which intensively characterised plant water fluxes, water status and water sources. We synthesised the data qualitatively to assess the ability to better identify possible mechanisms and quantitatively, using information theory metrics, to measure the value of different measurements in constraining plant water fluxes and water status. Transpiration rates declined during the drydown and then showed a delayed and partial recovery following rewatering. After rewatering, plant water potentials also became decoupled from transpiration rates and the canopies experienced significant yellowing and leaf loss. Hormonal mechanisms were identified as a likely driver, demonstrating a mechanism with sustained impacts on plant water fluxes in the absence of xylem hydraulic damage. Quantitatively, the constraints offered by different measurements varied with the dynamic of interest, and temporally, with behaviour during recovery more difficult to constrain than during water stress. The study provides a uniquely diverse dataset offering insight into mechanisms of plant water stress response and approaches for studying these responses.

OBJECTIVE: Compliance with elementary school physical education law is low. School district-led PE audit, feedback, and coaching (PEAFC), along with funding credentialed teachers, demonstrated the potential for improving compliance with law in New York City public schools. However, the likely scalable approach of PEAFC, alone, has not been rigorously tested in other districts. METHODS: Two-year pilot cluster-RCT in 10 Bay Area, California elementary schools (mean enrollment 421; 66 % Latino; 92 % free or reduced-price meal eligible). Five schools were randomized to receive PEAFC. Physical education lessons (n = 168) were observed using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Spring 2024. Linear mixed effects models examined the impact of PEAFC on between-group changes in law compliance (using scheduled and estimated physical education minutes) and lesson time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in changes in scheduled or estimated minutes between times between groups. Students in both intervention (10 % increase; 95 % CI: 2.17 %, 17.41 %) and control (9 % increase; 95 % CI: 2.61 %, 14.42 %) schools increased lesson time in MVPA, but there was not a statistically significant difference in change between groups. DISCUSSION: PEAFC did not impact physical education law compliance or lesson time spent in MVPA. In the absence of credentialed physical education teachers to provide mandated minutes, PEAFC may be limited in its potential to increase compliance with state mandates. Hiring credentialed physical education teachers in elementary schools may be the most effective way to support compliance with state physical education laws.

Our eyes move constantly to search for and inspect objects of interest, to track moving objects, to read along a line of text and to prevent image fading. However, persons with amblyopia (PWA), in addition to a broad array of visual deficits, have abnormal eye movements. This review briefly describes the types of eye movements deficits in persons with amblyopia and how they are measured. We then go on to discuss what is known about how abnormal eye movements in persons with amblyopia affect their vision. Finally, we ask whether the abnormal eye movements are amenable to amblyopia treatment and whether they can be used to diagnose/classify amblyopia.