Using dynamic, full cache locking and genetic algorithms for cache size minimization in multitasking, preemptive, real-time systems

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45008-2_13Cache locking have shown during the last years their usefulness easing the schedulability analysis of multitasking, preemptive, real-time systems. Cache locking provides a high degree of predictability while system performance is maintained at a similar level to that provided by regular, highly unpredictable, non-locked cache. Cache locking may also be useful to reduce hardware costs by means of reducing the size of the cache memory needed to make a real-time system schedulable.This work shows how full, dynamic cache locking may help to reduce the size of the cache memory versus a regular cache. This reduction is possible thanks to a genetic algorithm that selects the set of instructions that have to be locked in cache to provide the maximum cache size minimization while keeping the system schedulable.This work is partially supported by PAID-06-11/2055 of Universitat Politècnica de València and TIN2011-28435-C03-01 of Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.Martí Campoy, A.; Rodríguez Ballester, F.; Ors Carot, R. (2013). Using dynamic, full cache locking and genetic algorithms for cache size minimization in multitasking, preemptive, real-time systems. En Theory and Practice of Natural Computing. Springer Verlag (Germany). 157-168. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45008-2S15716

Valoración del cambio de composición corporal en adolescentes con sobrepeso y obesidad incluidos en un tratamiento multidisciplinar: Estudio EVASYON

La adolescencia se considera una etapa vulnerable desde el punto de vista nutricional. La obesidad en la infancia y adolescencia se considera una enfermedad compleja, que preocupa tanto a padres como a profesionales sanitaros debido a su alta prevalencia y a sus consecuencias en la edad adulta. Por ello, los objetivos generales de este trabajo son: 1) valorar los índices antropométricos sencillos como predictores de los cambios de grasa corporal, empleando absorciometría dual de rayos X como método de referencia; 2) identificar los predictores cognitivos y conductuales del abandono de un estudio de intervención, y calcular la tasa de abandono; 3) valorar los cambios de composición corporal en niños y adolescentes, empleando diferentes métodos de composición corporal; y 4) valorar si el cumplimiento de la intervención dietética y el índice de calidad de la dieta son predictores de los cambios de composición corporal durante un seguimiento de 13 meses de una intervención multidisciplinar..

Diet quality index as a predictor of treatment efficacy in overweight and obese adolescents: The EVASYON study

Background & aim: A diet quality index (DQI) is a tool that provides an overall score of an individual''s dietary intake when assessing compliance with food-based dietary guidelines. A number of DQIs have emerged, albeit their associations with health-related outcomes are debated. The aim of the present study was to assess whether adherence to dietary intervention, and the overall quality of the diet, can predict body composition changes. Methods: To this purpose, overweight/obese adolescents (n = 117, aged: 13–16 years; 51 males, 66 females) were recruited into a multi-component (diet, physical activity and psychological support) family-based group treatment programme. We measured the adolescents’ compliance and body composition at baseline and after 2 months (intensive phase) and 13 months (extensive phase) of follow-up. Also, at baseline, after 6 months, and at the end of follow-up we calculated the DQI. Results: Global compliance with the dietary intervention was 37.4% during the intensive phase, and 14.3% during the extensive phase. Physical activity compliance was 94.1% at 2-months and 34.7% at 13months and psychological support compliance were growing over the intervention period (10.3% intensive phase and 45.3% during extensive phase). Adolescents complying with the meal frequency criteria at the end of the extensive phase had greater reductions in FMI z-scores than those did not complying (Cohen''s d = 0.53). A statistically significant association was observed with the diet quality index. DQI-A variation explained 98.1% of BMI z-score changes and 95.1% of FMI changes. Conclusions: We conclude that assessment of changes in diet quality could be a useful tool in predicting body composition changes in obese adolescents involved in a diet and physical activity intervention programme backed-up by psychological and family support

Molecular crowding effects on the distribution of amphiphiles in biological media

7 pags., 8 figs.Biological systems are the result of the interactions established among their many distinct molecules and molecular assemblies. The high concentration of small molecules dissolved in the aqueous media alter the water properties with important consequences in the interactions established. In this work, the effects of high concentrations of the disaccharide trehalose on the solubility of a homologous series of fluorescent amphiphiles (NBD-Cn, n=4–16) and on their interaction with a lipid bilayer and a serum protein are quantitatively characterized. Both kinetic and equilibrium aspects are reported for a better understanding of the effects observed. The aqueous solubility of the most hydrophobic amphiphiles (n ≥ 8) is strongly increased by 1 M trehalose, while no signifcant effect is observed for the most polar amphiphile (n = 4). This results from a decrease in the magnitude of the hydrophobic effect at molecular crowding conditions. A small decrease is observed on the equilibrium association with serum albumin. This is most significant for amphiphiles with longer alkyl chains, in agreement with their increased solubility in the aqueous media containing trehalose. The effects on the association of the amphiphiles with lipid bilayers are influenced by both equilibrium and kinetic aspects. On the one hand, the decreased magnitude of the hydrophobic effect leads to a decrease in the affinity of the amphiphiles towards the membrane. However, this tendency may be overbalanced by the effects on the kinetics of the interaction (insertion/desorption) due to the increase in the viscosity of the aqueous media. It is shown that the distribution of amphiphilic drugs in the crowded biological media is significantly different from that predicted from studies in dilute solutions and that the effects are dependent on the solute's hydrophobicity.This work was partially supported by the Portuguese “Fundaçãopara a Ciência e a Tecnologia” (FCT) through projects 007630 UID QUI/00313/2013, PT2020_PTDC_DTP-FTO_2784_2014, co-funded by COMPETE2020-UE, and CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000014 through“Programa Operacional Regional do Centro”CENTRO2020

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, homocysteine at birth and fatty acid desaturase gene cluster polymorphisms are associated with children’s processing speed up to age 9 years.

Both pre-and early postnatal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachi-donic acid (AA) and folate have been related to neural development, but their long-term effects on later neural function remain unclear. We evaluated the long-term effects of maternal prenatal supplementation with fish-oil (FO), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), placebo or FO + 5-MTHF, as well as the role of fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster polymorphisms, on their offspring’s processing speed at later school age. This study was conducted in NUHEAL children at 7.5 (n = 143) and 9 years of age (n = 127). Processing speed tasks were assessed using Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Children Color Trails Test (CCTT) and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT). Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, folate and total homocysteine (tHcy) levels were determined at delivery from maternal and cord blood samples. FADS and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677 C > T genetic polymorphisms were analyzed. Mixed models (linear and logistic) were performed. There were significant differences in processing speed performance among children at different ages (p < 0.001). The type of prenatal supplementation had no effect on processing speed in children up to 9 years. Secondary exploratory analyses indicated that children born to mothers with higher AA/DHA ratio at delivery (p < 0.001) and heterozygotes for FADS1 rs174556 (p < 0.05) showed better performance in processing speed at 9 years. Negative associations between processing speed scores and maternal tHcy levels at delivery were found. Our findings suggest speed processing development in children up to 9 years could be related to maternal factors, including AA/DHA and tHcy levels, and their genetic background, mainly FADS polymorphism. These considerations support that maternal prenatal supplementation should be quantitatively adequate and individualized to obtain better brain development and mental performance in the offspring