Flexible processing architecture for maintaining QoS in embedded systems applications

Comunicación presentada en las V Jornadas de Computación Empotrada, Valladolid, 17-19 Septiembre 2014The growing available capacity on a single chip is leading to increasingly sophisticated applications in the field of embedded systems. In addition, the cloud computing paradigm, allows the extension of the capabilities of these systems using remote resources. Among the wide range of applications that can arise in this context, are those in which it is critical to meet certain quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as limited latency. In these cases, real-time operating systems (RTOS) provide a valid solution to guarantee predictability and response time using the resources of the embedded system. However, in applications where the elements to process can grow and decrease in a variable way, the load can exceed the capabilities of the embedded system, which is an important limitation. In this paper, a new architecture is proposed, aiming to take the most of remotely available resources only when the load temporarily exceeds the capabilities of the embedded system. The access to the remote resources is done by using cloud platforms maintaining an acceptable level of QoS for the application

Remote Web Server of Digital Signal Processors Cards and its Applications in Education

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Distributed computational model for shared processing on Cyber-Physical System environments

Cyber-Physical Systems typically consist of a combination of mobile devices, embedded systems and computers to monitor, sense, and actuate with the surrounding real world. These computing elements are usually wireless, interconnected to share data and interact with each other, with the server part and also with cloud computing services. In such a heterogeneous environment, new applications arise to meet ever-increasing needs and these are an important challenge to the processing capabilities of devices. For example, automatic driving systems, manufacturing environments, smart city management, etc. To meet the requirements of said application contexts, the system can create computing processes to distribute the workload over the network and/or a cloud computing server. Multiple options arise in relation to what network nodes should support the execution of the processes. This paper focuses on this problem by introducing a distributed computational model to dynamically share these tasks among the computing nodes and considering the inherent variability of the context in these environments. Our novel approach promotes the integration of the computing resources, with externally supplied cloud services, to fulfill modern application requirements. A prototype implementation for the proposed model has been built and an application example has been designed to validate the proposal in a real working environment

Tratamiento ambulatorio grupal para dependientes de cocaína combinando terapia cognitivo conductual y entrevista motivacional

Resumen: Las intervenciones psicológicas en pacientes con dependencia de cocaína han demostrado ser eficaces, destacando el Manejo de Contingencias y la Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual [TCC], siendo la falta de adherencia la limitación más importante. La Entrevista Motivacional [EM] mejora la adherencia. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la retención y abstinencia con tratamiento combinado de EM y TCC grupal en pacientes cocainómanos que han alcanzado el estadio de mantenimiento según el modelo transteórico de Prochaska y DiClemente (1982). Para ello se realizó un estudio longitudinal, en dependientes de cocaína con o sin trastorno mental concomitante. Se realizó un grupo abierto de 12 sesiones con periodicidad semanal. Se incluyeron 19 pacientes (78,9% hombres, edad media 36,58 años), el 95% consumía vía intranasal y el 47% tenía otra comorbilidad psiquiátrica. La tasa de retención fue del 84%. Durante el tratamiento y el primer mes de seguimiento todos los pacientes se mantuvieron abstinentes, mientras que entre el primer y tercer mes de seguimiento tres pacientes recayeron. Los datos avalan que el tratamiento combinado de EM+TCC para dependientes de cocaína en estadio de mantenimiento mejora la adherencia y es eficaz para mantener la abstinencia. Abstract: Ambulatory group treatment for cocaine dependent patients combining cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Psychological interventions in cocaine dependent patients have demonstrated efficacy. Remarkable approaches are Contingency Management (CM) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Lack of treatment adherence is the most important limitation. Motivational Interview (MI) has been shown to be an adherence enhancer. The objective of this study is to evaluate retention and abstinence in a combined CM and CBT group treatment in patients who have reached maintenance stage according to Prochaska and DiClemente's transtheoretical model (1982). Therefore, a longitudinal study was carried out with cocaine dependent patients with or without concomitant mental health disease. A 12-session open group was conducted weekly. Nineteen patients were included (78.9% men, mean age 36.6 years), 95% consumed intranasally and 47% had another psychiatric comorbidity. Treatment retention was 84%. During treatment and the first month of follow-up, all patients remained abstinent whereas at three months, 3 patients relapsed. These data confirm that using combined CM and CBT group therapy in cocaine dependents undergoing maintenance treatment enhances adherence and is effective to achieve abstinence

Método de gestión del internet de las cosas para la provisión de procesamiento flexible por sistemas Cloud Computing

El desarrollo de aplicaciones y servicios para el internet de las cosas se enfrenta con un parque variado de dispositivos con capacidades muy heterogéneas sobre los que es difícil predecir los tiempos de respuesta. El método descrito en este trabajo permite proveer las prestaciones suficientes para ejecutar los procesos en los dispositivos sin penalizar el rendimiento previsto. La técnica utilizada combina las estrategias de computación imprecisa con el paradigma Cloud Computing para proporcionar un marco flexible de ejecución y derivar parte del procesamiento en la ejecución de los procesos a la nube cuando las capacidades o la configuración de los dispositivos lo aconsejen y así cumplir con los tiempos de respuesta, productividad y calidad de servicio deseados

Tratamiento ambulatorio grupal para dependientes de cocaína combinando terapia cognitivo conductual y entrevista motivacional

Las intervenciones psicológicas en pacientes con dependencia de cocaína han demostrado ser eficaces, destacando el Manejo de Contingencias y la Terapia Cognitivo-Conductual [TCC], siendo la falta de adherencia la limitación más importante. La Entrevista Motivacional [EM] mejora la adherencia. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la retención y abstinencia con tratamiento combinado de EM y TCC grupal en pacientes cocainómanos que han alcanzado el estadio de mantenimiento según el modelo transteórico de Prochaska y DiClemente (1982). Para ello se realizó un estudio longitudinal, en dependientes de cocaína con o sin trastorno mental concomitante. Se realizó un grupo abierto de 12 sesiones con periodicidad semanal. Se incluyeron 19 pacientes (78,9% hombres, edad media 36,58 años), el 95% consumía vía intranasal y el 47% tenía otra comorbilidad psiquiátrica. La tasa de retención fue del 84%. Durante el tratamiento y el primer mes de seguimiento todos los pacientes se mantuvieron abstinentes, mientras que entre el primer y tercer mes de seguimiento tres pacientes recayeron. Los datos avalan que el tratamiento combinado de EM+TCC para dependientes de cocaína en estadio de mantenimiento mejora la adherencia y es eficaz para mantener la abstinenciaPsychological interventions in cocaine dependent patients have demonstrated efficacy. Remarkable approaches are Contingency Management (CM) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Lack of treatment adherence is the most important limitation. Motivational Interview (MI) has been shown to be an adherence enhancer. The objective of this study is to evaluate retention and abstinence in a combined CM and CBT group treatment in patients who have reached maintenance stage according to Prochaska and DiClemente's transtheoretical model (1982). Therefore, a longitudinal study was carried out with cocaine dependent patients with or without concomitant mental health disease. A 12-session open group was conducted weekly. Nineteen patients were included (78.9% men, mean age 36.6 years), 95% consumed intranasally and 47% had another psychiatric comorbidity. Treatment retention was 84%. During treatment and the first month of follow-up, all patients remained abstinent whereas at three months, 3 patients relapsed. These data confirm that using combined CM and CBT group therapy in cocaine dependents undergoing maintenance treatment enhances adherence and is effective to achieve abstinenc

Seguimiento de la coordinación: Evaluación continua del curso 3 del Grado de Teleco de la EPS

Uno de los problemas que se ha introducido con la implantación de la evaluación continua en los nuevos grados es el exceso de carga de trabajo que conlleva la propia evaluación de las materias a lo largo del curso. Este ha sido un motivo de queja recurrente por parte de los estudiantes, los cuales se sienten estresados casi desde el comienzo del curso, llegando muchas veces a dejar de asistir durante determinados periodos a las clases para poder dedicar su atención a las evaluaciones. Esto último, a su vez, provoca quejas entre el profesorado por la no asistencia de sus estudiantes. Con el fin de mitigar esta situación, en el presente trabajo se ha realizado un estudio sobre la evaluación continua del tercer curso del Grado en Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen en Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Alicante, y se ha consensuado un calendario de evaluación continua en el cual se intenta dosificar el esfuerzo que los estudiantes deberán realizar para sacar adelante el curso. Este trabajo está enmarcado dentro de los mecanismos de coordinación que fomenta la Escuela Politécnica Superior en sus grados

Does Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Matter for Liver Health? Prospective Analysis among Older Adults with Metabolic Syndrome

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a spectrum of liver alterations that can result in severe disease and even death. Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been associated with obesity and related comorbidities. However, the link between UPF and NAFLD has not been sufficiently assessed. We aimed to investigate the prospective association between UPF consumption and liver health biomarkers. Methods: We followed for 1 year 5867 older participants with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) from the PREDIMED-Plus trial. A validated 143-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate consumption of UPF at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The degree of processing for foods and beverages (g/day) was established according to the NOVA classification system. The non-invasive fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) were used to evaluate liver health at three points in time. The associations between changes in UPF consumption (percentage of total daily dietary intake (g)) and liver biomarkers were assessed using mixed-effects linear models with repeated measurements. Results: In this cohort, UPF consumption at baseline was 8.19% (SD 6.95%) of total daily dietary intake in grams. In multivariable models, each 10% daily increment in UPF consumption in 1 year was associated with significantly greater FLI (β 1.60 points, 95% CI 1.24;1.96 points) and HSI (0.43, 0.29; 0.57) scores (all p-values < 0.001). These associations persisted statistically significant after adjusting for potential dietary confounders and NAFLD risk factors. Conclusions: A higher UPF consumption was associated with higher levels of NAFLD-related biomarkers in older adults with overweight/obesity and MetS

Contribution of cardio-vascular risk factors to depressive status in the PREDIMED-PLUS Trial. A cross-sectional and a 2-year longitudinal study

Background Cardio-vascular disease and depression are thought to be closely related, due to shared risk factors. The aim of the study was to determine the association between cardio-vascular risk (CVR) factors and depressive status in a population (55-75 years) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) from the PREDIMED-Plus trial. Methods and findings Participants were classified into three groups of CVR according to the Framingham-based REGICOR function: (1) low (LR), (2) medium (MR) or (3) high/very high (HR). The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depressive symptoms at baseline and after 2 years. The association between CVR and depressive status at baseline (n = 6545), and their changes after 2 years (n = 4566) were evaluated through multivariable regression models (logistic and linear models). HR women showed higher odds of depressive status than LR [OR (95% CI) = 1.78 (1.26, 2.50)]. MR and HR participants with total cholesterol <160 mg/mL showed higher odds of depression than LR [OR (95% CI) = 1.77 (1.13, 2.77) and 2.83 (1.25, 6.42) respectively)] but those with total cholesterol ¿280 mg/mL showed lower odds of depression than LR [OR (95% CI) = 0.26 (0.07, 0.98) and 0.23 (0.05, 0.95), respectively]. All participants decreased their BDI-II score after 2 years, being the decrease smaller in MR and HR diabetic compared to LR [adjusted mean±SE = -0.52±0.20, -0.41 ±0.27 and -1.25±0.31 respectively). MR and HR participants with total cholesterol between 240-279 mg/mL showed greater decreases in the BDI-II score compared to LR (adjusted mean±SE = -0.83±0.37, -0.77±0.64 and 0.97±0.52 respectively). Conclusions Improving cardiovascular health could prevent the onset of depression in the elderly. Diabetes and total cholesterol in individuals at high CVR, may play a specific role in the precise response.The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the European Research Council through a grant to MAM (Advanced Research Grant 2013-2018; 340918). The project was also supported by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish Government (ISCIII) through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (four coordinated FIS projects), who awarded grants to JS and JV (PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732 and PI17/00926). The International Nut&Dried Fruit Council-FESNAD also provided funding through a grant to MAM (201302), and Recercaixa also awarded a grant to JS (2013ACUP00194). The Department of Health, Generalitat de Cataluña by the calls 'Acció instrumental de programes de recerca orientats en lámbit de la recercaila innovació en salut' and 'Pla estrategic de recerca i innovació en salut (PERIS),' also awarded a grant to FF (SLT006/17/00246). This research was also partially funded by: Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016, PI0137/2018); Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2017/017); SEMERGEN, CIBEROBN, FEDER and ISCIII (CB06/03); EU-H2020 Grants (Eat2beNICE/h2020-sfs-2016-2, ref.728018; PRIME/h2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020, ref: 847879)