Inferring Energy Bounds via Static Program Analysis and Evolutionary Modeling of Basic Blocks

The ever increasing number and complexity of energy-bound devices (such as the ones used in Internet of Things applications, smart phones, and mission critical systems) pose an important challenge on techniques to optimize their energy consumption and to verify that they will perform their function within the available energy budget. In this work we address this challenge from the software point of view and propose a novel parametric approach to estimating tight bounds on the energy consumed by program executions that are practical for their application to energy verification and optimization. Our approach divides a program into basic (branchless) blocks and estimates the maximal and minimal energy consumption for each block using an evolutionary algorithm. Then it combines the obtained values according to the program control flow, using static analysis, to infer functions that give both upper and lower bounds on the energy consumption of the whole program and its procedures as functions on input data sizes. We have tested our approach on (C-like) embedded programs running on the XMOS hardware platform. However, our method is general enough to be applied to other microprocessor architectures and programming languages. The bounds obtained by our prototype implementation can be tight while remaining on the safe side of budgets in practice, as shown by our experimental evaluation.Comment: Pre-proceedings paper presented at the 27th International Symposium on Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2017), Namur, Belgium, 10-12 October 2017 (arXiv:1708.07854). Improved version of the one presented at the HIP3ES 2016 workshop (v1): more experimental results (added benchmark to Table 1, added figure for new benchmark, added Table 3), improved Fig. 1, added Fig.

The universal power spectrum of Quasars in optical wavelengths: Break timescale scales directly with both black hole mass and accretion rate

Aims: Establish the dependence of variability properties, such as characteristic timescales and variability amplitude, on basic quasar parameters such as black hole mass and accretion rate, controlling for the rest-frame wavelength of emission. Methods: Using large catalogs of quasars, we selected the g-band light curves for 4770 objects from the Zwicky Transient Facility archive. All selected objects fall into a narrow redshift bin, $0.6<z<0.7$, but cover a wide range of accretion rates in Eddington units (REdd) and black hole masses ($M$). We grouped these objects into 26 independent bins according to these parameters, calculated low-resolution $g$-band variability power spectra for each of these bins, and approximated the power spectra with a simple analytic model that features a break at a timescale $t_b$. Results: We found a clear dependence of the break timescale $t_b$ on REdd, on top of the known dependence of $t_b$ on the black hole mass $M$. In our fits, $t_b\propto M^{0.65 - 0.55}$ REdd $^{0.35 - 0.3}$, where the ranges in the exponents correspond to the best-fitting parameters of different power spectrum models. Scaling $t_b$ to the orbital timescale of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), $t_{\rm ISCO}$, results approximately in $t_{b}/t_{\rm ISCO} \propto ($REdd$/M)^{0.35}$. The observed values of $t_b$ are $\sim 10$ longer than the orbital timescale at the light-weighted average radius of the disc region emitting in the (observer frame) $g$-band. The different scaling of the break frequency with $M$ and REdd shows that the shape of the variability power spectrum cannot be solely a function of the quasar luminosity, even for a single rest-frame wavelength. Finally, the best-fitting models have slopes above the break in the range -2.5 and -3. A slope of -2, as in the damped random walk models, fits the data significantly worse.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Effect of pretreatment with low-frequency ultrasound on quality parameters in gulupa (Passiflora edulis sims) pulp

The Gulupa (Passiflora edulis f. edulis Sims) is an expression of South America’s tropics’ biodiversity, and a source of B vitamins and amino acids. It is a climacteric export fruit for which it is necessary to incorporate emerging technologies for its conservation and transport. This work investigated the effect of ultrasound on gulupa pulp and verified the stability of the characters of interest in the shelf life of 20 days. Six treatments and a control sample were used, evaluated in triplicate, and varied in frequency (30 and 40 kHz) with an exposure time of 10, 20, and 30 min. A statistical analysis of unidirectional variances and Dunnett’s test was used. It was found that the ultrasound treatments did not affect the pH or the titratable acidity. Soluble solid results presented a significant increase (p &lt; 0.05) (from 13.4 to 14.8% w/v) in the antioxidant capacity (from 1.13 to 1.54 µmol Trolox Equivalent (TE)/g by the ABTS•+ (2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) Cationic Radical Assay and from 3.3 to 3.7 µmol TE/g by the DPPH· (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrilhydrazil) Radical Scavenging Assay). During the shelf life, ascorbic acid was the parameter that varied most (p &lt; 0.05). It decreased from 42.7 to 21.6 mg ascorbic acid/100 g of pulp in the control sample. However, a smaller decrease was observed (23.8–24.5 mg ascorbic acid/100 g of pulp) in the 40 kHz treatments. The smallest global color difference (∆E) for the control was found in the 40 kHz treatment at 30 min through the entire shelf life (day 0 to 20). Ultrasound treatment offers a new strategy to improve and extend the shelf life of chilled gulupa pulp

Albayzín-2014 evaluation: audio segmentation and classification in broadcast news domains

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13636-015-0076-3Audio segmentation is important as a pre-processing task to improve the performance of many speech technology tasks and, therefore, it has an undoubted research interest. This paper describes the database, the metric, the systems and the results for the Albayzín-2014 audio segmentation campaign. In contrast to previous evaluations where the task was the segmentation of non-overlapping classes, Albayzín-2014 evaluation proposes the delimitation of the presence of speech, music and/or noise that can be found simultaneously. The database used in the evaluation was created by fusing different media and noises in order to increase the difficulty of the task. Seven segmentation systems from four different research groups were evaluated and combined. Their experimental results were analyzed and compared with the aim of providing a benchmark and showing up the promising directions in this field.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Government and the European Union (FEDER) under the project TIN2011-28169-C05-02 and supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Spanish Government (‘SpeechTech4All Project’ TEC2012-38939-C03

TWO CASES DEMONSTRATING THE ATTITUDE OF AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES TOWARDS THE OBJECTS OF THE ART IN DALMATIA IN THE EARLY 19th CENTURY

The quantity of objects of cultural and artistic significance in Dalmatia would, according to the author, be considerably larger than it actually is if such objects had not been taken out of the country either in the legal, or ... what is worse ... even in an illegal way. The present paper deals with two entirely different aspects of transfer of such object: the one involving the exportation of objects of artistic value by the Imperial administration of the then Austrian Kingdom of Dalmatia, organized in 1802; and the second the attempt of the Imperial authorities to restitute, in 1849, the paintings that had been brought from the northern and middle Italy. In connection with the first case, the author points out that the Imperial Commissaire Francesco Maria de Carneo-Steffaneo had collected in Dalmatia and Istria, within five months, a number of transportable objects of art. The research made by the author in the archives shows that the Commissaire had delivered nine cases full of such objects to the then Emperor Francis II in Vienna. Two of those nine cases contained Roman statues excavated at Salona; there was also a painting of the battle fought between the troops of the Republic of Vinice and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. An analogous collection was also sent from Istria, and everything was fictitiously represented as »donations«. The avaricious Emperor Francis II seized everthing. As far as the activities of Carneo-Steffaneo are concerned, the secret archives at the Imperial Court in Vienna should be consulted. The other, completely different case, deals with the restitution of foreign objects of art which were at that time held in Vienna. Owing to the growing unrest and threatening war, the Italian states were not considered sure in the fifties, and a number of objects of art were brought to Austria – from Rome, the Vatican, Florence and Venice. By the Imperial decree dated March 21, 1849, such practice was further forbidden and both trade and transfer of artistic objects were thus made impossible. The decree was proclaimed in Dalmatia in two languages – Croatian and Italian – on April 10th, 1849. The introductory part of the proclamation contains the explanation why such trade has been forbidden. The objects of art were not to be exported, it stated, as »this is a shame for a law-abiding nation«, and foreign objects of artistic value, which had been taken away and held in Vienna at that time, had to be restituted. This also referred to similar objects provenient from Dalmatia and Istria

PARL deficiency in mouse causes Complex III defects, coenzyme Q depletion, and Leigh-like syndrome

The mitochondrial intramembrane rhomboid protease PARL has been implicated in diverse functions in vitro, but its physiological role in vivo remains unclear. Here we show that ablation in mouse causes a necrotizing encephalomyelopathy similar to Leigh syndrome, a mitochondrial disease characterized by disrupted energy production. Mice with conditional PARL deficiency in the nervous system, but not in muscle, develop a similar phenotype as germline KOs, demonstrating the vital role of PARL in neurological homeostasis. Genetic modification of two major PARL substrates, PINK1 and PGAM5, do not modify this severe neurological phenotype. brain mitochondria are affected by progressive ultrastructural changes and by defects in Complex III (CIII) activity, coenzyme Q (CoQ) biosynthesis, and mitochondrial calcium metabolism. PARL is necessary for the stable expression of TTC19, which is required for CIII activity, and of COQ4, which is essential in CoQ biosynthesis. Thus, PARL plays a previously overlooked constitutive role in the maintenance of the respiratory chain in the nervous system, and its deficiency causes progressive mitochondrial dysfunction and structural abnormalities leading to neuronal necrosis and Leigh-like syndrome

Predicting outcomes in pediatric ulcerative colitis for management optimization: systematic review and consensus statements from the pediatric inflammatory bowel disease–ahead program

Background &amp; Aims: A better understanding of prognostic factors in ulcerative colitis (UC) could improve patient management and reduce complications. We aimed to identify evidence-based predictors for outcomes in pediatric UC, which may be used to optimize treatment algorithms. Methods: Potential outcomes worthy of prediction in UC were determined by surveying 202 experts in pediatric UC. A systematic review of the literature, with selected meta-analysis, was performed to identify studies that investigated predictors for these outcomes. Multiple national and international meetings were held to reach consensus on evidence-based statements. Results: Consensus was reached on 31 statements regarding predictors of colectomy, acute severe colitis (ASC), chronically active pediatric UC, cancer and mortality. At diagnosis, disease extent (6 studies, N = 627; P =.035), Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index score (4 studies, n = 318; P &lt;.001), hemoglobin, hematocrit, and albumin may predict colectomy. In addition, family history of UC (2 studies, n = 557; P =.0004), extraintestinal manifestations (4 studies, n = 526; P =.048), and disease extension over time may predict colectomy, whereas primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) may be protective. Acute severe colitis may be predicted by disease severity at onset and hypoalbuminemia. Higher Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index score and C-reactive protein on days 3 and 5 of hospital admission predict failure of intravenous steroids. Risk factors for malignancy included concomitant diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis, longstanding colitis (&gt;10 years), male sex, and younger age at diagnosis. Conclusions: These evidence-based consensus statements offer predictions to be considered for a personalized medicine approach in treating pediatric UC

Predicting outcomes in pediatric Crohn's disease for management optimization: systematic review and consensus statements from the pediatric inflammatory bowel disease–ahead program

Background &amp; Aims: A better understanding of prognostic factors within the heterogeneous spectrum of pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) should improve patient management and reduce complications. We aimed to identify evidence-based predictors of outcomes with the goal of optimizing individual patient management. Methods: A survey of 202 experts in pediatric CD identified and prioritized adverse outcomes to be avoided. A systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis, when possible, was performed to identify clinical studies that investigated predictors of these outcomes. Multiple national and international face-to-face meetings were held to draft consensus statements based on the published evidence. Results: Consensus was reached on 27 statements regarding prognostic factors for surgery, complications, chronically active pediatric CD, and hospitalization. Prognostic factors for surgery included CD diagnosis during adolescence, growth impairment, NOD2/CARD15 polymorphisms, disease behavior, and positive anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody status. Isolated colonic disease was associated with fewer surgeries. Older age at presentation, small bowel disease, serology (anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody, antiflagellin, and OmpC), NOD2/CARD15 polymorphisms, perianal disease, and ethnicity were risk factors for penetrating (B3) and/or stenotic disease (B2). Male sex, young age at onset, small bowel disease, more active disease, and diagnostic delay may be associated with growth impairment. Malnutrition and higher disease activity were associated with reduced bone density. Conclusions: These evidence-based consensus statements offer insight into predictors of poor outcomes in pediatric CD and are valuable when developing treatment algorithms and planning future studies. Targeted longitudinal studies are needed to further characterize prognostic factors in pediatric CD and to evaluate the impact of treatment algorithms tailored to individual patient risk

The Pierre Auger Observatory III: Other Astrophysical Observations

Astrophysical observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the Pierre Auger ObservatoryComment: Contributions to the 32nd International Cosmic Ray Conference, Beijing, China, August 201

Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers above 10^18 eV

We describe the measurement of the depth of maximum, Xmax, of the longitudinal development of air showers induced by cosmic rays. Almost four thousand events above 10^18 eV observed by the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory in coincidence with at least one surface detector station are selected for the analysis. The average shower maximum was found to evolve with energy at a rate of (106 +35/-21) g/cm^2/decade below 10^(18.24 +/- 0.05) eV and (24 +/- 3) g/cm^2/decade above this energy. The measured shower-to-shower fluctuations decrease from about 55 to 26 g/cm^2. The interpretation of these results in terms of the cosmic ray mass composition is briefly discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication by PR