MEGsim: A Novel methodology for efficient simulation of graphics workloads in GPUs

An important drawback of cycle-accurate microarchitectural simulators is that they are several orders of magnitude slower than the system they model. This becomes an important issue when simulations have to be repeated multiple times sweeping over the desired design space. In the specific context of graphics workloads, performing cycle-accurate simulations are even more demanding due to the high number of triangles that have to be shaded, lighted and textured to compose a single frame. As a result, simulating a few minutes of a video game sequence is extremely time-consuming.In this paper, we make the observation that collecting information about the vertices and primitives that are processed, along with the times that shader programs are invoked, allows us to characterize the activity performed on a given frame. Based on that, we propose a novel methodology for the efficient simulation of graphics workloads called MEGsim, an approach that is capable of accurately characterizing entire video sequences by using a small subset of selected frames which substantially drops the simulation time. For a set of popular Android games, we show that MEGsim achieves an average simulation speedup of 126×, achieving remarkably accurate results for the estimated final statistics, e.g., with average relative errors of just 0.84% for the total number of cycles, 0.99% for the number of DRAM accesses, 1.2% for the number of L2 cache accesses, and 0.86% for the number of L1 (tile cache) accesses.This work has been supported by the CoCoUnit ERC Advanced Grant of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (grant No 833057), the Spanish State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI) under grant PID2020-113172RB-I00, and the ICREA Academia program.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Topology-aware cognitive self-protection framework for automated detection and mitigation of security and privacy incidents in 5G-IoT networks

Internet of Things (IoT) coupled with 5G networks enable unprecedented levels of scalability and performance in the computing industry. These enhanced performance features allow to offer and deploy a wide range of new use cases and services in scenarios such as Smart Cities, Smart Grid or Industry 5.0 just to mention a few. However, the inherent complexity of such networks is a serious concern in terms of security. Furthermore, the vulnerability and low-power constraints of IoT devices make such networks a targeted vector for cyber criminals. In this contribution, authors present an innovative topology-aware Cognitive Self-protection framework able to detect and mitigate attacks in an autonomous way with no human intervention in the wired segments of 5G-IoT multi-tenant networks. Preliminary tests carried out on a realistic emulated testbed show promising results in terms of time spent in stopping DDoS attacks (less than 47 seconds) and scalability for scenarios with different number of tenants and UEs (2 virtual tenants deployed in 4 Edge nodes and up to 64 IoT devices or sensors connected to the infrastructure)

Triangle Dropping: An occluded-geometry predictor for energy-efficient mobile GPUs

This article proposes a novel micro-architecture approach for mobile GPUs aimed at early removing the occluded geometry in a scene by leveraging frame-to-frame coherence, thus reducing the overall energy consumption. Mobile GPUs commonly implement a Tile-Based Rendering (TBR) architecture that differentiates two main phases: the Geometry Pipeline, where all the geometry of a scene is processed; and the Raster Pipeline, where primitives are rendered in a framebuffer. After the Geometry Pipeline, only non-culled primitives inside the camera’s frustum are stored into the Parameter Buffer, a data structure stored in DRAM. However, among the non-culled primitives there is a significant amount that are rendered but non-visible at all, resulting in useless computations. On average, 60% of those primitives are completely occluded in our benchmarks. Despite TBR architectures use on-chip caches for the Parameter Buffer, about 46% of the DRAM traffic still comes from accesses to such buffer. The proposed Triangle Dropping technique leverages the visibility information computed along the Raster Pipeline to predict the primitives’ visibility in the next frame to early discard those that will be totally occluded, drastically reducing Parameter Buffer accesses. On average, our approach achieves overall 14.5% energy savings, 28.2% energy-delay product savings, and a speedup of 20.2%.This work has been supported by the CoCoUnit ERC Advanced Grant of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program (grant no. 833057), the Spanish State Research Agency (MCIN/AEI) under grant PID2020-113172RB-I00 (AEI/FEDER, EU), and the ICREA Academia program. D. Corbalán-Navarro has been also supported by a PhD research fellowship from the University of Murcia’s “Plan Propio de Investigación.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

CERTIFICACIÓN INTEGRAL, UN CAMINO HACIA EL ASEGURAMIENTO DE LA CALIDAD EN LAS INSTITUCIONES DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR (INTEGRAL CERTIFICATION, A PATH TO QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS)

Resumen La calidad hoy en día es un tema que retoma un papel sumamente importante en todas las organizaciones e instituciones de México, no solamente en el sector industrial, sino también en las instituciones educativas con énfasis en las del nivel superior. Actualmente la competitividad que existe en el mercado laboral para los egresados de cualquier programa educativo es tan exigente, que solamente quienes estén mejor preparados, tendrán un lugar en las organizaciones y/o instituciones. Es por esto por lo que las Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES) deben de asegurar que sus egresados cuenten con las competencias requeridas en el ámbito laboral lo cual se logrará contando con un sistema de gestión de la calidad para dar seguimiento a los procesos y los resultados, plantear propuestas de mejora y especialmente, medir la efectividad de sus procesos. En el presente trabajo se describe la primera etapa para la implementación del Sistema de Gestión Integrado (SGI) en una institución de educación superior de la ciudad de Celaya, Gto. Palabras clave: Sistemas de Gestión, ISO 14001, ISO 21001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001. Abstract Quality today is a topic that takes an extremely important role in all organizations and institutions in Mexico, not only in the industrial sector, but also in educational institutions with an emphasis on higher-level ones. Currently, the competitiveness that exists in the labor market for graduates of any educational program is so demanding that only those who are better prepared will have a place in organizations and / or institutions. It is for this reason that Higher Education Institutions (HEI) must ensure that their graduates have the required competencies in the workplace, which will be achieved by having a quality management system to monitor processes and processes results, make proposals for improvement and especially, measures the effectiveness of its processes. This work describes the first stage for the implementation of the Integrated Management System (SGI) in a higher education institution in the city of Celaya, Gto. Keywords: Management Systems, ISO 14001, ISO 21001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001

Correlation between Leg Length Discrepancy, Load Distribution and Structural Alterations in Lower Limb

[Resumen] Objetivo: Establecer la relación entre la diferencia de longitud, el reparto de carga en bipedestación y las alteraciones estructurales del miembro inferior. Material y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, observacional, transversal con una muestra de 31 pacientes (49.1% hombres/58.1% mujeres). Se obtuvieron variables antropométricas y sociodemográficas, medición de las extremidades inferiores, ángulo Q y del valgo del calcáneo y evaluación del reparto de carga en el miembro inferior. Resultados: Se obtuvo una concordancia casi perfecta (k = 0,9; p = 0,000) entre las mediciones espina ilíaca antero superior- maléolo externo y espina ilíaca antero superior- maléolo interno. Conclusiones: Tras determinar la irrelevancia de tomar unas referencias óseas u otras, se ha obtenido que el miembro inferior izquierdo es más largo en la mayoría de la población siendo mayor el reparto de carga en el retropié de la pierna más corta.[Abstract] Objective: to establish the relationship between the difference in length, the distribution of the load in the standing position and the structural alterations of the lower limb. Material and Methods: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 31 patients (49.1% men / 58.1% women). Anthropometric and sociodemographic variables were obtained, measurement of the lower extremities, Q angle and calcaneal valgus and evaluation of the load distribution in the lower limb. Results: An almost perfect concordance (k = 0.9; p = 0.000) was obtained between the measurements of the anterior superior iliac spine-external malleolus and the anterior superior iliac spine-internal malleolus. Conclusions. After determining the irrelevance of taking some bone landmarks or others, it has been obtained that the lower left limb is longer in the majority of the population, with greater load distribution on the hindfoot of the shorter leg

Blood component requirements in liver transplantation: effect of 2 thromboelastometry-guided strategies for bolus fibrinogen infusion, the TROMBOFIB randomized trial

Background: A low plasma fibrinogen level influences blood component transfusion. Thromboelastometry provides clinical guidance for fibrinogen replacement in liver transplantation (LT). Objectives: We hypothesized that infusions of fibrinogen concentrate to reach an A10FIBTEM value of 11 mm during LT could reduce red blood cell (RBC) and other component and fluid requirements in comparison to standard care. Methods: This randomized, blinded, multicenter trial in 3 hospitals enrolled 189 LTscheduled patients allocated to an intervention target (A10FIBTEM, 11 mm) or a standard target (A10FIBTEM, 8 mm); 176 patients underwent LT with fibrinogen replacement. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat (intervention group, 91; control group, 85). Blood was extracted, and fibrinogen kits were prepared to bring each patient's fibrinogen level to the assigned target at the start of LT, after portal vein clamping, and after graft reperfusion. The main outcome was the proportion of patients requiring RBC transfusion during LT or within 24 hours. Results: The proportion of patients requiring RBCs did not differ between the groups: intervention, 74.7% (95% CI, 65.5%-83.3%); control, 72.9% (95% CI, 62.2%-82.0%); absolute difference, 1.8% (95% CI, −11.1% to 14.78%) (P = .922). Thrombotic events occurred in 4% of the patients in both groups; reoperation and retransplantation rates and mortality did not differ. Nearly 70% of the patients in both groups required fibrinogen concentrate to reach the target. Using an 11-mm A10FIBTEM target increased the maximum clot firmness without affecting safety. However, this change provided no clinical benefits. Conclusion: The similar low plasma fibrinogen concentrations could explain the lack of significant between-group outcomes

Anti-Doping Knowledge of Students Undertaking Bachelor’s Degrees in Sports Sciences in Spain

In Spain, students pursuing a career in athletic training, physical education, or scientific evaluation of sports enroll in a bachelor’s degree in sports sciences. This degree provides knowledge and skills in a broad array of sports settings and promotes research-based interdisciplinary knowledge. However, the student’s syllabus rarely includes specific academic training on anti-doping regulations or doping prevention. The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-doping knowledge of the students undertaking a bachelor’s degree in sports sciences in Spanish universities. One thousand two hundred and thirty-three bachelor students in sport science (907 males, 322 females, and 4 participants with non-binary sex) from 26 Spanish universities completed a validated questionnaire about general anti-doping knowledge. The questionnaire is an adapted version of the Play True Quiz of the World Anti-Doping Agency and contains 37 multiple-choice questions. The score obtained in the questionnaire was transformed into a 0–100-point scale. The questionnaire was distributed among students within each university by a faculty member and it was filled out online. Students obtained a score of 65.8 ± 10.10 points (range = 32–92 points). There was an effect of the course in the score obtained (p < 0.001). Students of the first course (63.6 ± 9.5 points) had lower scores than the remaining courses (p < 0.037) while the students of the fourth course obtained the highest scores (68.7 ± 9.5 points; p < 0.019). The students with an itinerary on sports performance were the respondents with the highest anti-doping knowledge (67.2 ± 10.2) points, followed by the students with an itinerary on health (66.7 ± 9.5 points). The knowledge of basic anti-doping rules and doping prevention strategies of the bachelor students in sports sciences in Spain was suboptimal. Increasing doping prevention information in the syllabus of the bachelor’s degree in sports sciences is essential as these future professionals will directly work with populations at risk of dopin

SPARC mediates metastatic cooperation between CSC and non-CSC prostate cancer cell subpopulations

Background Tumor cell subpopulations can either compete with each other for nutrients and physical space within the tumor niche, or co-operate for enhanced survival, or replicative or metastatic capacities. Recently, we have described co-operative interactions between two clonal subpopulations derived from the PC-3 prostate cancer cell line, in which the invasiveness of a cancer stem cell (CSC)-enriched subpopulation (PC-3M, or M) is enhanced by a non-CSC subpopulation (PC-3S, or S), resulting in their accelerated metastatic dissemination. Methods M and S secretomes were compared by SILAC (Stable Isotope Labeling by Aminoacids in Cell Culture). Invasive potential in vitro of M cells was analyzed by Transwell-Matrigel assays. M cells were co-injected with S cells in the dorsal prostate of immunodeficient mice and monitored by bioluminescence for tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. SPARC levels were determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR in tumors and by ELISA in plasma from patients with metastatic or non-metastatic prostate cancer. Results Comparative secretome analysis yielded 213 proteins differentially secreted between M and S cells. Of these, the protein most abundantly secreted in S relative to M cells was SPARC. Immunodepletion of SPARC inhibited the enhanced invasiveness of M induced by S conditioned medium. Knock down of SPARC in S cells abrogated the capacity of its conditioned medium to enhance the in vitro invasiveness of M cells and compromised their potential to boost the metastatic behavior of M cells in vivo. In most primary human prostate cancer samples, SPARC was expressed in the epithelial tumoral compartment of metastatic cases. Conclusions The matricellular protein SPARC, secreted by a prostate cancer clonal tumor cell subpopulation displaying non-CSC properties, is a critical mediator of paracrine effects exerted on a distinct tumor cell subpopulation enriched in CSC. This paracrine interaction results in an enhanced metastatic behavior of the CSC-enriched tumor subpopulation. SPARC is expressed in the neoplastic cells of primary prostate cancer samples from metastatic cases, and could thus constitute a tumor progression biomarker and a therapeutic target in advanced prostate cancer

Asymptomatic Strongyloidiasis among Latin American Migrants in Spain: A Community-Based Approach

Strongyloides stercoralis infection is frequently underdiagnosed since many infections remain asymptomatic. Aim: To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening program for Chagas disease in Spain. Methodology: Three community-based Chagas disease screening campaigns were performed in Alicante (Spain) in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Serological testing for S. stercoralis infection was performed using a non-automatized IVD-ELISA detecting IgG (DRG Instruments GmbH, Marburg, Germany). Results: Of the 616 migrants from Central and South America who were screened, 601 were included in the study: 100 children and adolescents (<18 years of age) and 501 adults. Among the younger group, 6 participants tested positive (prevalence 6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5% to 13.1%), while 60 adults did so (prevalence 12%, 95% CI 9.3% to 15.3%). S. stercoralis infection was more common in men than in women (odds ratio adjusted [ORa] 2.28, 95% CI 1.289 to 4.03) and in those from Bolivia (ORa 2.03, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.59). Prevalence increased with age (ORa 1.02, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.05). In contrast, a university education had a protective effect (ORa 0.29, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.88). Forty-one (41/66; 62.1%) of the total cases of S. stercoralis infection were treated at the health care center. Positive stool samples were observed in 19.5% of the followed-up positive cases. Conclusion: Incorporating serological screening for S. stercoralis into community-based screening for Chagas disease is a useful intervention to detect asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Central and South American migrants and an opportunity to tackle neglected tropical diseases in a transversal way. The remaining challenge is to achieve patients' adherence to the medical follow-up.This study was partially supported by the 3rd call for research project grants for the Institute of Health and Biometric Research of Alicante (ISABIAL)/FISABIO Foundation (UGP-16-158), and by the collaboration agreement regulated under the Law of Patronage between ISABIAL/FISABIO and the Foundation Mundo Sano, Spain.S

Darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide versus dolutegravir /abacavir/lamivudine in antiretroviral-naïve adults (SYMTRI): a multicenter randomized open-label study (PReEC/RIS-57)

D/C/F/TAF is the reference for combination therapy based on protease inhibitors but has not been compared with regimens containing integrase inhibitors as initial ART. We could not demonstrate D/C/F/TAF noninferiority relative to DTG/ABC/3TC, although both regimens were similarly well tolerated. Background Darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (D/C/F/TAF) is the reference for combination therapy based on protease inhibitors due to its efficacy, tolerability, and convenience. Head-to-head randomized comparisons between D/C/F/TAF and combination therapy based on integrase inhibitors in antiretroviral-naive patients are lacking. Methods Adult (>18 years old) human immunodeficiency virus-infected antiretroviral-naive patients (HLA-B*5701 negative and hepatitis B virus negative), with viral load (VL) >= 500 c/mL, were centrally randomized to initiate D/C/F/TAF or dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (DTG/3TC/ABC) after stratifying by VL and CD4 count. Clinical and analytical assessments were performed at weeks 0, 4, 12, 24, and 48. The primary endpoint was VL 100 000 copies/mL, and 13% had <200 CD4 cells/mu L. Median weight was 73 kg and median body mass index was 24 kg/m(2). At 48 weeks, 79% (D/C/F/TAF) versus 82% (DTG/3TC/ABC) had VL <50 c/mL (difference, -2.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -11.3 to 6.6). Eight percent versus four percent experienced virologic failure but no resistance-associated mutations emerged. Four percent versus six percent had drug discontinuation due to adverse events. In the per-protocol analysis, 94% versus 96% of patients had VL <50 c/mL (difference, -2%; 95% CI, -8.1 to 3.5). There were no differences in CD4 cell count or weight changes. Conclusions We could not demonstrate the noninferiority of D/C/F/TAF relative to DTG/ABC/3TC as initial antiretroviral therapy, although both regimens were similarly well tolerated