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

Dieta y ámbito hogareño del gato feral, Felis catus (Carnivora: Felidae) en la Isla Socorro, Archipiélago de Revillagigedo, México

Socorro is an oceanic island rich in biodiversity and endemisms. However, the island has been threatened by feral cats since 1957. The diet of this predator, determined through the analysis of stomach contents of 79 cats, consisted mostly of house mice (Mus musculus, 22.16%), endemic lizards (Urosaurus auriculatus, 15.09%), anthropogenic rubbish (15.09%), and insects (Orthoptera, 13.20%). The home range of the feral cat was identified through telemetry using four individuals with GPS/VHF radio-collars. The three males had a much larger average home range of 219.10 ha, as compared with 118.86 ha of the female. Knowing the home range of the Socorro Island feral cat is critical for the successful eradication of the island's invasive population. Thanks to this information, it is possible to calculate the trapping effort and the amount of bait needed per unit area to successfully carry out the ongoing eradication, contributing to the conservation of global biodiversity.Isla Socorro es una isla oceánica rica en biodiversidad y endemismos. Sin embargo, la isla ha sido impactada por el gato asilvestrado desde 1957. A través del análisis del contenido estomacal de 79 gatos se determinó la dieta de este depredador, la cual está constituida mayormente por el ratón doméstico (Mus musculus, 22.16%), la lagartija endémica (Urosaurus auriculatus, 15.09%), residuos antropogénicos (15.09%), e insectos (Orthoptera, 13.20%). Se identificó el ámbito hogareño de los gatos a través de telemetría, utilizando cuatro individuos con radio-collares GPS/VHF. El ámbito hogareño de los machos resultó de 219.10 ha en promedio, mucho mayor que el de las hembras que fue de 118.86 ha. Conocer el ámbito hogareño del gato asilvestrado de Isla Socorro es clave para la erradicación exitosa de la población de la isla. Gracias a esta información se ha podido calcular el esfuerzo de trampeo o la cantidad de carnada que deben ser empleadas por unidad de área durante la erradicación en curso, que es relevante para la conservación de la biodiversidad global

Single-file dynamics of colloids in circular channels: Time scales, scaling laws and their universality

In colloidal systems, Brownian motion emerges from the massive separation of time and length scales associated with characteristic dynamics of the solute and solvent constituents. This separation of scales produces several temporal regimes in the colloidal dynamics when combined with the effects of the interaction between the particles, confinement conditions, and state variables, such as density and temperature. Some examples are the short- and long-time regimes in two- and three-dimensional open systems and the diffusive and subdiffusive regimes observed in the single-file (SF) dynamics along a straight line. In this paper, we address the way in which a confining geometry induces new time scales. We report on the dynamics of interacting colloidal particles moving along a circle by combining a heuristic theoretical analysis of the involved scales, Brownian dynamics computer simulations, and video-microscopy experiments with paramagnetic colloids confined to lithographic circular channels subjected to an external magnetic field. The systems display four temporal regimes in the following order: one-dimensional free diffusion, SF subdiffusion, free-cluster rotational diffusion, and the expected saturation due to the confinement. We also report analytical expressions for the mean-square angular displacement and crossover times obtained from scaling arguments, which accurately reproduce both experiments and simulations. Our generic approach can be used to predict the long-time dynamics of many other confined physical systems

Sistemas de apoyo clínico en Atención primaria: uso de e-learning e ilustraciones médicas en la toma de decisiones compartidas

Comunicación oral presentada en la Segunda Conferencia Internacional de Comunicación en Salud, celebrada el 23 de octubre de 2015 en la Universidad Carlos III de MadridIntroducción: La digitalización de la historia clínica supone un nuevo paradigma en la consulta de atención primaria permitiendo la continuidad asistencial y una gran accesibilidad a la información. Incorporar la participación del paciente aumenta su confianza y satisfacción hacia el profesional disminuyendo la iatrogenia y el coste sanitario. Esta visita personalizada requiere más tiempo, pero el aprendizaje electrónico mutuo (e-learning) aumenta la precisión diagnóstica y terapéutica, minimizando errores y efectos secundarios. Objetivos: evaluar el uso del e-learning e ilustraciones médicas en la toma de decisiones compartidas en el Centro de Atención Primaria Raval Sud de Barcelona; valorar la efectividad en la utilización de imágenes y gráficos para empoderar a la población atendida para comprender y participar en la toma de decisiones referentes a su salud; conocer la satisfacción y preferencias de uso del paciente y del profesional. Metodología: Diseño: Estudio cualitativo fenomenológico. Ámbito de estudio: Centro de Atención Primaria Raval Sud de Barcelona (zona urbana socialmente deprimida, 60% población inmigrada). Población de estudio: Pacientes atendidos por cualquier motivo (muestreo por bola de nieve) que accedan a participar en nuestro estudio. Técnicas de recogida de información: Observaciones y entrevistas individuales semiestructuradas. Durante la visita se observa la comunicación médico-paciente mediante la utilización del soporte visual electrónico, posteriormente se entrevista al paciente y al profesional para conocer su opinión. Análisis: Las observaciones y entrevistas son grabadas (grabadora de sonido) con posterior transcripción literal del texto y marcaje de citas, códigos y categorías. Análisis de contenido temático y categorización a posteriori. Resultados: Tras una prueba piloto se observa mayor facilitación y comprensión tras la visita, el paciente se muestra satisfecho y prefiere el uso del e-learning e ilustraciones médicas a la visita tradicional

The Transcriptome Analysis of Strongyloides stercoralis L3i Larvae Reveals Targets for Intervention in a Neglected Disease

BackgroundStrongyloidiasis is one of the most neglected diseases distributed worldwide with endemic areas in developed countries, where chronic infections are life threatening. Despite its impact, very little is known about the molecular biology of the parasite involved and its interplay with its hosts. Next generation sequencing technologies now provide unique opportunities to rapidly address these questions.Principal FindingsHere we present the first transcriptome of the third larval stage of S. stercoralis using 454 sequencing coupled with semi-automated bioinformatic analyses. 253,266 raw sequence reads were assembled into 11,250 contiguous sequences, most of which were novel. 8037 putative proteins were characterized based on homology, gene ontology and/or biochemical pathways. Comparison of the transcriptome of S. strongyloides with those of other nematodes, including S. ratti, revealed similarities in transcription of molecules inferred to have key roles in parasite-host interactions. Enzymatic proteins, like kinases and proteases, were abundant. 1213 putative excretory/secretory proteins were compiled using a new pipeline which included non-classical secretory proteins. Potential drug targets were also identified.ConclusionsOverall, the present dataset should provide a solid foundation for future fundamental genomic, proteomic and metabolomic explorations of S. stercoralis, as well as a basis for applied outcomes, such as the development of novel methods of intervention against this neglected parasite

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

XXV Curso Monográfico de Psiquiatría Infantil y la Adolescencia: Tópicos de Psicofarmacología Infantil - 2023

El XXV Curso Monográfico de Psiquiatría Infantil y de la Adolescencia, titulado "Tópicos de Psicofarmacología Infantil," fue un evento destacado en el campo de la salud mental infantil y adolescente. Durante tres días en septiembre de 2023, expertos líderes en la materia se reunieron para explorar a fondo la psicofarmacología en este grupo de edad. El evento, dedicado a la memoria del Dr. Francisco Javier Valencia Granados, comenzó con una ceremonia de inauguración en la que participaron autoridades institucionales. Luego, se sucedieron conferencias magistrales que abordaron una amplia variedad de temas cruciales. Estos incluyeron aspectos fundamentales como la neurobioquímica farmacológica y una introducción a la psicofarmacología. El programa se adentró en cuestiones específicas, como el uso de antipsicóticos en paidopsiquiatría, el abordaje de trastornos del aprendizaje, el tratamiento del suicidio desde una perspectiva psicofarmacológica, y la gestión farmacológica del insomnio en niños. Se exploraron temas especializados, como el tratamiento de la esquizofrenia en pacientes infantiles. El segundo día se centró en trastornos emocionales en niños y adolescentes, destacando el tratamiento del trastorno depresivo, los trastornos ansiosos y el espectro autista. Se presentaron enfoques vanguardistas, como el uso de psicodélicos en adolescentes y las novedades en psicofarmacología, como el dextrometorfano y el bupropión. También se discutió el manejo de la epilepsia y la adicción a los videojuegos. El tercer día se enfocó en el tratamiento farmacológico de trastornos pediátricos específicos, como el trastorno bipolar, el déficit de atención e hiperactividad, la enuresis y encopresis, parasomnias, y el abordaje neuropsiquiátrico en pacientes pediátricos con VIH. Se exploraron también trastornos de la conducta alimentaria y la disforia de género. El evento culminó con una reflexión sobre la salud mental en niños y un emotivo tributo al Dr. Francisco Javier