Developing Efficient Discrete Simulations on Multicore and GPU Architectures

In this paper we show how to efficiently implement parallel discrete simulations on multicoreandGPUarchitecturesthrougharealexampleofanapplication: acellularautomatamodel of laser dynamics. We describe the techniques employed to build and optimize the implementations using OpenMP and CUDA frameworks. We have evaluated the performance on two different hardware platforms that represent different target market segments: high-end platforms for scientific computing, using an Intel Xeon Platinum 8259CL server with 48 cores, and also an NVIDIA Tesla V100GPU,bothrunningonAmazonWebServer(AWS)Cloud;and on a consumer-oriented platform, using an Intel Core i9 9900k CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI GPU. Performance results were compared and analyzed in detail. We show that excellent performance and scalability can be obtained in both platforms, and we extract some important issues that imply a performance degradation for them. We also found that current multicore CPUs with large core numbers can bring a performance very near to that of GPUs, and even identical in some cases.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España (MINECO), and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) of Spain, cofinanced by FEDER funds (EU) TIN2017-89842

Psychological effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown among students and workers of a Spanish university

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 in the university community during the first weeks of confinement. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was employed to assess symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional impact of the situation was analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. An online survey was fulfilled by 2530 members of the University of Valladolid, in Spain. Moderate to extremely severe scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were reported by 21.34%, 34.19% and 28.14% of the respondents, respectively. A total of 50.43% of respondents presented moderate to severe impact of the outbreak. Students from Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences & Law showed higher scores related to anxiety, depression, stress and impact of event with respect to students from Engineering & Architecture. University staff presented lower scores in all measures compared to students, who seem to have suffered an important psychological impact during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. In order to provide timely crisis-oriented psychological services and to take preventive measures in future pandemic situations, mental health in university students should be carefully monitored

Psychological symptoms of the outbreak of the COVID-19 confinement in Spain

We studied the short-term psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine on 3550 adults from the Spanish population in a cross-sectional survey. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress were analyzed using the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression, and stress were observed in 20% to 30% of respondents. Symptomatic scores indicating psychological stress were found in 47.5% of respondents. Similar to the findings of other multiple studies, confinement has been found to have significant emotional impact in the Spanish population

Longitudinal evaluation of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Spain

Background: Strict confinement and social distancing measures have been imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries. The aim was to assess the temporal evolution of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown from two surveys, separated by one month, performed in Spain. Methods: Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and the psychological impact of the situation were longitudinally analyzed using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES) respectively. Results: There was a total of 4,724 responses from both surveys. Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression and stress were exhibited by 37.22%, 46.42% and 49.66% of the second survey respondents, showing a significant increase compared to the first survey (32.45%, 44.11% and 37.01%, respectively). There was no significant longitudinal change of the IES scores, with 48.30% of the second survey participants showing moderate to severe impact of the confinement. Constant news consumption about COVID-19 was found to be positively associated with symptomatic scores in the different scales, and daily physical activity to be negatively associated with DASS-21 scores. Conclusions: Results indicated a temporal increase of anxiety, depression and stress scores during the COVID-19 lockdown. Factors such as age, consumption of information about COVID-19 and physical activity seem to have an important impact on the evolution of psychological symptoms

La Semiótica y la realidad virtual como aliada del aprendizaje en alumnos TEA

Este trabajo se plantea con el fin de abrir vías nuevas hacia la mejora del aprendizaje de estudiantes con dificultades sociales y cognitivas para fomentar la diversidad y plantear nuevas formas de aprendizaje apoyándonos en la tecnología como principal aliada. Principalmente las herramientas tecnológicas elegidas sobre las que se apoya este trabajo son la realidad virtual, el montaje y edición de vídeo y el modelado 3D. Se creará una serie de entornos virtuales que impulsen la diversidad educativa desarrollando un proyecto de aprendizaje servicio. Los protagonistas de dicho proyecto serán los estudiantes de 4º de la ESO de la asignatura TIC, la meta es crear una base de datos enfocada y diseñada especialmente para mejorar el aprendizaje de personas con espectro autista. <br /

Leptin Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Intracellular Calcium Increase and Vasoconstriction in the Rat Aorta

Besides its role in body weight control leptin may also act as a vasoactive hormone. This study was designed to investigate whether leptin modifies angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced vascular responses. The expression of functional leptin receptors (OB-Rb) was detected in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from adult Wistar rats by RT-PCR. Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis further showed the expression of OB-R protein in VSMCs. The ANG II (10(-7) mol/liter)-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) was blocked (P < 0.01) by leptin (10(-8) mol/liter). Moreover, in calcium-free buffer leptin was able to inhibit 65% of the ANG II-induced calcium release from intracellular stores. In endothelium-denuded aortic rings from adult Wistar rats no effect of leptin on basal tension was observed. However, the ANG II-induced isometric contraction was reduced (P < 0.05) by leptin (10(-8) mol/liter). The experiments were also performed in age- and sex-matched Zucker rats, in which no effect of leptin on ANG II-induced calcium increase and vasoconstriction was observed. It is concluded that leptin blocks the vasoconstrictor action of ANG II and inhibits the ANG II-induced increase in intracellular Ca(2+) in VSMCs through OB-Rb. These findings provide new insight into the physiological effects of leptin on blood pressure regulation

Adolescents' vulnerability to disinformation: Its measurement and relationship to critical thinking and moral disengagement

Los jóvenes adolescentes son más vulnerables ante la desinformación por el tiempo que emplean conectados y sus hábitos de consumo de contenidos. Las consecuencias de este fenómeno pueden llegar a ser graves tanto a nivel individual como social y político. Para paliar esta situación, desde distintas instancias se recomiendan prácticas saludables para el consumo y el intercambio de información, desde listas de chequeo hasta ejercicios de autoaprendizaje para fomentar el pensamiento crítico. Esta investigación propone una herramienta con la que identificar los comportamientos de los adolescentes a la hora de darle credibilidad a una información o contenido y las motivaciones que les incitan a compartirlo, contribuyendo en ocasiones a la difusión de información engañosa. Tras un exhaustivo proceso de diseño, pilotaje y validación psicométrica en una muestra de habla inglesa (N = 417), se obtiene un instrumento fiable. Se mide también su correlación con el pensamiento crítico y la desconexión moral. Los resultados permiten concluir que estamos ante una nueva herramienta con la que observar los comportamientos de consumo de información de los jóvenes y medir así su vulnerabilidad desinformativa. Asimismo, se constata cómo un mayor pensamiento crítico se relaciona positivamente con un consumo más responsable a la hora de darle credibilidad a un contenido o noticia, y cómo la desconexión moral lo hace con el hecho de compartirlo con mayor ligerezaYoung adolescents are more vulnerable to disinformation owing to the time that they spend online and their content consumption habits. The consequences of this phenome non can be serious, both for the individual and at a social and political level. To alleviate this situation, different agencies recommend healthy practices regarding consumption and exchange of information; from checklists to self-learning exercises for the development of critical thinking. This research proposes a tool for the identification of behaviours among adolescents when giving credibility to information or content and the motives that lead them to share it, contributing at times to the spread of misleading information. After an ex haustive process of design, piloting, and psy chometric validation using an English-speak ing sample (N = 417), a reliable instrument was obtained. We also measured its correlation with critical thinking and moral disengage ment. The results lead us to conclude that this is a new tool with which to observe the information consumption behaviours of young people and thus measure their vulnerability to disinformation. Similarly, we have confirmed how greater critical thinking is positively re lated to more responsible consumption when giving credibility to content or news, and how moral disengagement is linked to the fact of sharing such items with greater ease

Torasemide inhibits angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction and intracellular calcium increase in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Torasemide is a loop diuretic that is effective at low once-daily doses in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Because its antihypertensive mechanism of action may not be based entirely on the elimination of salt and water from the body, a vasodilator effect of this drug can be considered. In the present study, the ability of different concentrations of torasemide to modify angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced vascular responses was examined, with the use of an organ bath system, in endothelium-denuded aortic rings from spontaneously hypertensive rats. Ang II-induced increases of intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) were also examined by image analysis in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from spontaneously hypertensive rats. A dose-response curve to Ang II was plotted for cumulative concentrations (from 10(-9) to 10(-6) mol/L) in endothelium-denuded aortic rings (pD(2)=7.5+/-0.3). Isometric contraction induced by a submaximal concentration of Ang II (10(-7) mol/L) was reduced in a dose-dependent way by torasemide (IC(50)=0.5+/-0.04 micromol/L). Incubation of VSMCs with different concentrations of Ang II (from 10(-10) to 10(-6) mol/L) resulted in a dose-dependent rise of [Ca(2+)](i) (pD(2)=7.5+/-0.3). The stimulatory effect of [Ca(2+)](i) induced by a submaximal concentration of Ang II (10(-7) mol/L) was blocked by torasemide (IC(50)=0.5+/-0.3 nmol/L). Our findings suggest that torasemide blocks the vasoconstrictor action of Ang II in vitro. This action can be related to the ability of torasemide to block the increase of [Ca(2+)](i) induced by Ang II in VSMCs. It is proposed that these actions might be involved in the antihypertensive effect of torasemide observed in vivo

Prevalence of electrocardiographic findings associated to sudden cardiac death: spontaneous type 1 and type 2 Brugada patterns and QT disorders in spanish population older than forty years

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Integrated biocatalytic platform based on aqueous biphasic systems for the sustainable oligomerization of rutin

Rutin is a known antioxidant compound that displays a broad range of biological activities and health-related benefits but presents a low water solubility that can be overcome by its polymerization. In this work, biocompatible aqueous biphasic systems composed of the ionic liquid cholinium dihydrogen phosphate ([CH][DHph]) and the polymer poly(ethylene glycol) 600 (PEG 600) were investigated as an efficient integrated reaction–separation platform for the laccase-catalyzed oligomerization of rutin. Two different approaches were studied to reuse laccase in several oligorutin production cycles, the main difference between them being the use of monophasic or biphasic regimes during the oligomerization reaction. The use of a biphasic regime in the second approach (heterogeneous reaction medium) allowed the successful reuse of the biocatalyst in three consecutive reaction–separation cycles while achieving noteworthy rutin oligomerization yields (95% in the first cycle, 91% in the second cycle, and 89% in the last cycle). These remarkable results were caused by the combination of the increased solubility of rutin in the PEG-rich phase together with the enhanced catalytic performance of laccase in the [Ch][DHph]-rich phase, alongside with the optimization of the pH of the reaction medium straightly linked to enzyme stability. Finally, a life-cycle assessment was performed to compare this integrated reaction–separation platform to three alternative processes, reinforcing its sustainabilityThis research was supported by the Spanish Government (AEI) through the RTI2018-094482-J-I00 project. This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES. The programme is cofunded by FEDER (UE). A.P.M.T. thanks the FCT for the research contract CEECIND/2020/01867. G.E. thanks the Spanish MICIU for her Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2018- 024846-I). A.M.-M. thanks the Programa de axudas á etapa predoutoral da Xunta de Galicia (ED481A-2018/023)S