Performance of parallel FDTD method for shared- and distributed-memory architectures: Application tobioelectromagnetics

This work provides an in-depth computational performance study of the parallel finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The parallelization is done at various levels including: shared- (OpenMP) and distributed- (MPI) memory paradigms and vectorization on three different architectures: Intel's Knights Landing, Skylake and ARM's Cavium ThunderX2. This study contributes to prove, in a systematic manner, the well-established claim within the Computational Electromagnetic community, that the main factor limiting FDTD performance, in realistic problems, is the memory bandwidth. Consequently a memory bandwidth threshold can be assessed depending on the problem size in order to attain optimal performance. Finally, the results of this study have been used to optimize the workload balancing of simulation of a bioelectromagnetic problem consisting in the exposure of a human model to a reverberation chamber-like environment

Report of the 2006 ICCAT workshop for bluefin tuna direct ageing

This report provides the presentations, discussions and conclusions from the ICCAT bluefin tuna workshop for direct ageing held in Santander, Spain, in April 2006. The report summarizes the ageing criteria used in the past and the agreements on future age determination based on otoliths, vertebrae and spines. Advantages and disadvantages of each calcified structure for ageing and border interpretation were discussed. It was considered that bluefin tuna age interpretation becomes very difficult from age ten onwards using the whole vertebra and the spine sections methods, but this last technique continues to be useful for older ages. Otolith sections can be used for the whole age range. Participants agreed that none of these three structures could be excluded from routine ageing because otoliths are not easily available. Age estimations within the same structure and between different structures of the same specimen were compared for several readers. Better precision was found between spine readers compared to vertebra and otolith readers. Good age agreement was also achieved between readers of spines and vertebrae from the same bluefin for ages less than 12 years. Preliminary results from radiocarbon assays on otoliths were presented at the workshop and gave promising outcomes for bluefin tuna age validation. Also, these suggested that bluefin tuna can live longer than had previously been established and that a review is needed of the currently used asymptotic size and growth rate for both stocks. Another important contribution of the workshop was a manual for age interpretation.Le présent rapport recueille les présentations, discussions et conclusions de l’Atelier de l’ICCAT chargé de la détermination directe de l’âge du thon rouge, tenu à Santander (Espagne) au mois d’avril 2006. Le rapport résume les critères employés par le passé pour interpréter l’âge et les accords pour la détermination future de l’âge à partir des otolithes, vertèbres et épines. L’Atelier a discuté des avantages et des inconvénients de chaque structure calcifiée pour déterminer l’âge et l’interprétation du type de bord. On a abordé la difficulté de l’interprétation de l’âge des thons de plus de 10 ans au moyen de la vertèbre entière et des sections des épines, bien que cette dernière méthode continue d’être utile pour les âges avancés. Les sections d’otolithes peuvent être employées pour toute la gamme d’âges. Les participants ont convenu qu’aucune de ces trois structures ne doit être exclue pour l’interprétation de l’âge parce qu’il n’est pas toujours possible d’obtenir des otolithes. On a comparé les lectures de l’âge à l’intérieur de la même structure et entre différentes structures du même exemplaire pour divers lecteurs. On a obtenu une plus grande précision parmi les lecteurs d’épines que parmi les lecteurs de vertèbres et d’otolithes. On a également obtenu un bon accord entre les lecteurs d’épines et de vertèbres originaires du même exemplaire pour les âges inférieurs à 12 ans. Les résultats préliminaires des essais de radiocarbone dans les otolithes ont été présentés à l’Atelier, offrant de bonnes perspectives pour son utilisation dans la validation de l’âge. Ces résultats indiquent aussi que le thon rouge a une plus grande longévité que ce qui avait été auparavant établi et qu’il est nécessaire de réviser la longueur asymptotique et le taux de croissance actuellement utilisés. L’élaboration d’un manuel aux fins de l’interprétation de l’âge a constitué une autre contribution importante de l’Atelier.Este informe recoge las presentaciones, discusiones y conclusiones del congreso de ICCAT para la determinación directa de la edad de atún rojo, celebrado en Santander, España, en abril de 2006. El informe resume los criterios empleados en el pasado para interpretar la edad y los acuerdos para la determinación futura de la edad a partir de otolitos, vértebras y espinas. Se discutieron las ventajas y los inconvenientes de cada estructura calcificada para determinar la edad y la interpretación del tipo borde. Se planteó la dificultad en la interpretación de la edad de atunes mayores de 10 años utilizando la vértebra entera y las secciones de espinas, no obstante este último método continúa siendo útil para edades mayores. Las secciones de otolitos pueden ser empleadas para todo el rango de edades. Los participantes acordaron que ninguna de estas tres estructuras deben excluirse para la interpretación de la edad porque no siempre es posible obtener los otolitos. Se compararon las lecturas de edad dentro de la misma estructura y entre diferentes estructuras del mismo ejemplar para varios lectores. Se obtuvo una mayor precisión entre lectores de espinas comparada con las obtenidas por los lectores de vértebras y otolitos. También se obtuvo un buen acuerdo entre lectores de espinas y vértebras procedentes del mismo ejemplar para edades menores de 12 años. Los resultados preliminares de las pruebas de radiocarbono en otolitos fueron presentados en el congreso, proporcionando buenas expectativas para su uso en la validación de la edad. Estos resultados también indican que el atún rojo es más longevo de lo que se consideraba y que es necesaria una revisión de la longitud asintótica y de la tasa de crecimiento empleadas actualmente. Otra importante contribución del congreso fue la elaboración de un manual para la interpretación de la edad

Late pulmonary metastases of renal cell carcinoma immediately after post-transplantation immunosuppressive treatment: a case report

Introduction We report a case of pulmonary metastatic recurrence of renal adenocarcinoma soon after radical nephrectomy that was followed by renal transplant and immunosuppressive medication. Increased risk of metastatic recurrence of renal cell carcinoma should be considered in the immediate post-transplant period when immunosuppressive medication is administered, even if nephrectomy had been performed many years earlier.Case presentation In 1986 the patient demonstrated renal insufficiency secondary to mesangial glomerulonephritis. In 1992 he underwent left side radical nephrectomy with histopathological diagnosis of clear cell adenocarcinoma. Mesangial glomerulonephritis in the remaining right kidney progressed to end-stage renal failure. In October 2000 he received a kidney transplant from a cadaver and commenced immunosuppressive medication. Two months later, several nodules were found in his lungs, which were identified as metastases from the primary renal tumor that had been removed with the diseased kidney 8 years earlier.Conclusion Recurrence of renal cell carcinoma metastases points to tumor dormancy and reflects a misbalance between effective tumor immune surveillance and immune escape. This case demonstrates that a state of tumor dormancy can be interrupted soon after administration of immunosuppressant medication.This work was partially supported by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI 02/0175), the plan Andaluz de Investigacion, and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Red de centros de Cancer, Spain

Class-modeling analysis reveals T-cell homeostasis disturbances involved in loss of immune control in elite controllers

Despite long-lasting HIV replication control, a significant proportion of elite controller (EC) patients may experience CD4 T-cell loss. Discovering perturbations in immunological parameters could help our understanding of the mechanisms that may be operating in those patients experiencing loss of immunological control. Methods A case–control study was performed to evaluate if alterations in different T-cell homeostatic parameters can predict CD4 T-cell loss in ECs by comparing data from EC patients showing significant CD4 decline (cases) and EC patients showing stable CD4 counts (controls). The partial least-squares–class modeling (PLS-CM) statistical methodology was employed to discriminate between the two groups of patients, and as a predictive model. Results Herein, we show that among T-cell homeostatic alterations, lower levels of naïve and recent thymic emigrant subsets of CD8 cells and higher levels of effector and senescent subsets of CD8 cells as well as higher levels of exhaustion of CD4 cells, measured prior to CD4 T-cell loss, predict the loss of immunological control. Conclusions These data indicate that the parameters of T-cell homeostasis may identify those EC patients with a higher proclivity to CD4 T-cell loss. Our results may open new avenues for understanding the mechanisms underlying immunological progression despite HIV replication control, and eventually, for finding a functional cure through immune-based clinical trials.projects RD12/0017/0031, RD16/0025/ 0013, and SAF2015-66193-R as part of the Health Research and Development Strategy, State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (2008– 2011 and 2013–2016) and cofinanced by the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Sub-Directorate General for Research Assessment and Promotion and European Regional Development Fund. NR is a Miguel Servet investigator from the ISCIII (CP14/00198), Madrid, Spain. C Restrepo was funded by project RD12/0017/ 0031 and is currently funded by project RD16/0025/0013. M García is a predoctoral student co-funded by grant CP14/00198 and an Intramural Research Scholarship from Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD)

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Microbiological and Physicochemical Changes in Natural Green Heat-Shocked Aloreña de Málaga Table Olives

Preserving the highly appreciated natural freshness of Aloreña de Málaga table olives and preventing their progressive darkening during processing is a major challenge. In this work, heat-shocked (60°C, 5 min) fruits were processed according to the three denominations referred to in the Protected Designation of Origen (cured, fresh green, and traditional) and their characteristics compared with those that followed the habitual industrial process (controls). The results revealed that the effects of the heat treatment on the evolution of pH, titratable acidity, salt, sugar, organic acid, ethanol content, texture, and color of fruits as well as on microbial populations (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria) were slight in the case of the fresh green and cured presentations. However, the differences between heat-shocked and its control were remarkable in the traditional process. Notably, the heat treatment favored lactic acid fermentation, retention of the green appearance of the fruits, stability during packaging, and led to the highest sensory evaluation. The metagenomic analysis carried out at the end of the fermentation revealed the presence in all samples of three genera (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Celerinatantimonas) which encompassed most of the sequences. The number of Lactobacillus sequences was statistically higher (p ≥ 0.05) in the case of traditional heat-shocked fruits than in its control

Effects of the intensity of prehospital treatment on short-term outcomes in patients with acute heart failure. the SEMICA-2 study

Objective: Little is known about treatments provided by advanced life support (ALS) ambulance teams to patients with acute heart failure (AHF) during the prehospital phase, and their influence on short-term outcome. We evaluated the effect of prehospital care in consecutive patients diagnosed with AHF in Spanish emergency departments (EDs). Methods: We selected patients from the EAHFE registry arriving at the ED by ALS ambulances with available follow-up data. We recorded specific prehospital ALS treatments (supplemental oxygen, diuretics, nitroglycerin, non-invasive ventilation) and patients were grouped according to whether they received low- (LIPHT; 0/1 treatments) or high-intensity prehospital therapy (HIPHT; > 1 treatment) for AHF. We also recorded 46 covariates. The primary endpoint was all-cause 7-day mortality, and secondary endpoints were prolonged hospitalisation (> 10 days) and in-hospital and 30-day mortality. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to compare the groups. Results: We included 1493 patients [mean age 80.7 (10) years; women 54.8%]. Prehospital treatment included supplemental oxygen in 71.2%, diuretics in 27.9%, nitroglycerin in 13.5%, and non-invasive ventilation in 5.3%. The LIPHT group included 1041 patients (70.0%) with an unadjusted OR for 7-day mortality of 1.770 (95% CI 1.115–2.811; p = 0.016), and 1.939 (95% CI 1.114–3.287, p = 0.014) after adjustment for 16 discordant covariables. The adjusted ORs for all secondary endpoints were always > 1 in the LIPHT group, but none reached statistical significance. Conclusions: Patients finally diagnosed with AHF at then ED that have received LIPHT by the ALS ambulance teams have a poorer short-term outcome, especially during the first 7 days