The ANTAREX domain specific language for high performance computing

The ANTAREX project relies on a Domain Specific Language (DSL) based on Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) concepts to allow applications to enforce extra functional properties such as energy-efficiency and performance and to optimize Quality of Service (QoS) in an adaptive way. The DSL approach allows the definition of energy-efficiency, performance, and adaptivity strategies as well as their enforcement at runtime through application autotuning and resource and power management. In this paper, we present an overview of the key outcome of the project, the ANTAREX DSL, and some of its capabilities through a number of examples, including how the DSL is applied in the context of the project use cases

EVEREST: A design environment for extreme-scale big data analytics on heterogeneous platforms

High-Performance Big Data Analytics (HPDA) applications are characterized by huge volumes of distributed and heterogeneous data that require efficient computation for knowledge extraction and decision making. Designers are moving towards a tight integration of computing systems combining HPC, Cloud, and IoT solutions with artificial intelligence (AI). Matching the application and data requirements with the characteristics of the underlying hardware is a key element to improve the predictions thanks to high performance and better use of resources. We present EVEREST, a novel H2020 project started on October 1, 2020, that aims at developing a holistic environment for the co-design of HPDA applications on heterogeneous, distributed, and secure platforms. EVEREST focuses on programmability issues through a data-driven design approach, the use of hardware-accelerated AI, and an efficient runtime monitoring with virtualization support. In the different stages, EVEREST combines state-of-the-art programming models, emerging communication standards, and novel domain-specific extensions. We describe the EVEREST approach and the use cases that drive our research

Rational design, efficient syntheses and biological evaluation of N,N’-symmetrically bis-substituted butylimidazole analogs as a new class of potent Angiotensin II receptor blockers

A series of symmetrically bis-substituted imidazole analogs bearing at the N-1 and N-3 two biphenyl moieties ortho substituted either with tetrazole or carboxylate functional groups was designed based on docking studies and utilizing for the first time an extra hydrophobic binding cleft of AT1 receptor. The synthesized analogs were evaluated for their in vitro antagonistic activities (pA2 values) and binding affinities (elogIC50 values) to the Angiotensin II AT1 receptor. Among them, the potassium (elogIC50 ¼ 9.04) and the sodium (elogIC50 ¼ 8.54) salts of 4-butyl-N,N0 -bis{[20 -(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl} imidazolium bromide (12a and 12b, respectively) as well as its free acid 11 (elogIC50 ¼ 9.46) and the 4- butyl-2-hydroxymethyl-N,N0 -bis{[20 -(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methyl}imidazolium bromide (14) (elogIC50 ¼ 8.37, pA2 ¼ 8.58) showed high binding affinity to the AT1 receptor and high antagonistic activity (potency). The potency was similar or even superior to that of Losartan (elogIC50 ¼ 8.25, pA2 ¼ 8.25). On the contrary, 2-butyl-N,N0 -bis{[20 -[2H-tetrazol-5-yl)]biphenyl-4-yl]methyl}imidazolium bromide (27) (elogIC50 ¼ 5.77) and 2-butyl-4-chloro-5-hydroxymethyl-N,N0 -bis{[20 -[2H-tetrazol-5-yl)]biphenyl-4-yl] methyl}imidazolium bromide (30) (elogIC50 ¼ 6.38) displayed very low binding affinity indicating that the orientation of the n-butyl group is of primary importance. Docking studies of the representative highly active 12b clearly showed that this molecule has an extra hydrophobic binding feature compared to prototype drug Losartan and it fits to the extra hydrophobic cavity. These results may contribute to the discovery and development of a new class of biologically active molecules through bis-alkylation of the imidazole ring by a convenient and cost effective synthetic strateg