Finding Best Compiler Options for Critical Software Using Parallel Algorithms

The efficiency of a software piece is a key factor for many systems. Real-time programs, critical software, device drivers, kernel OS functions and many other software pieces which are executed thousands or even millions of times per day require a very efficient execution. How this software is built can significantly affect the run time for these programs, since the context is that of compile-once/run-many. In this sense, the optimization flags used during the compilation time are a crucial element for this goal and they could make a big difference in the final execution time. In this paper, we use parallel metaheuristic techniques to automatically decide which optimization flags should be activated during the compilation on a set of benchmarking programs. The using the appropriate flag configuration is a complex combinatorial problem, but our approach is able to adapt the flag tuning to the characteristics of the software, improving the final run times with respect to other spread practicesThis research has been partially funded by the Spanish MINECO and FEDER projects (TIN2014-57341-R (http://moveon.lcc.uma.es), TIN2016-81766-REDT (http://cirti.es), and TIN2017-88213-R (http://6city.lcc.uma.es). It is also funded by Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Prospective regenerative medicine therapies for obstetric trauma-induced fecal incontinence.

Fecal incontinence is a major public health issue that has yet to be adequately addressed. Obstetric trauma and injury to the anal sphincter muscles are the most common cause of fecal incontinence. New therapies are emerging aimed at repair or regeneration of sphincter muscle and restoration of continence. While regenerative medicine offers an attractive option for fecal incontinence there are currently no validated techniques using this approach. Although many challenges are yet to be resolved, the advent of regenerative medicine is likely to offer disruptive technologies to treat and possibly prevent the onset of this devastating condition. This article provides a review on regenerative medicine approaches for treating fecal incontinence and a critique of the current landscape in this area

Transition in pharmacology: From theoretical knowledge of medicines to practice-oriented approach. Do role-plays help?

Background: Pharmacology, a subject criticized by medicos as ‘dry and volatile’ is in a stage of constant reformation. Traditional teaching-learning in pharmacology has focused more on theoretical knowledge of medicines with little emphasis on the art and science of communicating the same to patients in actual practice. Role-play is one novel method which attracts learners to gain knowledge through concrete experience, there-by bringing in a behavioural change that persists eventually. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of role-play as an educational tool in teaching patient education and counseling skills regarding medications prescription for ischemic heart disease (IHD).Methods: A quantitative, randomized, interventional study with pre & post-OSPE using a pre-validated checklist (modified-Calgary-Cambridge) was conducted in 84, II-MBBS students. The scores obtained in intervention group (Lecture-IHD counseling + Role-play) were compared with the control group (Lecture) using Wilcoxon test for paired-data and Mann-Whitney test for inter-group comparisons.Results: Paired-data analysis showed an increase in post-test mean scores in both control and intervention groups following training. However, inter-group comparisons revealed statistically significant improvement in 8 of the 13 parameters in intervention group. Students in intervention group stressed more on pharmacological aspects of medications, along with emergency measures and need for follow-up. Hence it can be said that role-plays played a significant role in improving communication skills regarding medications prescription.Conclusions: Medical communication skills course for II-MBBS students may enable them to demonstrate better patient-doctor interactions. Role-plays are an effective tool to acquire technical and behavioural skills to deal with real-life situations through simulation

Altered brain connectivity in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) revealed using resting-state fMRI.

The circumstances surrounding SUDEP suggest autonomic or respiratory collapse, implying central failure of regulation or recovery. Characterisation of the communication among brain areas mediating such processes may shed light on mechanisms and noninvasively indicate risk. We used rs-fMRI to examine network properties among brain structures in people with epilepsy who suffered SUDEP (n = 8) over an 8-year follow-up period, compared with matched high- and low-risk subjects (n = 16/group) who did not suffer SUDEP during that period, and a group of healthy controls (n = 16). Network analysis was employed to explore connectivity within a 'regulatory-subnetwork' of brain regions involved in autonomic and respiratory regulation, and over the whole-brain. Modularity, the extent of network organization into separate modules, was significantly reduced in the regulatory-subnetwork, and the whole-brain, in SUDEP and high-risk. Increased participation, a local measure of inter-modular belonging, was evident in SUDEP and high-risk groups, particularly among thalamic structures. The medial prefrontal thalamus was increased in SUDEP compared with all other control groups, including high-risk. Patterns of hub topology were similar in SUDEP and high-risk, but were more extensive in low-risk patients, who displayed greater hub prevalence and a radical reorganization of hubs in the subnetwork. SUDEP is associated with reduced functional organization among cortical and sub-cortical brain regions mediating autonomic and respiratory regulation. Living high-risk subjects demonstrated similar patterns, suggesting such network measures may provide prospective risk-indicating value, though a crucial difference between SUDEP and high-risk was altered connectivity of the medial thalamus in SUDEP, which was also elevated compared with all sub-groups. Disturbed thalamic connectivity may reflect a potential non-invasive marker of elevated SUDEP risk

Probing top charged-Higgs production using top polarization at the Large Hadron Collider

We study single top production in association with a charged Higgs in the type II two Higgs doublet model at the Large Hadron Collider. The polarization of the top, reflected in the angular distributions of its decay products, can be a sensitive probe of new physics in its production. We present theoretically expected polarizations of the top for top charged-Higgs production, which is significantly different from that in the closely related process of t-W production in the Standard Model. We then show that an azimuthal symmetry, constructed from the decay lepton angular distribution in the laboratory frame, is a sensitive probe of top polarization and can be used to constrain parameters involved in top charged-Higgs production.Comment: 22 pages, 18 Figures, Discussions about backgrounds and NLO corrections added, figures modified, references added, Version published in JHE

Anti-inflammatory activity of Syzygium cumini seed

The Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) is a popular traditional medicinal plant in India. This study was intended to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of S. cumini seed in carrageenan induced paw oedema in wistar rats at the dose level of 200 and 400 mg/kgadministrated orally. Both the extracts exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, which supports the traditional medicinal utilization of the plant. This study established anti-inflammatory activity of the seed of S. cumini

Ion beam generated surface ripples: new insight in the underlying mechanism

A new hydrodynamic mechanism is proposed for the ion beam induced surface patterning on solid surfaces. Unlike the standard mechanisms based on the ion beam impact generated erosion and mass redistribution at the free surface (proposed by Bradley-Harper (BH) and its extended theories), the new mechanism proposes that the ion beam induced saltation and creep processes, coupled with incompressible solid flow in amorphous layer, leads to the formation of ripple patterns at the amorphous/crystalline (a/c) interface and hence at the free surface. Ion beam stimulated solid flow inside the amorphous layer controls the wavelength, where as the amount of material transported and re-deposited at a/c interface control the amplitude of ripples. The new approach is verified by designed experiments and supported by the discrete simulation method.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1206.082