Montera: A Framework for Efficient Execution of Monte Carlo Codes on Grid Infrastructures

he objective of this work is to improve the performance of Monte Carlo codes on Grid production infrastructures. To do so, the codes and the grid sites are characterized with simple parameters to model their behaviors. Then, a new performance model for grid infrastructures is proposed, and an algorithm that employs this information is described. This algorithm dynamically calculates the number and size of tasks to execute on each site to maximize the performance and reduce makespan. Finally, a newly developed framework called Montera is presented. Montera deals with the execution of Monte Carlo codes in an unattended way, isolating the complexity of the problem from the final user. By employing two fusion Monte Carlo codes as example cases, along with the described characterizations and scheduling algorithm, a performance improvement up to 650 % over current best results is obtained on a real production infrastructure, together with enhanced stability and robustness

Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de depresión para adolescentes de Reynolds – segunda versión (EDAR-2) en estudiantes de secundaria de Lima Metropolitana

La depresión es una de las enfermedades mentales más comunes en la población adolescente, con una prevalencia estimada a nivel mundial de alrededor del 8%; sin embargo, se estima que alrededor del 50% experimentan algunos síntomas del espectro depresivo. Debido a estas circunstancias, la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo validar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Depresión para Adolescente de Reynolds segunda versión (EDAR-2), con la finalidad de poder brindar información nueva y relevante ante este escenario. El diseño fue no experimental, siendo descriptivo y transversal, trabajando con una muestra de 941 estudiantes de nivel secundario de Lima Metropolitana. Se utilizó la versión adaptada en nuestro medio de la escala de depresión para adolescentes de Reynolds (EDAR). Se realizó un análisis factorial confirmatorio para examinar las estructuras propuestas de Reynolds; considerando la varianza media extraída (VME) y la fiabilidad compuesta (FC). Los resultados indicaron que la estructura de una nueva versión del EDAR-2 tiene un mejor ajuste para esta población (¿²( gl) = 1282.89 (269); CFI = .961; TLI = .956; RMSEA = .063 (.060 - .067); SRMR = .045; WRMR = 1.477). Las estimaciones de confiabilidad, mediante el método de consistencia interna, mostraron un adecuado rango para todas las dimensiones del EDAR-2. Estos hallazgos respaldaron la validez y fiabilidad de la nueva versión de la Escala de depresión adolescente de Reynolds como una medida de depresión, sugiriendo que se pueda utilizar para evaluar el constructo en diferentes estudios.Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the adolescent population, with an estimated prevalence worldwide of around 8%; however, it is estimated that around 50% experience some symptoms of the depressive spectrum. Due to these circumstances, the present study aimed to validity the psychometric properties of the Reynolds adolescents depression scale (RADS-2), in order to be able to provide new and relevant information in this scenario. The design was non-experimental, being descriptive and cross-sectional, working with a sample of 941 high school students from Metropolitan Lima. Was used the Reynolds adolescents depression scale (RADS 2) adapted to our context. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the proposed Reynolds structures; considering the average variance extracted (AVE), and the composite reliability (CR). The results indicated that the scores in the new version of the RADS showed acceptable indices and a better fit for this population (¿² (gl) = 1282.89 (269); CFI = .961; TLI = .956; RMSEA = .063 (.060) - .067); SRMR = .045; WRMR = 1.477). Reliability estimates, using the internal consistency method, showed an acceptable range for all the RADS-2 dimensions. These findings supported the validity and reliability of the new version of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale as a measure of depression was acceptable and suggest that it is can be used to evaluate the construct in different studies

A Quantitative Comparison of Calibration Methods for RGB-D Sensors Using Different Technologies

RGB-D (Red Green Blue and Depth) sensors are devices that can provide color and depth information from a scene at the same time. Recently, they have been widely used in many solutions due to their commercial growth from the entertainment market to many diverse areas (e.g., robotics, CAD, etc.). In the research community, these devices have had good uptake due to their acceptable level of accuracy for many applications and their low cost, but in some cases, they work at the limit of their sensitivity, near to the minimum feature size that can be perceived. For this reason, calibration processes are critical in order to increase their accuracy and enable them to meet the requirements of such kinds of applications. To the best of our knowledge, there is not a comparative study of calibration algorithms evaluating its results in multiple RGB-D sensors. Specifically, in this paper, a comparison of the three most used calibration methods have been applied to three different RGB-D sensors based on structured light and time-of-flight. The comparison of methods has been carried out by a set of experiments to evaluate the accuracy of depth measurements. Additionally, an object reconstruction application has been used as example of an application for which the sensor works at the limit of its sensitivity. The obtained results of reconstruction have been evaluated through visual inspection and quantitative measurements

Root high-affinity K+ and Cs+ uptake and plant fertility in tomato plants are dependent on the activity of the high-affinity K+ transporter SlHAK5

Root K+ acquisition is a key process for plant growth and development, extensively studied in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Because important differences may exist among species, translational research supported by specific studies is needed in crops such as tomato. Here we present a reverse genetics study to demonstrate the role of the SlHAK5 K+ transporter in tomato K+ nutrition, Cs+ accumulation and its fertility. slhak5 KO lines, generated by CRISPR-Cas edition, were characterized in growth experiments, Rb+ and Cs+ uptake tests and root cells K+-induced plasma membrane depolarizations. Pollen viability and its K+ accumulation capacity were estimated by using the K+-sensitive dye Ion Potassium Green 4. SlHAK5 is the major system for high-affinity root K+ uptake required for plant growth at low K+, even in the presence of salinity. It also constitutes a pathway for Cs+ entry in tomato plants with a strong impact on fruit Cs+ accumulation. SlHAK5 also contributes to pollen K+ uptake and viability and its absence produces almost seedless fruits. Knowledge gained into SlHAK5 can serve as a model for other crops with fleshy fruits and it can help to generate tools to develop low Cs+ or seedless fruits crops.Fil: Nieves Cordones, Manuel. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Lara, Alberto. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Silva, Martha. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Amo, Jesús. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Rodriguez Sepulveda, Pascual. No especifíca;Fil: Rivero, Rosa M.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Martínez, Vicente. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; EspañaFil: Botella, María Ángeles. Universidad de Miguel Hernández; EspañaFil: Rubio, Francisco. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura; Españ

Blood Biomarkers to Predict Long-Term Mortality after Ischemic Stroke

Biomarcador; Endostatina; Accident cerebrovascular isquèmicBiomarcador; Endostatina; Accidente cerebrovascular isquémicoBiomarker; Endostatin; Ischemic strokeStroke is a major cause of disability and death globally, and prediction of mortality represents a crucial challenge. We aimed to identify blood biomarkers measured during acute ischemic stroke that could predict long-term mortality. Nine hundred and forty-one ischemic stroke patients were prospectively recruited in the Stroke-Chip study. Post-stroke mortality was evaluated during a median 4.8-year follow-up. A 14-biomarker panel was analyzed by immunoassays in blood samples obtained at hospital admission. Biomarkers were normalized and standardized using Z-scores. Multiple Cox regression models were used to identify clinical variables and biomarkers independently associated with long-term mortality and mortality due to stroke. In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of long-term mortality were age, female sex, hypertension, glycemia, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Independent blood biomarkers predictive of long-term mortality were endostatin > quartile 2, tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1) > quartile 2, and interleukin (IL)-6 > quartile 2. The risk of mortality when these three biomarkers were combined increased up to 69%. The addition of the biomarkers to clinical predictors improved the discrimination (integrative discriminative improvement (IDI) 0.022 (0.007–0.048), p quartile 3 was an independent predictor of mortality due to stroke. Altogether, endostatin, TNF-R1, and IL-6 circulating levels may aid in long-term mortality prediction after stroke.This work has been funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI18/00804) and by La Fundació La Marató (Reg. 84/240 proj. 201702). Neurovascular Research Laboratory takes part in the Spanish stroke research network INVICTUS+ (RD16/0019/0021). L.R. is supported by a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (IFI17/00012)

Anthocyanins do not influence long-chain n-3 fatty acid status:Studies in cells, rodents and humans

Increased tissue status of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with cardiovascular and cognitive benefits. Limited epidemiological and animal data suggest that flavonoids, and specifically anthocyanins, may increase EPA and DHA levels, potentially by increasing their synthesis from the shorter-chain n-3 PUFA, α-linolenic acid. Using complimentary cell, rodent and human studies we investigated the impact of anthocyanins and anthocyanin-rich foods/extracts on plasma and tissue EPA and DHA levels and on the expression of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), which represents the rate limiting enzymes in EPA and DHA synthesis. In experiment 1, rats were fed a standard diet containing either palm oil or rapeseed oil supplemented with pure anthocyanins for 8 weeks. Retrospective fatty acid analysis was conducted on plasma samples collected from a human randomized controlled trial where participants consumed an elderberry extract for 12 weeks (experiment 2). HepG2 cells were cultured with α-linolenic acid with or without select anthocyanins and their in vivo metabolites for 24 h and 48 h (experiment 3). The fatty acid composition of the cell membranes, plasma and liver tissues were analyzed by gas chromatography. Anthocyanins and anthocyanin-rich food intake had no significant impact on EPA or DHA status or FADS2 gene expression in any model system. These data indicate little impact of dietary anthocyanins on n-3 PUFA distribution and suggest that the increasingly recognized benefits of anthocyanins are unlikely to be the result of a beneficial impact on tissue fatty acid status

Model for predicting early and late-onset postoperative pulmonary complications in perioperative patients receiving neuromuscular blockade: a secondary analysis

Pulmonary complications continue to be the most common adverse event after surgery. The main objective was to carry out two independent predictive models, both for early pulmonary complications in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and late-onset pulmonary complications after 30 postoperative days. The secondary objective was to determine whether presenting early complications subsequently causes patients to have other late-onset events. This is a secondary analysis of a cohort study. 714 patients were divided into four groups depending on the neuromuscular blocking agent, and spontaneous or pharmacological reversal. Incidence of late-onset complications if we have not previously had any early complications was 4.96%. If the patient has previously had early complications the incidence of late-onset complications was 22.02%. If airway obstruction occurs, the risk of atelectasis increased from 6.88 to 22.58% (p = 0.002). If hypoxemia occurs, the incidence increased from 5.82 to 21.79% (p < 0.001). Based on our predictive models, we conclude that diabetes mellitus and preoperative anemia are two risk factors for early and late-onset postoperative pulmonary complications, respectively. Hypoxemia and airway obstruction in Post-Anesthesia Care Unit increased four times the risk of the development of pneumonia and atelectasis at 30 postoperative days

Impact of dapagliflozin on cardiac remodelling in patients with chronic heart failure: The DAPA-MODA study.

AIMS Dapagliflozin improves the prognosis of patients with heart failure (HF), regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, its effect on cardiac remodelling parameters, specifically left atrial (LA) remodelling, is not well established. METHODS AND RESULTS The DAPA-MODA trial (NCT04707352) is a multicentre, single-arm, open-label, prospective and interventional study that aimed to evaluate the effect of dapagliflozin on cardiac remodelling parameters over 6 months. Patients with stable chronic HF receiving optimized guideline-directed therapy, except for any sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, were included. Echocardiography was performed at baseline, 30 and 180 days, and analysed by a central core-lab in a blinded manner to both patient and time. The primary endpoint was the change in maximal LA volume index (LAVI). A total of 162 patients (64.2% men, 70.5 ± 10.6 years, 52% LVEF >40%) were included in the study. At baseline, LA dilatation was observed (LAVI 48.1 ± 22.6 ml/m2 ) and LA parameters were similar between LVEF-based phenotypes (≤40% vs. >40%). LAVI showed a significant reduction at 180 days (-6.6% [95% confidence interval -11.1, -1.8], p = 0.008), primarily due to a decrease in reservoir volume (-13.8% [95% confidence interval -22.5, -4], p = 0.007). Left ventricular geometry improved with significant reductions in left ventricular mass index (-13.9% [95% confidence interval -18.7, -8.7], p < 0.001), end-diastolic volume (-8.0% [95% confidence interval -11.6, -4.2], p < 0.001) and end-systolic volume (-11.9% [95% confidence interval -16.7, -6.8], p < 0.001) at 180 days. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) showed a significant reduction at 180 days (-18.2% [95% confidence interval -27.1, -8.2], p < 0.001), without changes in filling Doppler measures. CONCLUSION Dapagliflozin administration in stable out-setting patients with chronic HF and optimized therapy results in global reverse remodelling of cardiac structure, including reductions in LA volumes and improvement in left ventricular geometry and NT-proBNP concentrations.This study has been sponsored by Sociedad Española de Cardiología and has received funding by a non-conditional investigational grant from AstraZeneca Farmacéutica Spain.S

Laparoscopic surgery in 3D improves results and surgeon convenience in sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity

Purpose Advanced laparoscopic procedures are still challenging. One critical issue is the lack of stereoscopic vision. The aim of this surgical study is to evaluate whether 3D vision offers any advantages for surgical performance over 2D vision during sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity using a laparoscopic system that allows changing between 2D and 3D optics. Methods A total of 78 patients were analyzed, with 37 in the 2D group and 41 in the 3D group. Performance time, hospital stay, complications, and early outcomes were collected. To assess the quality of the 2D and 3D techniques, visual analog scales from 0 to 10 were designed, and image quality, depth of field, precision in performing tasks, and general ergonomics were measured. Results According to the vision system used, the mean duration of surgery was 85 ± 16.8 min for patients operated on with the 2D system and 69 ± 16.9 min for those operated on with the 3D system. There were no significant differences between the overall percentages of complications according to the type of vision used. However, postoperative complications were more severe in the 2D laparoscopy group. The average length of stay was shorter for patients in the 3D group. Regarding the differences perceived by the surgeon, the depth of field and the precision of tasks were better in the 3D vision group. Conclusion The 3D system provided greater depth perception and precision in more complex tasks, enabling safer surgery. This led to a reduction in the operative time and hospital stay. Moreover, the severity of complications was less

Rationale and design of the pragmatic clinical trial tREatment with Beta-blockers after myOcardial infarction withOut reduced ejection fracTion (REBOOT).

There is a lack of evidence regarding the benefits of β-blocker treatment after invasively managed acute myocardial infarction (MI) without reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The tREatment with Beta-blockers after myOcardial infarction withOut reduced ejection fracTion (REBOOT) trial is a pragmatic, controlled, prospective, randomized, open-label blinded endpoint (PROBE design) clinical trial testing the benefits of β-blocker maintenance therapy in patients discharged after MI with or without ST-segment elevation. Patients eligible for participation are those managed invasively during index hospitalization (coronary angiography), with LVEF >40%, and no history of heart failure (HF). At discharge, patients will be randomized 1:1 to β-blocker therapy (agent and dose according to treating physician) or no β-blocker therapy. The primary endpoint is a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal reinfarction, or HF hospitalization over a median follow-up period of 2.75 years (minimum 2 years, maximum 3 years). Key secondary endpoints include the incidence of the individual components of the primary composite endpoint, the incidence of cardiac death, and incidence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias or resuscitated cardiac arrest. The primary endpoint will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle. The REBOOT trial will provide robust evidence to guide the prescription of β-blockers to patients discharged after MI without reduced LVEF.REBOOT is a non-commercial trial whose main sponsor is the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC). The study also received partial funding from the BI group through the CIBERCV network.S