Programming and Timing Analysis of Parallel Programs on Multicores

International audienceMulticore processors provide better power-performance trade-offs compared to single-core processors. Consequently, they are rapidly penetrating market segments which are both safety critical and hard real-time in nature. However, designing time-predictable embedded applications over multicores remains a considerable challenge. This paper proposes the ForeC language for the deterministic parallel programming of embedded applications on multicores. ForeC extends C with a minimal set of constructs adopted from synchronous languages. To guarantee the worst-case performance of ForeC programs, we offer a very precise reachability- based timing analyzer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at the efficient and deterministic parallel programming of multicores using a synchronous C-variant. Experimentation with large multicore programs revealed an average over-estimation of only 2% for the computed worst-case execution times (WCETs). By reducing our representation of the programs state-space, we reduced the analysis time for the largest program (with 43, 695 reachable states) by a factor of 342, to only 7 seconds

Optimized Buffering of Time-Triggered Automotive Software

The development of an automotive system involves the integration of many real-time software functionalities, and it is of utmost importance to guarantee strict timing requirements. However, the recent trend towards multi-core architectures poses significant challenges for the timely transfer of signals between processor cores so as to not violate data consistency. We have studied and adapted an existing buffering mechanism to work specifically for statically scheduled time-triggered systems, called static buffering protocol. We developed further buffering optimisation algorithms and heuristics, to reduce the memory consumption, processor utilisation, and end-to-end response times of time-triggered AUTOSAR designs on multi-core platforms. Our contributions are important because they enable deterministic time-triggered implementations to become competitive alternatives to their inherently non-deterministic event-triggered counterparts. We have prototyped a selection of optimisations in an industrial tool and evaluated them on realistic industrial automotive benchmarks

DNA profile components predict malignant outcomes in select cases of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with negative cytology

Predicting malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm remains challenging. Integrated molecular pathology combines pancreatic fluid DNA and clinical factors into a malignant potential score. We sought to determine the utility of DNA components alone in predicting high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease. Methods We reviewed prospectively the records from 1,106 patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. We excluded non-intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm cases and cases with definitive malignant cytology. A total 225 patients had 283 DNA profiles (98 followed by surgery, 185 followed by ≥23-month surveillance). High-grade dysplasia/invasive outcomes were high-grade dysplasia, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm-invasive, and adenocarcinoma on surgical pathology or mesenteric or vascular invasion, metastases, or biopsy with high-grade dysplasia or adenocarcinoma during surveillance. Results High-quantity DNA predicted (P = .004) high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease outcomes with sensitivity of 78.3%, but 52.7% specificity, indicating benign cases may exhibit high-quantity DNA. High clonality loss of heterozygosity of tumor suppressor genes was 98.0% specific, strongly predicted high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease but lacked sensitivity (20.0%). High-quantity DNA + high clonality loss of heterozygosity had 99.0% specificity for high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease. KRAS mutation alone did not predict high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease, but, when combined with high-quantity DNA (specificity 84.7%) and high clonality loss of heterozygosity (specificity 99.0%) strongly predicted high-grade dysplasia/invasive outcomes. Conclusion Certain DNA components are highly specific for high-grade dysplasia/invasive disease and may indicate aggressive lesions, requiring resection when cytology fails

Quantum Non-Demolition Detection of Strongly Correlated Systems

Preparation, manipulation, and detection of strongly correlated states of quantum many body systems are among the most important goals and challenges of modern physics. Ultracold atoms offer an unprecedented playground for realization of these goals. Here we show how strongly correlated states of ultracold atoms can be detected in a quantum non-demolition scheme, that is, in the fundamentally least destructive way permitted by quantum mechanics. In our method, spatially resolved components of atomic spins couple to quantum polarization degrees of freedom of light. In this way quantum correlations of matter are faithfully mapped on those of light; the latter can then be efficiently measured using homodyne detection. We illustrate the power of such spatially resolved quantum noise limited polarization measurement by applying it to detect various standard and "exotic" types of antiferromagnetic order in lattice systems and by indicating the feasibility of detection of superfluid order in Fermi liquids.Comment: Published versio

Preoperative Nomogram Predicts Non-home Discharge in Patients Undergoing Pancreatoduodenectomy

Background In patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, non-home discharge is common and often results in an unnecessary delay in hospital discharge. This study aimed to develop and validate a preoperative prediction model to identify patients with a high likelihood of non-home discharge following pancreatoduodenectomy. Methods Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy from 2013 to 2018 were identified using an institutional database. Patients were categorized according to discharge location (home vs. non-home). Preoperative risk factors, including social determinants of health associated with non-home discharge, were identified using Pearson’s chi-squared test and then included in a multiple logistic regression model. A training cohort composed of 80% of the sampled patients was used to create the prediction model, and validation carried out using the remaining 20%. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Results Seven hundred sixty-six pancreatoduodenectomy patients met the study criteria for inclusion in the analysis (non-home, 126; home, 640). Independent predictors of non-home discharge on multivariable analysis were age, marital status, mental health diagnosis, functional health status, dyspnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The prediction model was then used to generate a nomogram to predict likelihood of non-home discharge. The training and validation cohorts demonstrated comparable performances with an identical area under the curve (0.81) and an accuracy of 84%. Conclusion A prediction model to reliably assess the likelihood of non-home discharge after pancreatoduodenectomy was developed and validated in the present study

Roadmap on commercialization of metal halide perovskite photovoltaics

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) represent one of the most promising emerging photovoltaic technologies due to their high power conversion efficiency. However, despite the huge progress made not only in terms of the efficiency achieved, but also fundamental understanding of the relevant physics of the devices and issues which affect their efficiency and stability, there are still unresolved problems and obstacles on the path toward commercialization of this promising technology. In this roadmap, we aim to provide a concise and up to date summary of outstanding issues and challenges, and the progress made toward addressing these issues. While the format of this article is not meant to be a comprehensive review of the topic, it provides a collection of the viewpoints of the experts in the field, which covers a broad range of topics related to PSC commercialization, including those relevant for manufacturing (scaling up, different types of devices), operation and stability (various factors), and environmental issues (in particular the use of lead). We hope that the article will provide a useful resource for researchers in the field and that it will facilitate discussions and move forward toward addressing the outstanding challenges in this fast-developing field

Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of “leaving no one behind”. Understanding today’s gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of populations. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016), we measured 37 of the 50 health-related SDG indicators over the period 1990–2016 for 188 countries, and then on the basis of these past trends, we projected indicators to 2030

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Adolescent transport and unintentional injuries: a systematic analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10–24 years during the past three decades. Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 Study, we analysed mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to transport and unintentional injuries for adolescents in 204 countries. Burden is reported in absolute numbers and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population by sex, age group (10–14, 15–19, and 20–24 years), and sociodemographic index (SDI) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We report percentage changes in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019. Findings: In 2019, 369 061 deaths (of which 214 337 [58%] were transport related) and 31·1 million DALYs (of which 16·2 million [52%] were transport related) among adolescents aged 10–24 years were caused by transport and unintentional injuries combined. If compared with other causes, transport and unintentional injuries combined accounted for 25% of deaths and 14% of DALYs in 2019, and showed little improvement from 1990 when such injuries accounted for 26% of adolescent deaths and 17% of adolescent DALYs. Throughout adolescence, transport and unintentional injury fatality rates increased by age group. The unintentional injury burden was higher among males than females for all injury types, except for injuries related to fire, heat, and hot substances, or to adverse effects of medical treatment. From 1990 to 2019, global mortality rates declined by 34·4% (from 17·5 to 11·5 per 100 000) for transport injuries, and by 47·7% (from 15·9 to 8·3 per 100 000) for unintentional injuries. However, in low-SDI nations the absolute number of deaths increased (by 80·5% to 42 774 for transport injuries and by 39·4% to 31 961 for unintentional injuries). In the high-SDI quintile in 2010–19, the rate per 100 000 of transport injury DALYs was reduced by 16·7%, from 838 in 2010 to 699 in 2019. This was a substantially slower pace of reduction compared with the 48·5% reduction between 1990 and 2010, from 1626 per 100 000 in 1990 to 838 per 100 000 in 2010. Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of unintentional injury DALYs per 100 000 also remained largely unchanged in high-SDI countries (555 in 2010 vs 554 in 2019; 0·2% reduction). The number and rate of adolescent deaths and DALYs owing to environmental heat and cold exposure increased for the high-SDI quintile during 2010–19. Interpretation: As other causes of mortality are addressed, inadequate progress in reducing transport and unintentional injury mortality as a proportion of adolescent deaths becomes apparent. The relative shift in the burden of injury from high-SDI countries to low and low–middle-SDI countries necessitates focused action, including global donor, government, and industry investment in injury prevention. The persisting burden of DALYs related to transport and unintentional injuries indicates a need to prioritise innovative measures for the primary prevention of adolescent injury. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation