The HPCG benchmark: analysis, shared memory preliminary improvements and evaluation on an Arm-based platform

The High-Performance Conjugate Gradient (HPCG) benchmark complements the LINPACK benchmark in the performance evaluation coverage of large High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems. Due to its lower arithmetic intensity and higher memory pressure, HPCG is recognized as a more representative benchmark for data-center and irregular memory access pattern workloads, therefore its popularity and acceptance is raising within the HPC community. As only a small fraction of the reference version of the HPCG benchmark is parallelized with shared memory techniques (OpenMP), we introduce in this report two OpenMP parallelization methods. Due to the increasing importance of Arm architecture in the HPC scenario, we evaluate our HPCG code at scale on a state-of-the-art HPC system based on Cavium ThunderX2 SoC. We consider our work as a contribution to the Arm ecosystem: along with this technical report, we plan in fact to release our code for boosting the tuning of the HPCG benchmark within the Arm community.Postprint (author's final draft

Sexual differences in blood parasite infections, circulating carotenoids and body condition in free-living red-legged partridges

The fieldwork was financed by CYCIT project CGL2004-06147-CO2/BOSA central issue in avian ecology deals with the trade-off between investment life-history components, such as reproductive effort, and parasite and disease resistance. During reproduction, differences in the particular needs of males and females may further affect the outcome of such trade-off. However, most studies performed to date on avian species have focused on males, while less is known about this subject in females. We investigated haemoparasite infections (genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon) in relation to sex, year, body condition and plasma concentrations of carotenoids in wild-breeding Red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). Our aim was to examine whether there are differences in infections between sexes and how parasite infections relate to carotenoid levels, physical condition and breeding parameters in non-passerine wild birds. Males captured early in the breeding season were in better body condition than females, indicating a marked sexual difference in this trait in wild Red-legged partridges. The prevalence of blood parasites in males was higher than in females. However, we found that females infected by blood parasites had lower plasma carotenoid concentrations than uninfected females, whereas no association between infection and carotenoid levels was found in males. This suggests sex-related differences in the use of carotenoids to fight infections or for parasite resistance. A possible explanation of this contrasting pattern between sexes is that reproduction may not have to involve the same costs for males and females. We suggest that males would be under strong sexual selection and would trade health for signalling, which could simultaneously explain highest parasite prevalence being found in males and the contrasting patterns in blood carotenoid levels between males and females. Females in contrast, that were in worst body condition during early breeding season, were more sensitive to infections, diverting carotenoids to immune function more than males.CYCIT project CGL2004-06147-CO2/BO

Zooplankton richness in farm ponds of Andalusia (southern Spain)a comparison with natural wetlands

This study shows the results of an extensive survey carried out in spring 2007 on 120 farrn ponds in Andalusia (South of Spain). Pond use was diverse, but the most common uses were irrigation of vast areas of land and livestock watering. Zooplankton showed an unexpected richness in these previously unstudied water bodies which lie on private properties. A total of 103 taxa were identified (62 rotifera, 27 cladocera, 8 copepoda and 6 ostracoda). When results are compared with an extensive survey carried out at the same time in the protected wetlands of Andalusia, we found that there are many species exclusive to both the farrn ponds and the protected wetlands. This suggests high complementary between artificial and natural aquatic habitats, which highlight the role of farrn ponds in biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, our results showed that farm ponds with natural substrate have a higher diversity and species richness of zooplankton than those with artificial substrate. Farrn ponds and other farming-related ecosystems are becoming important in both ecological and management studies, because they are increasing in landscapes al! over the world. This study is part of a wider project to investigate the environmental improvement of smal! artificial water bodies in Andalusia and results will be used to promote a more useful management policy for existing and future farrn ponds in this region.Se presentan resultados de un muestreo extensivo de 120 balsas de riego llevado a cabo en la primavera de 2007 en Andalucía (Sur de España). Los datos de zooplancton revelan una inesperada riqueza de especies en estos cuerpos de agua, que no habían sido estudiados hasta la actualidad, porque muchos de ellos son de reciente creación y están en propiedad privada. Su uso es variado, utilizándose principalmente para el riego de vastas áreas y como abrevaderos de ganado. Se han identificado un total de 103 taxa (62 rotiferos, 27 cladóceros, 8 copépodos y 6 ostrácodos). Cuando los resultados se compararon con un muestreo extensivo llevado a cabo en el mismo periodo en humedales naturales protegidos de Andalucía, se encontraron taxones exclusivos tanto en las balsas como en los humedales, sugiriendo que estos nuevos sistemas podrían ser reservorios para la biodiversidad en todo tipo de paisajes agrícolas. Por otra parte, los resultados evidencian que las balsas con sustrato natural tienen una mayor diversidad y riqueza de especies de zooplancton que las balsas con sustrato artificial. Las balsas de riego y otros ecosistemas asociados a ambientes agrícolas están adquiriendo importancia en ecología y estudios de gestión, ya que están proliferando en los paisajes de todo el mundo. Este estudio es parte de un proyecto de mayor envergadura acerca de la capacidad ambiental de las balsas de riego de Andalucía. Estos resultados se usarán para promover una política de gestión más adecuada en futuras balsas de riego de la región

Presentación

The notions ‘conservative’ and ‘progressive’ in social sciences and public opinion have given rise to two distinctive political ideologies. In this issue we deal, starting from Kant, with different historical senses of the notions of conservative and progressive in the social sciences as applied to the present: Buchanan’s constitutional economy, Popper’s open society, Rawl’s theory of justice and Ortega y Gasset’s philosophical conception of social and political life

Crispr-cpf1 edition in the fission yeast to characterize the regulatory function of 3´UTR RNA loops in transcription termination

The wos2 gene encodes for the protein p23, which acts as a co-chaperone in the presence of the protein Hsp90. Their function is to fold proteins during a heat shock stress. This process is very similar both in human and the fission yeast S.pombe, our model organism in this project a. It was previously discovered that there exist three mRNA sizes depending on the 3’UTR length. Interestingly, the abundance of each depends on growth temperature. We then hypothesized that the secondary structure of the 3´UTR RNA could dictate the termination site depending on temperature. We are trying to demonstrate this assumption as well as to develop a temperature sensitive switch to control gene expression by inserting the wos2 3’UTR in the 5’UTR of rpl42S59Q gene marker. This allele is resistant to cycloheximide whilst the deletion is not. This way we may easily asses gene expression. To this end, we are using the CRISPR/Cpf1 technology, to engineer the genome region of interest. We are in the process of checking engineered candidates

Modelo autorregresivo de primer orden aplicado a la predicción anual de caudales en la Amazonia peruana: cuenca del río Mayo

La Amazonía peruana, está en la cabecera de la cuenca del río Amazonas, se caracteriza por presentar diferentes condiciones fisiográficas, hidroclimáticas, ecológicas y ambientales. El comportamiento de las variables hidrológicas en esta zona, son aún poco conocidos debido a la disponibilidad limitada de información. Existe imposibilidad física de contar mediciones en todo los eventos de lluvias ocurridos, por ello los métodos indirectos de estimación de parámetros de flujo, mediante el modelado matemático es una alternativa factible. La estimación de parámetros de flujos (altura de agua, velocidades y caudales de escurrimiento), son muy importantes para el tratamiento de la mitigación de crecidas, disminución de la carga de sedimentos y agentes contaminantes del escurrimiento, propios de los problemas de la gestión de drenajes pluviales en ámbitos urbanos y rurales. Los métodos de generación de series temporales se basan en el uso de los “registros históricos” como una muestra de la población total. Muchas series hidrológicas presentan correlación serial; esto significa correlacionar una variable aleatoria X con la misma variable, pero desfasada en un intervalo k de tiempo. El coeficiente de correlación así obtenido se denota por ρx,k y cuando el desfase es k = 1, el proceso será de autorregresivo de primer orden, si k = 2, el proceso es de segundo orden y así sucesivamente. El modelo autorregresivo normal de primer orden (AR1) es usado ampliamente en la generación de caudales anuales

Solution validation for a Double Façade rototype

A Solution Validation involves comparing the data obtained from the system that are implemented following the model recommendations, as well as the model results. This paper presents a Solution Validation that has been performed with the aim of certifying that a set of computer-optimized designs, for a double façade, are consistent with reality. To validate the results obtained through simulation models, based on dynamic thermal calculation and using Computational Fluid Dynamic techniques, a comparison with the data obtained by monitoring a real implemented prototype has been carried out. The new validated model can be used to describe the system thermal behavior in different climatic zones without having to build a new prototype. The good performance of the proposed double façade solution is confirmed since the validation assures there is a considerable energy saving, preserving and even improving interior comfort. This work shows all the processes in the Solution Validation depicting some of the problems we faced and represents an example of this kind of validation that often is not considered in a simulation project.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Safety factor calibration for a new model of shear strength of reinforced concrete building beams and slabs

When assessing existing structures, the availability of adequate safety factors, calibrated with the most accurate models, and for established target reliability indexes, is of critical importance in order to take the right decision regarding the maintenance/repair/strengthening interventions. In the case of shear resistance in reinforced concrete (RC) structures, when using the current design codes provisions for new constructions in assessment results that, in many cases, existing structures may be considered unsafe, implying large economic costs in strengthening or even dismantling. In this research, a proposal of safety factor relative to a recently developed model for shear strength, for elements with and without transversal reinforcement, based on a reliability-based calibration is presented. A formulation is proposed to determine the adequate strength factor for a selected target reliability index of the existing structure and desired remaining service life by means of a safety factor format, considering the load factors present in the Eurocodes. The calibration is carried out considering typical geometry and load ratios of building floors, as well as normal and high strength concrete. The derived safety factor is almost independent of the chosen remaining service life.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft