How can we improve energy efficiency through user-directed vectorization and task-based parallelization?

Heterogeneity, parallelization and vectorization are key techniques to improve the performance and energy efficiency of modern computing systems. However, programming and maintaining code for these architectures poses a huge challenge due to the ever-increasing architecture complexity. Task-based environments hide most of this complexity, improving scalability and usage of the available resources. In these environments, while there has been a lot of effort to ease parallelization and improve the usage of heterogeneous resources, vectorization has been considered a secondary objective. Furthermore, there has been a swift and unstoppable burst of vector architectures at all market segments, from embedded to HPC. Vectorization can no longer be ignored, but manual vectorization is tedious, error-prone, and not practical for the average programmer. This work evaluates the feasibility of user-directed vectorization in task-based applications. Our evaluation is based on the OmpSs programming model, extended to support user-directed vectorization for different SIMD architectures (i.e. SSE, AVX2, AVX512, etc). Results show that user-directed codes achieve manually-optimized code performance and energy efficiency with minimal code modifications, favoring portability across different SIMD architectures

Spatial analysis of aerial survey data reveals correlates of elephant carcasses within a heavily poached ecosystem

Growth of the illegal wildlife trade is a key driver of biodiversity loss, with considerable research focussing on trafficking and trade, but rather less focussed on supply. Elephant poaching for ivory has driven a recent population decline in African elephants and is a typical example of illegal wildlife trade. Some of the heaviest poaching has been in Southern Tanzania's Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem. Using data from three successive aerial surveys and modern spatial analysis techniques we identify the correlates of elephant carcasses within the ecosystem, from which important information about how poachers operate can be gleaned. Carcass density was highest close to wet-season (but not dry season) waterholes, at higher altitudes and at intermediate travel cost from villages. We found no evidence for an ecosystem-wide impact of ranger patrol locations on carcass abundance, but found strong evidence that different ranger posts showed contrasting patterns in relation to carcasses, some being significantly associated with clusters of carcasses, others showing the expected negative correlation and most showing no pattern at all. Despite a spatial change in elephant carcass locations between years, we find little evidence to suggest poachers have changed their behaviour in relation to key modelled covariates. Our maps of poaching activity can feed directly into anti-poaching control measures, but also provide general insights into how illegal harvest of high value wildlife products occurs in the field, and our spatio-temporal analysis provides a valuable analysis framework for aerial survey data from protected areas globally

CITES, wild plants, and opportunities for crime

The illegal trade in endangered plants damages both the environment and local communities by threatening and destroying numerous species and important natural resources. There is very little research which systematically addresses this issue by identifying specific opportunities for crime. This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study which brings together criminological and conservation science expertise to identify criminal opportunities in the illegal wild plant trade and suggest strategies in order to prevent and mitigate the problem. Methodologically, the study adapts a crime proofing of legislation approach to the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is based on documentary and interview data. Situational crime prevention is used as a framework to provide points for effective intervention

Effectiveness of Interventions for changing more than one behavior at a time to manage chronic conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Health behaviors play a significant role in chronic disease management. Rather than being independent of one another, health behaviors often co-occur, suggesting that targeting more than one health behavior in an intervention has the potential to be more effective in promoting better health outcomes. Purpose We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials of interventions that target more than one behavior to examine the effectiveness of multiple health behavior change interventions in patients with chronic conditions. Methods Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane) were systematically searched in November 2023, and studies included in previous reviews were also consulted. We included randomized trials of interventions aiming to change more than one health behavior in individuals with chronic conditions. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data, and used Cochrane’s Risk of Bias 2 tool. Meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the effects of interventions on change in health behaviors. Results were presented as Cohen’s d for continuous data, and risk ratio for dichotomous data. Results Sixty-one studies were included spanning a range of chronic diseases: cardiovascular (k = 25), type 2 diabetes (k = 15), hypertension (k = 10), cancer (k = 7), one or more chronic conditions (k = 3), and multiple conditions (k = 1). Most interventions aimed to change more than one behavior simultaneously (rather than in sequence) and most targeted three particular behaviors at once: “physical activity, diet and smoking” (k = 20). Meta-analysis of 43 eligible studies showed for continuous data (k = 29) a small to substantial positive effect on behavior change for all health behaviors (d = 0.081–2.003) except for smoking (d = −0.019). For dichotomous data (k = 23) all analyses showed positive effects of targeting more than one behavior on all behaviors (RR = 1.026–2.247). Conclusions Targeting more than one behavior at a time is effective in chronic disease management and more research should be directed into developing the science of multiple behavior change.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

a systematic review and meta-analysis

Funding Information: CCS is supported by FCT-Funda\u00E7\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e a Tecnologia (grant number SFRH/BD/146762/2019). Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.Background: Health behaviors play a significant role in chronic disease management. Rather than being independent of one another, health behaviors often co-occur, suggesting that targeting more than one health behavior in an intervention has the potential to be more effective in promoting better health outcomes. Purpose: We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-Analysis of randomized trials of interventions that target more than one behavior to examine the effectiveness of multiple health behavior change interventions in patients with chronic conditions. Methods: Five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane) were systematically searched in November 2023, and studies included in previous reviews were also consulted. We included randomized trials of interventions aiming to change more than one health behavior in individuals with chronic conditions. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data, and used Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2 tool. Meta-Analyses were conducted to estimate the effects of interventions on change in health behaviors. Results were presented as Cohen's d for continuous data, and risk ratio for dichotomous data. Results: Sixty-one studies were included spanning a range of chronic diseases: cardiovascular (k = 25), type 2 diabetes (k = 15), hypertension (k = 10), cancer (k = 7), one or more chronic conditions (k = 3), and multiple conditions (k = 1). Most interventions aimed to change more than one behavior simultaneously (rather than in sequence) and most targeted three particular behaviors at once: "physical activity, diet and smoking"(k = 20). Meta-Analysis of 43 eligible studies showed for continuous data (k = 29) a small to substantial positive effect on behavior change for all health behaviors (dâ =â 0.081-2.003) except for smoking (d =-0.019). For dichotomous data (k = 23) all analyses showed positive effects of targeting more than one behavior on all behaviors (RR = 1.026-2.247). Conclusions: Targeting more than one behavior at a time is effective in chronic disease management and more research should be directed into developing the science of multiple behavior change.publishersversionpublishe

A Plague on Both Your Houses? Risks, Repeats, and Reconsiderations of Urban Residential Burglary

Research has shown that mapping techniques are useful in forecasting future crime events. However, the majority of prospective mapping techniques has focused on the event-dependent influence of instigator incidents on subsequent incidents and does not explicitly incorporate the risk heterogeneity of the setting. The study here discussed is a modest attempt to address this issue by using a two-step process: first, using risk terrain modeling, we operationalized the “environmental backcloth,” (the risk heterogeneity of an area) to forecast locations of residential burglaries in the urban city of Newark, New Jersey. Second, using the near repeat calculator, we assessed the variability of underlying risk between different types of residential burglaries. A discussion of the findings and the joint utility of these approaches is provided

Perdas de solo em três diferentes sistemas de cultivo de mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz).

A mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) é uma planta que possui pequena área foliar e lenta formação de copa, produz pouco resíduo cultural, exige amplo espaçamento entre linhas e no seu cultivo e colheita são comuns grandes movimentações de solo. Assim, pouco protege os solos dos efeitos erosivos das chuvas (OTSUBO et al., 2005). Margolis et al. (1991), estudaram diferentes sistemas de cultivos para mandioca num solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo com 12% de declive e determinaram perdas anuais de solo variando entre 1,4 e 49,3 t/ha. [...]

Low pre-transplant levels of mannosebinding lectin are associated with viral infections and mortality after haematopoietic allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Background: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a key component of innate immunity. Low serum MBL levels, related to promoter polymorphism and structural variants, have been associated with an increased risk of infection. The aim of this work was to analyse the incidence and severity of infections and mortality in relation to the MBL2 genotype and MBL levels in patients underwent allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT). Results: This was a prospective cohort study of 72 consecutive patients underwent Allo-HSCT between January 2007 and June 2009 in a tertiary referral centre. Three periods were considered in the patients? follow-up: the early period (0?30 days after Allo-HSCT), the intermediate period (30?100 days after Allo-HSCT) and the late period (> 100 days after Allo-HSCT). A commercial line probe assay for MBL2 genotyping and an ELISA Kit were used to measure MBL levels. A total of 220 episodes of infection were collected in the 72 patients. No association between donor or recipient MBL2 genotype and infection was found. The first episode of infection presented earlier in patients with pre-transplant MBL levels of < 1000 ng/ml (median 6d vs 8d, p = 0.036). MBL levels < 1000 ng/ml in the pre-transplant period (risk ratio (RR) 2.48, 95% CI 1.00?6.13), neutropenic period (0?30 days, RR 3.28, 95% CI 1.53?7.06) and intermediate period (30?100 days, RR 2.37, 95% CI 1.15?4.90) were associated with increased risk of virus infection. No association with bacterial or fungal disease was found. Mortality was associated with pre-transplant MBL levels < 1000 ng/ml (hazard ratio 5.55, 95% CI 1.17?26.30, p = 0.03) but not with MBL2 genotype. Conclusions: Patients who underwent Allo-HSCT with low pre-transplant MBL levels presented the first episode of infection earlier and had an increased risk of viral infections and mortality in the first 6 months post-transplant. Thus, pre-transplant MBL levels would be important in predicting susceptibility to viral infections and mortality and might be considered a biomarker to be included in the pre-transplantation risk assessment.This work was supported by grants from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (Ministry of Health of Spain) PI04/0492 to MC Fariñas and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla (IDIVAL) API 06/01. The content of the paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views. The funding body was not involved in the design of the study, collection or analysis of the data, interpretation of the data, or in the writing of the manuscript

Obtenção de linhagens precoces de feijoeiro resistentes a patógenos com grãos tipo carioca.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi a obtenção de linhagens com grãos tipo carioca, que associem precocidade, resistência à patógenos e maior estabilidade de produção

Estimação dos componentes da variância fenotípica em feijoeiro utilizando o método genealógico.

A obtenção de informações a respeito do controle genético dos caracteres por meio de variâncias com associação aos métodos de condução de populações de feijoeiro tem sido uma estratégia pouco empregada, porém pode ser de grande auxílio aos melhoristas na tomada de decisões. Com esse objetivo foi utilizada uma população segregante proveniente do cruzamento entre as cultivares BRS MG Talismã e BRS Valente. O avanço das gerações foi realizado de acordo com o preconizado pelo método genealógico. Em F4:5 obtiveram-se 256 progênies que foram avaliadas na safra das águas 2004/2005. As sementes de cada progênie foram colhidas em bulk originando as progênies F4:6, as quais foram avaliadas na safra das secas 2005. Os caracteres avaliados foram produtividade de grãos e porte das plantas. Constatou-se que na produção de grãos por planta, a variância ambiental dentro da parcela foi o principal componente da variância fenotípica entre progênies. A variância genética aditiva foi predominante para a produção de grãos, enquanto que para o porte a variância genética de dominância foi expressiva