Local Difference Measures between Complex Networks for Dynamical System Model Evaluation

Acknowledgments We thank Reik V. Donner for inspiring suggestions that initialized the work presented herein. Jan H. Feldhoff is credited for providing us with the STARS simulation data and for his contributions to fruitful discussions. Comments by the anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged as they led to substantial improvements of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness profile in normal eyes using third-generation optical coherence tomography

Aims To establish four normal retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness radial profiles based on third-generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to compare them with previously reported histologic measurements.Methods A total of 20 normal eyes were studied. A circular scan was adjusted to the size of the optic disc and three scans were performed with this radius and every 200 mu m thereafter, up to a distance of 1400 mu m. Four different radial sections (superotemporal, superonasal, inferonasal, and inferotemporal) were studied to establish RNFL thickness OCT profiles. Additionally, two radial scans orientated at 45 and 1351 crossing the optic disc centre were performed in six of 20 eyes, and RNFL thickness was measured at disc margin.Results Quadrant location and distance from disc margin interaction in RNFL thickness was statistically significant (P < 0.001). the RNFL thickness decreased (P < 0.001) as the distance from the disc margin increased for all sections. the measurements automatically generated by the OCT built-in software were thinner (P < 0.001) than histologic ones close to the disc margin.Conclusions Four normal OCT RNFL profiles were established and compared with histological data obtained from the same area. RNFL measurements assessed by OCT 3 were significantly thinner close to the optic disc margin.Hosp Olhos Araraquara, Glaucoma Sect, BR-14802530 Araraquara, SP, BrazilHosp Olhos Araraquara, Retina Diagnost & Treatment Div, BR-14802530 Araraquara, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUSP, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilUniv So Calif, Doheny Eye Inst, Dept Ophthalmol, Los Angeles, CA USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far

A Criterion for Brittle Failure of Rocks Using the Theory of Critical Distances

This paper presents a new analytical criterion for brittle failure of rocks and heavily overconsolidated soils. Griffith’s model of a randomly oriented defect under a biaxial stress state is used to keep the criterion simple. The Griffith’s criterion is improved because the maximum tensile strength is not evaluated at the boundary of the defect but at a certain distance from the boundary, known as the critical distance. This fracture criterion is known as the Point Method, and is part of the Theory of Critical Distances, which is utilized in fracture mechanics. The proposed failure criterion has two parameters: the inherent tensile strength, ó0, and the ratio of the half-length of the initial crack/flaw to the critical distance, a/L. These parameters are difficult to measure but they may be correlated with the uniaxial compressive and tensile strengths, óc and ót. The proposed criterion is able to reproduce the common range of strength ratios for rocks and heavily overconsolidated soils (óc/ót=3-50) and the influence of several microstructural rock properties, such as texture and porosity. Good agreement with laboratory tests reported in the literature is found for tensile and low confining stresses.The work presented was initiated during a research project on “Structural integrity assessments of notch-type defects", for the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ref.: MAT2010-15721)

Employment generation by small firms in Spain

Despite the relevance in terms of policy, we still know little in Spain about where and by whom jobs are created, and how that is affecting the size distribution of firms. The main innovation of this paper is to use a rich database that overcomes the problems encountered by other firm-level studies to shed some light on the employment generation of small firms in Spain. We find that small firms contribute to employment disproportionately across all sectors of the economy although the difference between their employment and job creation share is largest in the manufacturing sector. The job creators in that sector are both new and established firms whereas only new small firms outperform their larger counterparts in the service sector. The large annual job creation of the small firm size class is shifting the firm size distribution towards the very small production units, although not uniformly across industries of different technology intensit

Anti-tumour necrosis factor discontinuation in inflammatory bowel disease patients in remission: study protocol of a prospective, multicentre, randomized clinical trial

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who achieve remission with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs may have treatment withdrawn due to safety concerns and cost considerations, but there is a lack of prospective, controlled data investigating this strategy. The primary study aim is to compare the rates of clinical remission at 1?year in patients who discontinue anti-TNF treatment versus those who continue treatment. Methods: This is an ongoing, prospective, double-blind, multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled study in patients with Crohn?s disease or ulcerative colitis who have achieved clinical remission for ?6?months with an anti-TNF treatment and an immunosuppressant. Patients are being randomized 1:1 to discontinue anti-TNF therapy or continue therapy. Randomization stratifies patients by the type of inflammatory bowel disease and drug (infliximab versus adalimumab) at study inclusion. The primary endpoint of the study is sustained clinical remission at 1?year. Other endpoints include endoscopic and radiological activity, patient-reported outcomes (quality of life, work productivity), safety and predictive factors for relapse. The required sample size is 194 patients. In addition to the main analysis (discontinuation versus continuation), subanalyses will include stratification by type of inflammatory bowel disease, phenotype and previous treatment. Biological samples will be obtained to identify factors predictive of relapse after treatment withdrawal. Results: Enrolment began in 2016, and the study is expected to end in 2020. Conclusions: This study will contribute prospective, controlled data on outcomes and predictors of relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease after withdrawal of anti-TNF agents following achievement of clinical remission. Clinical trial reference number: EudraCT 2015-001410-1

Measurement of vector boson scattering and constraints on anomalous quartic couplings from events with four leptons and two jets in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

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Search for Evidence of the Type-III Seesaw Mechanism in Multilepton Final States in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson produced in association with bottom quarks in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

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