Using Collider Event Topology in the Search for the Six-Jet Decay of Top Quark-Antiquark Pairs

We investigate the use of the event topology as a tool in the search for the six-jet decay of top-pair production in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.8 TeV. Modified Fox-Wolfram "shape" variables, H_i, are employed to help distinguish the top-pair signal from the ordinary QCD multi-jet background. The H's can be constructed directly from the calorimeter cells or from jets. Events are required to lie in a region of H-space defined by L_i < H_i < R_i for i=1,...,,6, where the left, L_i, and right, R_i, cuts are determined by a genetic algorithm (GA) procedure to maximize the signal over the square root of the background. We are able to reduce the background over the signal to less than a factor of 100 using purely topological methods without using jet multiplicity cuts and without the aid of b-quark tagging.Comment: LaTeX, 19 pages, 13 figure

Automatically accelerating non-numerical programs by architecture-compiler co-design

Because of the high cost of communication between processors, compilers that parallelize loops automatically have been forced to skip a large class of loops that are both critical to performance and rich in latent parallelism. HELIX-RC is a compiler/microprocessor co-design that opens those loops to parallelization by decoupling communication from thread execution in conventional multicore architecures. Simulations of HELIX-RC, applied to a processor with 16 Intel Atom-like cores, show an average of 6.85× performance speedup for six SPEC CINT2000 benchmarks.</jats:p

Community assessment to advance computational prediction of cancer drug combinations in a pharmacogenomic screen

The effectiveness of most cancer targeted therapies is short-lived. Tumors often develop resistance that might be overcome with drug combinations. However, the number of possible combinations is vast, necessitating data-driven approaches to find optimal patient-specific treatments. Here we report AstraZeneca's large drug combination dataset, consisting of 11,576 experiments from 910 combinations across 85 molecularly characterized cancer cell lines, and results of a DREAM Challenge to evaluate computational strategies for predicting synergistic drug pairs and biomarkers. 160 teams participated to provide a comprehensive methodological development and benchmarking. Winning methods incorporate prior knowledge of drug-target interactions. Synergy is predicted with an accuracy matching biological replicates for >60% of combinations. However, 20% of drug combinations are poorly predicted by all methods. Genomic rationale for synergy predictions are identified, including ADAM17 inhibitor antagonism when combined with PIK3CB/D inhibition contrasting to synergy when combined with other PI3K-pathway inhibitors in PIK3CA mutant cells

Adaptive correction of thermal distortions of multichannel laser radiation

Results of the simulation of multichannel radiation propagation under conditions of thermal blooming are presented. The correction of nonlinear thermal distortion by means of the beam phase and amplitudephase control is considered. The results show the dependence of the correction effectiveness on the number of channels and on the precision of the reference beam phase retrieval. An additional increase in the effectiveness is possible by means of adjustment of amplification in the channels of the optical system, i.e., with the use of amplitude-phase control over the beam wavefront

MAINTENANCE OF СА2+-ATP-ASE AMOUNT IN SARCOPLASMATIC RETICULUM CARDIOMYOCYTES IN ISCHEMIC MYOCARDIUM DURING SHORT DURATION OF DIABETES MELLITUS COURSE Kondratyeva D. S., Afansyev S. A., Kanev A. F., Kozlov B. N.

Aim. To study the level of Са2+-ATP-ase of sarcoplasmatic reticulum (SR) in human myocardium in ischemic heart disease (CHD) and in CHD with diabetes mellitus 2nd type (DM), and also in animals with postinfarction cardiosclerosis with DM.Material and methods. The study performed on biopsy material of the hearts from patients and rats with chronic ishemic heart disease wih DM. A piece of left atrial appendage (biopsy material) was cut away during the period of the artificial circulation device setup. Postinfarction cardiosclerosis (PICS) had being formed during 6 weeks after coronary artery occlusion. DM developed during 6 weeks after intraperitoneal injection of streptosotocine (60 mg/kg). The level of Са2+-ATP-ase was measured by immuneblotting.Results. It was shown that in both groups there were patients, whose myocardium contained high level of Са2+-ATP-ase and patients with low levels of this protein. At the same time myocardium of patients with CHD having high level of Са2+-ATP-ase, contained by 26,6%±0,53% (p&lt;0,05) more of the protein studied, than myocardium of CHD patients with DM. Comparison of low Са2+-ATP-ase level patients did not show statistically significant difference between groups. Measurement of Са2+-ATPase in animals’ myocardium showed that ischemic and diabetic remodeling of myocardium leads to the decrease of Са2+-ATP-ase CP to 38,6±0,92% and 49±2,71%, resp. Concomitant development of these pathologies characterizes by the lowest amount of the protein studied and is 52,3±2,6% from controls.Conclusion. Myocardium of CHD patients, and rats with PICS shows higher level of Са2+-ATP-ase with DM with short disease duration

Dog filariosis in the Lazio region (Central Italy): first report on the presence of Dirofilaria repens

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological investigations were carried out in the Lazio Region to assess the status of canine filariosis and to evaluate the actual risk for veterinary and medical public health. METHODS: Since August 2001 to June 2003, a total of 972 canine blood samples, collected in public kennels and from private owners animals of the 5 Provinces of the Region, were tested. The presence of filarial parasites was evaluated by microscopy and bio-molecular techniques; the species identification was performed by means of the same diagnostic tools. RESULTS: A total of 17/972 (1.75%; 95%CI 1.06%–2.85%) blood samples were parasitized by D. repens,13 out them drawn by dogs resident in the Province of Roma, and 4 in the other provinces. Multivariate analysis was performed in order to evaluate the association between filariosis and risk factors. The origin from coastal territories seems to be a significant risk factor to acquire the infection. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of canine filariosis in the Lazio Region, where D. repens was before reported only in foxes. The risk of human zoonotic infection is stressed, and the absence of other filarial species is discusse

Влияние миэктомии с пластикой митрального клапана на трехмерную модель клапана и обструкцию в выводном отделе левого желудочка у больных гипертрофической кардиомиопатией

Aim. To assess the effects of combined myectomy with mitral valve repair on a three-dimensional model of the mitral valve in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.Methods. 24 patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular outflow obstruction over 50 mm Hg at rest were recruited in a study. Eight patients underwent combined myectomy with mitral valve repair according to the Carpentier method. Seven patients underwent the Alfieri's edge-to-edge repair, and nine patients underwent secondary chordae resection using the Ferrazzi’s technique. Before combined myectomy and two weeks after it, all patients underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography and real-time 3D transesophageal imaging of the mitral valve, followed by quantitative 3D reconstruction of the mitral valve and calculation of the annulus, the leaflets, and the aorto-mitral angle.Results. Despite the selected mitral valve repair technique, we observed a decrease in the LVOT obstruction gradient. There were no differences in the residual obstruction gradient between the selected mitral valve repair technique. Patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, who underwent combined myectomy and posterior mitral leaflet plasty valve according to the Carpentier approach, reported a correlation of a decrease in the LVOT obstruction with the non-planar angle (r = -0.83; p = 0.040), sphericity index (r = 0.83; p = 0.04) and a decrease in the velocity excursion of the annulus (r = 0.94; p = 0.005). Patients who underwent the Alfieri's edge-to-edge repair demonstrated that the residual LVOT obstruction gradient depended on the annulus height (r = 0.90; p = 0.04) and the ratio of this height to the commissural diameter of the annulus ( r = 0.90; p = 0.04). After secondary chordae resection, a decrease in the LVOT obstruction gradient correlated with the sphericity index (r = 0.77; p = 0.03), the anterolateral-posteromedial annulus diameter (r = -0.72; p = 0.04), the anterior (r = -0.78; p = 0.02) and posterior (r = -0.78; p = 0.02) leaflets, the ratio of the total leaflet length to the anteroposterior diameter of the annulus (r = -0.83; p = 0.01), the area (r = -0.76; p = 0.0з) and the mitral valve tenting height (r = -0.95; p = 0.00). Conclusion.Combined myectomy with mitral valve repair is the method of choice in the treatment of patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The comparison of three mitral valve repair techniques did not reveal any differences in the residual LVOT obstruction gradient. However, the Alfieri's edge-to-edge repair may be considered as the most physiological technique to repair dynamic LVOT obstruction.Цель. Оценить влияние миэктомии с пластикой митрального клапана (МК) на трехмерную модель клапана у больных обструктивной гипертрофической кардиомиопатией (ГКМП).Материалы и методы. Исследованы 24 пациента с ГКМП и обструкцией в выводном отделе левого желудочка (ВОЛЖ) более 50 мм рт. ст. в покое, которым выполнены миэктомия с пластикой МК по методике A. Carpentier (n = 8), O. Alfieri (по типу «край в край», n = 7) и резекцией вторичных хорд по Р. Ferrazzi (n = 9). Всем пациентам до и в течение двух недель после c-очетанной операции выполнены стандартная трансторакальная эхокардиография и чреспищеводная трехмерная визуализация МК в реальном масштабе времени с последующей трехмерной количественной реконструкцией МК и расчетом показателей фиброзного кольца (ФК), створок и аортально-митрального угла.Результаты. Независимо от метода пластики МК наблюдалось снижение градиента обструкции в ВОЛЖ. Не выявлено различий в величине резидуального градиента обструкции между применяемыми методиками пластики. У больных ГКМП после миэктомии в сочетании с пластикой задней створки МК по A. Carpentier величина снижения обструкции в ВОЛЖ коррелировала с непланарным углом (r = -0,83; p = 0,040), индексом сферичности (r = 0,83; p = 0,04) и снижением скорости движения ФК (r = 0,94; p = 0,005). У пациентов после пластики МК по типу «край в край» (O. Alfieri) резидуальный градиент обструкции в ВОЛЖ связан с высотой ФК (r = 0,90; p = 0,04) и отношением этой высоты к комиссуральному диаметру ФК МК (r = 0,90; p = 0,04). После резекции вторичных хорд величина снижения градиента обструкции в ВОЛЖ коррелировала с индексом сферичности (r = 0,77; p = 0,03), переднелатеральнозаднемедиальным диаметром ФК (r = -0,72; p = 0,04), углом передней (r = -0,78; p = 0,02) и задней (r = -0,78; p = 0,02) створок, отношением суммарной длины створок к переднезаднему диаметру ФК (r = -0,83; p = 0,01), площадью (r = -0,76; p = 0,03) и высотой (r = -0,95; p = 0,00) тентинга створок МК.Заключение. Миэктомия в сочетании с пластикой МК является предпочтительным способом лечения пациентов с ГКМП. При оценке трех методов пластики МК не выявлено различий в резидуальных градиентах обструкции в ВОЛЖ. Наиболее физиологичными технологиями коррекции динамической обструкции ВОЛЖ следует считать методики по типу «край в край»

Infecções em dispositivos neurológicos implantáveis em crianças e adolescentes

OBJETIVO: Determinar a freqüência, as causas, o sítio específico e as manifestações clínicas e laboratoriais das infecções em crianças e adolescentes após a implantação de dispositivos neurológicos (DVP) no Hospital Governador João Alves Filho (Aracaju SE). MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo, observacional, não controlado de 50 pacientes, submetidos a DVP (58 procedimentos), no período de janeiro de 2003 a outubro de 2004. RESULTADOS: Observaram-se taxas de infecção por procedimento de 27,6%, taxas de infecção de índice cirúrgico zero, 1 e 2 de 25,7% e 30,4%, respectivamente (NNIS-CDC). A infecção de sítio cirúrgico foi a principal complicação com 50% das infecções. CONCLUSÃO: Taxa de infecção por procedimento, paciente e índice de risco cirúrgico mostraram-se elevadas. Não houve significância estatística com relação à idade, etiologia da hidrocefalia, ao tipo de procedimento (derivação primária e reinserção), tempo de internação pré-operatória, duração da cirurgia, antibioticoprofilaxia, cateter SNC prévio e índice de risco cirúrgico. _________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To determine frequency, etiology, site and clinical and laboratory findings of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) infections in children and adolescents with hydrocephalus managed in Hospital Governador João Alves Filho, Aracaju SE, Brazil. METHOD: A non-controlled prospective observational study comprising 50 patients that underwent VPS (58 procedures) from January/2003 to October/2004. RESULTS: Infection rate per procedure was 27.6%; surgical risk index (NNISS-CDC) 0 and 1-2 were 25.7% and 30.4% respectively; surgical site infection was the main complication with 50% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Infection rates per procedure, per patient, and per surgical risk index were high. No statistical differences were found related to the following: age, etiology of hydrocephalus, type of procedure, pre-operative length of stay, duration of procedure, antibiotic prophylaxis, previous central nervous system catheter, and surgical risk index