The Perennial Threat of Yellow Fever

Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, yellow fever remains a major vaccine-preventable disease in endemic regions. Additionally, travelers risk acquiring yellow fever when visiting areas of endemic transmission or locations with ongoing outbreaks. Yellow fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever that has inflicted stigma, illness, and death among human societies. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, yellow fever remained a mysterious illness that predominantly affected tropical regions in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas. The disease was as feared as cholera or smallpox, and played a significant geopolitical role in shaping modern societies. Epidemics of yellow fever brought out the best and the worst of human nature: the disease spread to new regions during the Atlantic slave trade; while the identification of its causative viral agent and mode of transmission, as well as the development of a vaccine, were made possible by the sacrifice of selfless scientists. Confirmation of the vector transmission of YF paved the way for the development of an effective vaccine in the first half of the 20th century. Encroachment of human settlements into locations with sylvatic transmission has blurred the distinction between the urban and sylvatic cycles. Introduction or expansion of routine immunization activities and reaching hard-to-reach populations consitute public health priorities toward ensuring vaccine equity in endemic areas. It is also critical to ensure the timely immunization of at-risk populations during outbreaks and to promote vaccination of international travelers. We conclude that the threat of YF will linger far into the 21st century as a leading public health emergency of global concern under the International Health Regulations

Economic Dispatch of BESS and renewable generators in DC microgrids using voltage-dependent load models

This paper addresses the optimal dispatch problem for battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in direct current (DC) mode for an operational period of 24 h. The problem is represented by a nonlinear programming (NLP) model that was formulated using an exponential voltage-dependent load model, which is the main contribution of this paper. An artificial neural network was employed for the short-term prediction of available renewable energy from wind and photovoltaic sources. The NLP model was solved by using the general algebraic modeling system (GAMS) to implement a 30-node test feeder composed of four renewable generators and three batteries. Simulation results demonstrate that the cost reduction for a daily operation is drastically affected by the operating conditions of the BESS, as well as the type of load model used. © 2019 MDPI AG. All rights reserved

A variational model for fracture and debonding of thin films under in-plane loadings

We study fracture and debonding of a thin stiff film bonded to a rigid substrate through a thin compliant layer, introducing a two-dimensional variational fracture model in brittle elasticity. Fractures are naturally distinguished between transverse cracks in the film (curves in 2D) and debonded surfaces (2D planar regions). In order to study the mechanical response of such systems under increasing loads, we formulate a dimension-reduced, rate-independent, irreversible evolution law accounting for both transverse fracture and debonding. We propose a numerical implementation based on a regularized formulation of the fracture problem via a gradient damage functional, and provide an illustration of its capabilities exploring complex crack patterns, showing a qualitative comparison with geometrically involved real life examples. Moreover, we justify the underlying dimension-reduced model in the setting of scalar-valued displacement fields by a rigorous asymptotic analysis using Γ-convergence, starting from the three-dimensional variational fracture (free-discontinuity) problem under precise scaling hypotheses on material and geometric parameters. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

SEOM guidelines on hydroelectrolytic disorders

Hydroelectrolytic disorders are one of the most common metabolic complications in cancer patients. Although often metabolic alterations affecting various ions are part of the manifestations of the oncological disease, even in the form of paraneoplastic syndrome, we must not forget that very often, these disorders could be caused by various drugs, including some of the antineoplastic agents most frequently used, such as platin derivatives or some biologics. These guidelines review major management of diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of the most common alterations of sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium in cancer patients. Aside from life-sustaining treatments, we have reviewed the role of specific drug treatments aimed at correcting some of these disorders, such as intravenous bisphosphonates for hypercalcemia or V2 receptor antagonists in the management of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion-related hyponatremia

Multiplexing of encrypted data using fractal masks

This paper was published in OPTICS LETTERS and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.002895. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under lawIn this Letter, we present to the best of our knowledge a new all-optical technique for multiple-image encryption and multiplexing, based on fractal encrypting masks. The optical architecture is a joint transform correlator. The multiplexed encrypted data are stored in a photorefractive crystal. The fractal parameters of the key can be easily tuned to lead to a multiplexing operation without cross talk effects. Experimental results that support the potential of the method are presented.This research was performed under grants TWAS-UNESCO Associateship Scheme at Centres of Excellence in the South, CONICET No. 0863 (Argentina), ANCYT PICT 1167 (Argentina), and Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional de La Plata No. 11/I125 (Argentina), Sostenibilidad 2011-2012, and CODI (Universidad de Antioquia-Colombia). W. D. Furlan and J. A. Monsoriua acknowledge financial support from Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (grant FIS2011-23175), Generalitat Valenciana (grant PROMETEO2009-077), and Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (grants PAID-05-11 and PAID-02-11), Spain.Barrera, J.; Tebaldi, M.; Amaya, D.; Furlan, W.; Monsoriu Serra, JA.; Bolognini, NA.; Torroba, RD.... (2012). Multiplexing of encrypted data using fractal masks. Optics Letters. 37(14):2895-2897. doi:10.1364/OL.37.002895S289528973714Refregier, P., & Javidi, B. (1995). Optical image encryption based on input plane and Fourier plane random encoding. Optics Letters, 20(7), 767. doi:10.1364/ol.20.000767Matoba, O., & Javidi, B. (1999). Encrypted optical memory system using three-dimensional keys in the Fresnel domain. Optics Letters, 24(11), 762. doi:10.1364/ol.24.000762Unnikrishnan, G., Joseph, J., & Singh, K. (2000). Optical encryption by double-random phase encoding in the fractional Fourier domain. Optics Letters, 25(12), 887. doi:10.1364/ol.25.000887Nomura, T. (2000). Polarization encoding for optical security systems. Optical Engineering, 39(9), 2439. doi:10.1117/1.1288369Tebaldi, M., Furlan, W. D., Torroba, R., & Bolognini, N. (2009). Optical-data storage-readout technique based on fractal encrypting masks. Optics Letters, 34(3), 316. doi:10.1364/ol.34.000316Situ, G., & Zhang, J. (2005). Multiple-image encryption by wavelength multiplexing. Optics Letters, 30(11), 1306. doi:10.1364/ol.30.001306Liu, Z., & Liu, S. (2007). Double image encryption based on iterative fractional Fourier transform. Optics Communications, 275(2), 324-329. doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2007.03.039Hwang, H.-E., Chang, H. T., & Lie, W.-N. (2009). Multiple-image encryption and multiplexing using a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm and phase modulation in Fresnel-transform domain. Optics Letters, 34(24), 3917. doi:10.1364/ol.34.003917Matoba, O., & Javidi, B. (1999). Encrypted optical storage with angular multiplexing. Applied Optics, 38(35), 7288. doi:10.1364/ao.38.007288Fredy Barrera, J., Henao, R., Tebaldi, M., Torroba, R., & Bolognini, N. (2006). Multiplexing encryption–decryption via lateral shifting of a random phase mask. Optics Communications, 259(2), 532-536. doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2005.09.027Henao, R., Rueda, E., Barrera, J. F., & Torroba, R. (2010). Noise-free recovery of optodigital encrypted and multiplexed images. Optics Letters, 35(3), 333. doi:10.1364/ol.35.000333Barrera, J. F., Henao, R., Tebaldi, M., Torroba, R., & Bolognini, N. (2006). Multiple image encryption using an aperture-modulated optical system. Optics Communications, 261(1), 29-33. doi:10.1016/j.optcom.2005.11.055Mosso, F., Barrera, J. F., Tebaldi, M., Bolognini, N., & Torroba, R. (2011). All-optical encrypted movie. Optics Express, 19(6), 5706. doi:10.1364/oe.19.005706Monsoriu, J. A., Saavedra, G., & Furlan, W. D. (2004). Fractal zone plates with variable lacunarity. Optics Express, 12(18), 4227. doi:10.1364/opex.12.00422

Enterobacteriaceae bacteremias among cancer patients: an observational cohort study

SummaryBackgroundEnterobacteriaceae bacteremia is a common complication in patients with neoplasm. The cancer itself, chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression, and other cancer-related procedures play a role as predisposing factors for this condition. However, despite the clear association between cancer and Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia, the distinctive clinical characteristics of patients with cancer presenting with Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia have not been well established.MethodsThe population studied was a prospective cohort of adult hospitalized patients with Enterobacteriaceae bacteremia in a tertiary care hospital. We compared the clinical variables and microbiological features between patients with an underlying neoplasm (n=203) and those without (n=259). STATA software was used for statistical association analysis.ResultsIn a bivariate analysis, older age, prior exposure to aminopenicillins, fewer days of symptoms, biliary source of bacteremia, greater severity of APACHE II score, lower white blood cell and platelet counts, and the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae were more common in the neoplasm group. In a multivariable analysis, K. pneumoniae bacteremia (odds ratio (OR) 6.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65–22.71; p=0.007), APACHE II score (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05–1.34; p=0.007), and exposure to aminopenicillins (OR 28.84, 95% CI 1.94–429.3; p=0.015) were associated with neoplasm. K. pneumoniae bacteremia was more commonly present in patients with lung and gastrointestinal cancers.ConclusionsWe have confirmed the association of K. pneumoniae bacteremia with underlying neoplastic disease, especially with gastrointestinal malignancies, which may allow stratification for initial empiric antibiotic therapy in this subset of patients. Prior exposure to aminopenicillins in the neoplasm group might contribute to this finding

Generation Of Entanglement In Quantum Parametric Oscillators Using Phase Control.

The control of quantum entanglement in systems in contact with environment plays an important role in information processing, cryptography and quantum computing. However, interactions with the environment, even when very weak, entail decoherence in the system with consequent loss of entanglement. Here we consider a system of two coupled oscillators in contact with a common heat bath and with a time dependent oscillation frequency. The possibility to control the entanglement of the oscillators by means of an external sinusoidal perturbation applied to the oscillation frequency has been theoretically explored. We demonstrate that the oscillators become entangled exactly in the region where the classical counterpart is unstable, otherwise when the classical system is stable, entanglement is not possible. Therefore, we can control the entanglement swapping from stable to unstable regions by adjusting amplitude and phase of our external controller. We also show that the entanglement rate is approximately proportional to the real part of the Floquet coefficient of the classical counterpart of the oscillators. Our results have the intriguing peculiarity of manipulating quantum information operating on a classical system.51315

Control of entanglement dynamics in a system of three coupled quantum oscillators

Sem informaçãoDynamical control of entanglement and its connection with the classical concept of instability is an intriguing matter which deserves accurate investigation for its important role in information processing, cryptography and quantum computing. Here we consider a tripartite quantum system made of three coupled quantum parametric oscillators in equilibrium with a common heat bath. The introduced parametrization consists of a pulse train with adjustable amplitude and duty cycle representing a more general case for the perturbation. From the experimental observation of the instability in the classical system we are able to predict the parameter values for which the entangled states exist. A different amount of entanglement and different onset times emerge when comparing two and three quantum oscillators. The system and the parametrization considered here open new perspectives for manipulating quantum features at high temperatures.718Sem informaçãoSem informaçãoSem informaçã