2,776 research outputs found
Performance Feedback A Common Thread in the Process to Provide Optimal Heart Failure Care⁎⁎Editorials published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of JACC or the American College of Cardiology.
Current software community players like academy and industry have been changing the traditional paradigms of software engineering towards context-awareness and distributed computing. Nowadays, service-oriented computing and context-aware computing are two emerging paradigms that are changing the way of designing, developing, providing and consuming software services. Whilst service-oriented computing is based on service-oriented architectures and it is focused on modelling functionality and providing flexible software services, context-aware computing is based on the context life cycle and it allows processing and changing the behaviour of such services given certain context information. The synergy between both paradigms is a core research topic in ubiquitous and pervasive computing widely applied to the Internet of Things and Smart Cities.In the present PhD thesis, we exploit this synergy by focusing on context-aware computing from the perspective of service-oriented computing, which is also known as context-aware service-oriented computing. Such research topic involves the management of context within different essential phases of the context life cycle that show how the context data moves from phase to phase in software services within the paradigm of the service-oriented computing. Hence, the work done in this thesis involves different components and processes that have the aim to accomplish the context life cycle, namely the acquisition, modelling, reasoning and dissemination of the context in service-oriented computing. Particularly, we make an effort to provide both a context ontology for context modelling, context reasoning and high-level context dissemination, and a context-aware monitoring architecture for context acquisition and low-level context dissemination.Such work of the thesis has been motivated for contributing in the solution of different issues mainly identified in the phases of context modelling and context acquisition that are a strong basis of the context life cycle. Firstly, in the context modelling we mainly identified the proliferation of several context models presenting some problems about: reusability, extensibility and adaptation. Secondly, in the context acquisition we mainly identified that existing monitoring infrastructures are not prepared to support the constant changes in their context and the context of other entities, including the services that they are supervising which provoke the provisioning of context data that is not reliable. In summary, this thesis explores three big research questions: 1) What context data to acquire and to model? This involves the study of the current state of the art of context models, specifically: which are these proposals and how are they related, what are their structural characteristics, what context information is the most addressed, and what are their most consolidated definitions. 2) How to model context data? This involves the development of a three-level context ontology with the aim of improving the reusability, extensibility and adaptation capabilities of existing context models. 3) How to acquire context data? This involves the development of a context-aware monitoring architecture that can be easily configured, adapted or evolved according to the constant changes of the context.The context model and the architecture proposed in this PhD thesis are validated through different scenarios and use cases, highlighting their integration in SUPERSEDE (www.supersede.eu), a European project in the H2020 program for fulfilling some requirements of data acquisition and management demonstrating that the context life cycle is supported.Els actors actuals de la comunitat de software, com l'acadèmia o la indústria, han anat canviant els paradigmes tradicionals de l'enginyeria de software cap a la sensibilitat al context i la computació distribuïda. Avui dia, la computació orientada a serveis i la computació conscient del context són dos paradigmes emergents que estan canviant la forma de dissenyar, desenvolupar, proporcionar i consumir serveis de software. Mentre que la computació orientada a serveis es basa en arquitectures orientades a serveis i se centra en el modelatge de la funcionalitat i la prestació de serveis de software flexibles, la computació sensible al context es basa en el cicle de vida del context i permet el processament i canviar el comportament d'aquest tipus de serveis donada una determinada informació del context. La sinergia entre els dos paradigmes és un tema central de recerca a la computació ubiqua i omnipresent, àmpliament aplicada a la Internet de les coses i les ciutats intel·ligents. En la present tesi doctoral explotem aquesta sinèrgia, centrant-se en la computació sensible al context des de la perspectiva de la computació orientada a serveis, que també es coneix com computació orientada a serveis sensibles al context. Tal tema de recerca implica la gestió de contexts en diferents fases essencials del cicle de vida del context que mostren com les dades de context es mouen d'una fase a l’altra en serveis de software dins del paradigma de la computació orientada a serveis. Per tant, el treball realitzat en aquesta tesi consisteix en diferents components i processos que tenen l'objectiu d'aconseguir el cicle de vida del context, és a dir, l'adquisició, el modelatge, el raonament i la difusió del context en computació orientada a serveis. En particular, fem un esforç per proporcionar tant una ontologia de context per a la modelització, raonament i difusió del context d'alt nivell, i una arquitectura de monitorització sensible al context per a l'adquisició i difusió del context de baix nivell. Aquest treball de tesi ha estat motivat per contribuir a la solució dels diferents problemes identificats principalment en les fases de modelatge de context i adquisició de context que són una base sòlida del cicle de vida del context. En primer lloc, en el modelatge de context es van identificar principalment la proliferació de diversos models de context que presenten alguns problemes sobre: reutilització, l'extensibilitat i l'adaptació. En segon lloc, en l'adquisició del context identifiquem principalment que les infraestructures de monitorització existents no estan preparats per suportar els canvis constants en el seu context i el context d'altres entitats, incloent-hi els serveis que s'estan supervisant, que provoquen un aprovisionament de dades de context que no és fiable. En resum, aquesta tesi explora tres grans preguntes de recerca: 1) Quines dades de context cal adquirir i modelar? Això implica l'estudi de l'estat actual de la tècnica dels models de context, en concret: ¿quines són aquestes propostes i com es relacionen, quines són les seves característiques estructurals, quina informació de context és la més adreçada, i quines són les seves definicions més consolidades. 2) Com modelar les dades de context? Això implica el desenvolupament d'una ontologia de context de tres nivells amb l'objectiu de millorar les capacitats de reutilització, extensibilitat i adaptació dels models de context existents. 3) Com adquirir dades de context? Això implica el desenvolupament d'una arquitectura de monitorització sensible al context que pot ser fàcilment configurat o adaptat d'acord amb els canvis del context. El model de context i l'arquitectura proposada en aquesta tesi doctoral es validen a través de diferents escenaris i casos d'ús, destacant la seva integració en SUPERSEDE, un projecte europeu en el programa H2020 per al compliment d'alguns requisits d'adquisició i gestió de dades que demostra que es dóna suport al cicle de vida del context
Measuring the growth rate of structure with Type IA Supernovae from LSST
We investigate measuring the peculiar motions of galaxies up to using
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from LSST, and predict the subsequent constraints
on the growth rate of structure. We consider two cases. Our first is based on
measurements of the volumetric SNe Ia rate and assumes we can obtain
spectroscopic redshifts and light curves for varying fractions of objects that
are detected pre-peak luminosity by LSST (some of which may be obtained by LSST
itself and others which would require additional follow-up). We find that these
measurements could produce growth rate constraints at that
significantly outperform those using Redshift Space Distortions (RSD) with DESI
or 4MOST, even though there are fewer objects. For our second
case, we use semi-analytic simulations and a prescription for the SNe Ia rate
as a function of stellar mass and star formation rate to predict the number of
LSST SNe IA whose host redshifts may already have been obtained with the
Taipan+WALLABY surveys, or with a future multi-object spectroscopic survey. We
find and SN Ia with host redshifts for these cases
respectively. Whilst this is only a fraction of the total LSST-detected SNe Ia,
they could be used to significantly augment and improve the growth rate
constraints compared to only RSD. Ultimately, we find that combining LSST SNe
Ia with large numbers of galaxy redshifts will provide the most powerful probe
of large scale gravity in the regime over the coming decades.Comment: 12 pages, 1 table, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. The
Fisher matrix forecast code used in this paper can be found at:
https://github.com/CullanHowlett/PV_fisher. Updated to fix error in Eq. 1
(thanks to Eric Linder for pointing this out
The effects of altered membrane fatty acid composition on the toxic interactions of heavy metals with Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
The effects of altered membrane fatty acid composition on the toxic interactions of heavy
metals with Saccharomyces cerevisiae were examined. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was
enriched with the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) linoleate (18:2) and linolenate
(18:3) by growth in 18:2- or 18:3-supplemented medium. Incorporation of the exogenous
PUF As resulted in them comprising greater than 65% and 40% of the total fatty acids in
whole-cell and plasma membrane lipids, and nuclear membrane lipids, respectively.
Incorporation of the exogenous PUF As had no discernible adverse effects on cell
division. However, inhibition of cell division in the presence of Cd(N03)2 was
accentuated by growth in the presence of the di-unsaturated fatty acid linoleate.
Furthermore, susceptibility to both Cd2+ - and Cu2+ -induced plasma membrane
permeabilisation and whole cell toxicity was markedly accentuated in PUF A-enriched
cells, and increased with the degree of fatty acid unsaturation. The increased sensitivity
ofPUFA-enriched cells to membrane permeabilisation and whole-cell toxicity was
correlated with increased levels of lipid peroxidation in these cells. Cu2+ - and Cd2+_
induced lipid peroxidation was rapid and associated with a decline in plasma membrane
lipid order, detected by fluorescence depolarization measurements. Levels of the lipid
peroxidation products thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and conjugated
dienes were markedly higher in PUF A-enriched cells, compared with unsupplemented
cells, following exposure to cadmium or copper. Thus, lipid peroxidation was
demonstrated as a major means of heavy metal toxicity in a microorganism for the first
time. In addition, the effects ofPUFA-enrichment on the interactions of heavy metals
with cellular nucleic acids were examined. Exposure ofPUFA-enriched cells to the
redox-active metals chromium and copper resulted in the uncoupling of DNA synthesis
from cell division, leading to sequential S phases. For example, DNA levels of up to 8C
were evident in 18:3-enriched cells after only 4.5 h exposure to 100 JJ.M Cu(N03h.
Using flow cytometry, the heterogeneity in susceptibility to copper toxicity of
exponential phase S. cerevisiae was also examined. Susceptibility towards copper
toxicity was demonstrated to be cell cycle stage-dependent, whereby G2/M phase cells
were found to be the most susceptible towards copper toxicity. Staining with the oxidantsensitive
probe 2',7' -dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) revealed that the
greater copper sensitivity of G2/M phase cells correlated with elevated endogenous levels
of reactive oxygen species in these cells
The International endomyocardial biopsy position paper: a basis for integration into modern clinical practice
Editoria
Environmental problems, uncertainty, and mathematical modeling
In this paper we discuss three rather special characteristics shared by many
environmental problems. Namely, that (i) the environmental variables in which we are
most interested constitute a stochastic process; (ii) the long-term or limiting behavior
and the short-term or transient behavior are often both important; and (iii) the
underlying probability distributions are likely to be influenced by the environmental
policies or remedies that we choose to impose. This third characteristic implies
the need to understand the impact of technologies and controls that influence
the dynamics of the system. The control theoretic perspective of environmental
engineering problems has, we believe, received less attention than it deserves in
the literature. Consequently, after a brief discussion of the exogenous, control-independent
case we focus on illustrating some special challenges and opportunities
embedded in the control-dependent situations
821-4 Beta-blockers reduce heart failure mortality regardless of the initial heart rate: Data from the ICONS study
Neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania: A 6-year prospective hospital-based case series
Background: The burden of neurological disorders is large and altered by the HIV epidemic.
Objectives: We describe the pattern of neurological disorders and their association with HIV infection in adult patients attending a consultant hospital in Northern Tanzania.
Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we collected data on adult neurological referrals over a 6-year period between 2007-13. The odds of HIV infection, across neurological categories adjusted for age and sex, was calculated.
Results: Of 2037 participants, 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female. The median age of participants was 43 years. The results for HIV screening were available for 992/2037 (48.7%) patients, of whom 306 (30.8%) were seropositive. The most frequent neurological disorders were cerebrovascular disease (19.9%), paraplegia (13.6%), and peripheral neuropathies (8%). Taken together CNS infection accounted for 278/2037 (13.6%). The adjusted odds (aOR) of HIV infection was highest amongst infections; brain abscesses (aOR 107, 95% CI 35.1-470.4) and meningitis/encephalitis (aOR 40.1, 95% CI 13.6-172.9), but also raised in cerebrovascular disease, paraplegia, peripheral neuropathies, cranial nerve palsies, seizures, cerebllar disorders, movement disorders, motor neuron disease and
headache.
Conclusion: The main pattern of neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania is presented. The odds of HIV infection was highest in CNS infections and in a wide range of non-communicable neurological disorders.publishedVersio
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