Considerations on the Adoption of Named Data Networking (NDN) in Tactical Environments

Mobile military networks are uniquely challenging to build and maintain, because of their wireless nature and the unfriendliness of the environment, resulting in unreliable and capacity limited performance. Currently, most tactical networks implement TCP/IP, which was designed for fairly stable, infrastructure-based environments, and requires sophisticated and often application-specific extensions to address the challenges of the communication scenario. Information Centric Networking (ICN) is a clean slate networking approach that does not depend on stable connections to retrieve information and naturally provides support for node mobility and delay/disruption tolerant communications - as a result it is particularly interesting for tactical applications. However, despite ICN seems to offer some structural benefits for tactical environments over TCP/IP, a number of challenges including naming, security, performance tuning, etc., still need to be addressed for practical adoption. This document, prepared within NATO IST-161 RTG, evaluates the effectiveness of Named Data Networking (NDN), the de facto standard implementation of ICN, in the context of tactical edge networks and its potential for adoption

Epilepsy and cannabidiol:a guide to treatment

The growing interest in cannabidiol (CBD), specifically a pure form of CBD, as a treatment for epilepsy, among other conditions, is reflected in recent changes in legislation in some countries. Although there has been much speculation about the therapeutic value of cannabis-based products as an anti-seizure treatment for some time, it is only within the last two years that Class I evidence has been available for a pure form of CBD, based on placebo-controlled RCTs for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. However, just as we are beginning to understand the significance of CBD as a treatment for epilepsy, in recent years, a broad spectrum of products advertised to contain CBD has emerged on the market. The effects of these products are fundamentally dependent on the purity, preparation, and concentration of CBD and other components, and consensus and standardisation are severely lacking regarding their preparation, composition, usage and effectiveness. This review aims to provide information to neurologists and epileptologists on the therapeutic value of CBD products, principally a purified form, in routine practice for patients with intractable epilepsy

A survey of the European Reference Network EpiCARE on clinical practice for selected rare epilepsies

Objective: Clinical care of rare and complex epilepsies is challenging, because evidence‐based treatment guidelines are scarce, the experience of many physicians is limited, and interdisciplinary treatment of comorbidities is required. The pathomechanisms of rare epilepsies are, however, increasingly understood, which potentially fosters novel targeted therapies. The objectives of our survey were to obtain an overview of the clinical practice in European tertiary epilepsy centers treating patients with 5 arbitrarily selected rare epilepsies and to get an estimate of potentially available patients for future studies. / Methods: Members of the European Reference Network for rare and complex epilepsies (EpiCARE) were invited to participate in a web‐based survey on clinical practice of patients with Dravet syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), autoimmune encephalitis, and progressive myoclonic epilepsies including Unverricht Lundborg and Unverricht‐like diseases. A consensus‐based questionnaire was generated for each disease. / Results: Twenty‐six of 30 invited epilepsy centers participated. Cohorts were present in most responding centers for TSC (87%), Dravet syndrome (85%), and autoimmune encephalitis (71%). Patients with TSC and Dravet syndrome represented the largest cohorts in these centers. The antiseizure drug treatments were rather consistent across the centers especially with regard to Dravet syndrome, infantile spasms in TSC, and Unverricht Lundborg / Unverricht‐like disease. Available, widely used targeted therapies included everolimus in TSC and immunosuppressive therapies in autoimmune encephalitis. Screening for comorbidities was routinely done, but specific treatment protocols were lacking in most centers. / Significance: The survey summarizes the current clinical practice for selected rare epilepsies in tertiary European epilepsy centers and demonstrates consistency as well as heterogeneity in the treatment, underscoring the need for controlled trials and recommendations. The survey also provides estimates for potential participants of clinical trials recruited via EpiCARE, emphasizing the great potential of Reference Networks for future studies to evaluate new targeted therapies and to identify novel biomarkers

A survey of the European Reference Network EpiCARE on clinical practice for selected rare epilepsies

Objective: Clinical care of rare and complex epilepsies is challenging, because evidence-based treatment guidelines are scarce, the experience of many physicians is limited, and interdisciplinary treatment of comorbidities is required. The pathomechanisms of rare epilepsies are, however, increasingly understood, which potentially fosters novel targeted therapies. The objectives of our survey were to obtain an overview of the clinical practice in European tertiary epilepsy centers treating patients with 5 arbitrarily selected rare epilepsies and to get an estimate of potentially available patients for future studies. Methods: Members of the European Reference Network for rare and complex epilepsies (EpiCARE) were invited to participate in a web-based survey on clinical practice of patients with Dravet syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), autoimmune encephalitis, and progressive myoclonic epilepsies including Unverricht Lundborg and Unverricht-like diseases. A consensus-based questionnaire was generated for each disease. Results: Twenty-six of 30 invited epilepsy centers participated. Cohorts were present in most responding centers for TSC (87%), Dravet syndrome (85%), and autoimmune encephalitis (71%). Patients with TSC and Dravet syndrome represented the largest cohorts in these centers. The antiseizure drug treatments were rather consistent across the centers especially with regard to Dravet syndrome, infantile spasms in TSC, and Unverricht Lundborg / Unverricht-like disease. Available, widely used targeted therapies included everolimus in TSC and immunosuppressive therapies in autoimmune encephalitis. Screening for comorbidities was routinely done, but specific treatment protocols were lacking in most centers. Significance: The survey summarizes the current clinical practice for selected rare epilepsies in tertiary European epilepsy centers and demonstrates consistency as well as heterogeneity in the treatment, underscoring the need for controlled trials and recommendations. The survey also provides estimates for potential participants of clinical trials recruited via EpiCARE, emphasizing the great potential of Reference Networks for future studies to evaluate new targeted therapies and to identify novel biomarkers

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency: Lessons from mice and men

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) deficiency, a disorder of GABA degradation with subsequent elevations in brain GABA and GHB, is a neurometabolic disorder with intellectual disability, epilepsy, hypotonia, ataxia, sleep disorders, and psychiatric disturbances. Neuroimaging reveals increased T2-weighted MRI signal usually affecting the globus pallidus, cerebellar dentate nucleus, and subthalamic nucleus, and often cerebral and cerebellar atrophy. EEG abnormalities are usually generalized spike-wave, consistent with a predilection for generalized epilepsy. The murine phenotype is characterized by failure-to-thrive, progressive ataxia, and a transition from generalized absence to tonic-clonic to ultimately fatal convulsive status epilepticus. Binding and electrophysiological studies demonstrate use-dependent downregulation of GABA(A) and (B) receptors in the mutant mouse. Translational human studies similarly reveal downregulation of GABAergic activity in patients, utilizing flumazenil-PET and transcranial magnetic stimulation for GABA(A) and (B) activity, respectively. Sleep studies reveal decreased stage REM with prolonged REM latencies and diminished percentage of stage REM. An ad libitum ketogenic diet was reported as effective in the mouse model, with unclear applicability to the human condition. Acute application of SGS–742, a GABA(B) antagonist, leads to improvement in epileptiform activity on electrocorticography. Promising mouse data using compounds available for clinical use, including taurine and SGS–742, form the framework for human trials

Streamlining Digital Modeling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) Uses for the Oil and Gas Projects

The oil and gas industry is a technology-driven industry. Over the last two decades, it has heavily made use of digital modeling and associated technologies (DMAT) to enhance its commercial capability. Meanwhile, the Building Information Modelling (BIM) has grown at an exponential rate in the built environment sector. It is not only a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility, but it has also made an impact on the management processes of building project lifecycle. It is apparent that there are many similarities between BIM and DMAT usability in the aspect of physical modeling and functionality. The aim of this study is to streamline the usage of both DMAT and BIM whilst discovering valuable practices for performance improvement in the oil and gas projects. To achieve this, 28 BIM guidelines, 83 DMAT academic publications and 101 DMAT vendor case studies were selected for review. The findings uncover (a) 38 BIM uses; (b) 32 DMAT uses and; (c) 36 both DMAT and BIM uses. The synergy between DMAT and BIM uses would render insightful references into managing efficient oil and gas’s projects. It also helps project stakeholders to recognise future investment or potential development areas of BIM and DMAT uses in their projects

Marine substrate response from the analysis of seismic attributes in CHIRP sub-bottom profiles

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar uma avaliação da resposta dos atributos sísmicos (Amplitude Instantânea, Amplitude RMS, Energia e Frequência Instantânea) em diferentes tipos de substratos marinhos, correlacionando-os com características sedimentológicas das amostras coletadas. Foram analisados perfis sísmicos obtidos com um perfilador de subsuperfície com sinal do tipo CHIRP modelo SB-216S da marca EdgeTech, com frequência de trabalho de 2 e 16 kHz. O método se deu a partir da análise estatística não-paramétrica de Kruskal-Wallis foi aplicada para comparar o comportamento dos atributos com as diferentes classes dos grãos das amostras (subagrupadas segundo o grau de seleção) e com diferentes feições. Com base na análise dos resultados, foi possível distinguir dois grupos distintos nas amostras, o grupo SAMF (silte e areia muito fina) e o grupo AFMG (areia fina, areia média e areia grossa). Como conclusão, pode-se dizer que os atributos não foram capazes de distinguir entre as classes mais próximas dos grãos. Utilizando o coeficiente de Spearman foi verificado que o atributo "Amplitude Instantânea" mostrou-se mais eficiente em separar os dois conjuntos. Comparando sedimentos, gás e rocha, os atributos que utilizaram o atributo "amplitude" foram eficazes em separar os sedimentos do gás e da rocha, porém não os distinguiram entre as duas feições, visto que elas apresentaram amplitudes muito altas, mas semelhantes entre si. O atributo "Frequência Instantânea" mostrou-se eficaz na diferenciação entre sedimento, rocha e gás, o sedimento apresentou uma maior banda de frequência, a rocha uma faixa intermediária e o gás a menor delas.This paper presents an evaluation of the response of seismic reflection attributes in different types of marine substrate (rock, shallow gas, sediments) using seafloor samples for ground-truth statistical comparisons. The data analyzed include seismic reflection profiles collected using two CHIRP subbottom profilers (Edgetech Model 3100 SB-216S), with frequency ranging between 2 and 16 kHz, and a number (38) of sediment samples collected from the seafloor. The statistical method used to discriminate between different substratum responses was the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis analysis, carried out in two steps: 1) comparison of Seismic Attributes between different marine substrates (unconsolidated sediments, rock and shallow gas); 2) comparison of Seismic Attributes between different sediment classes in seafloors characterized by unconsolidated sediments (subdivided according to sorting). These analyses suggest that amplitude-related attributes were effective in discriminating between sediment and gassy/rocky substratum, but did not differentiate between rocks and shallow gas. On the other hand, the Instantaneous Frequency attribute was effective in differentiating sediments, rocks and shallow gas, with sediment showing higher frequency range, rock an intermediate range, and shallow gas the lowest response. Regarding grain-size classes and sorting, statistical analysis discriminated between two distinct groups of samples, the SVFS (silt and very fine sand) and the SFMC (fine, medium and coarse sand) groups. Using a Spearman coefficient, it was found that the Instantaneous Amplitude was more efficient in distinguishing between the two groups. None of the attributes was able to distinguish between the closest grain size classes such as those of silt and very fine sand