Optimization of multi-domain queries on the Web

Where can I attend an interesting database workshop close to a sunny beach? Who are the strongest experts on service computing based upon their recent publication record and accepted European projects? Can I spend an April week- end in a city served by a low-cost direct flight from Milano offering a Mahler's symphony? We regard the above queries as multi-domain queries, i.e., queries that can be answered by combining knowledge from two or more domains (such as: seaside locations, flights, publications, accepted projects, conference offerings, and so on). This information is avail- able on the Web, but no general-purpose software system can accept the above queries nor compute the answer. At the most, dedicated systems support specific multi-domain compositions (e.g., Google-local locates information such as restaurants and hotels upon geographic maps). This paper presents an overall framework for multi-domain queries on the Web. We address the following problems: (a) expressing multi-domain queries with an abstract formalism, (b) separating the treatment of "search" services within the model, by highlighting their dierences from "exact" Web services, (c) explaining how the same query can be mapped to multiple "query plans", i.e., a well-dened scheduling of service invocations, possibly in parallel, which complies with their access limitations and preserves the ranking order in which search services return results; (d) introducing cross- domain joins as first-class operation within plans; (e) eval- uating the query plans against several cost metrics so as to choose the most promising one for execution. This frame- work adapts to a variety of application contexts, ranging from end-user-oriented mash-up scenarios up to complex ap- plication integration scenarios

An innovative 8 channels system for time-resolved diffuse optical tomography based on SiPMs

We present the design of a novel 8 channels system for time resolved optical tomography based on Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs), therefore knocking down cost and complexity of this technique and paving the way to a widespread diffusion. We validated the system performances on phantoms

Large area silicon photomultipliers allow extreme depth penetration in time-domain diffuse optics

We present the design of a novel single-photon timing module, based on a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) featuring a collection area of 9 mm2. The module performs Single-Photon Timing Resolution of about 140 ps, thus being suitable for diffuse optics application. The small size of the instrument (5 cm × 4 cm × 10 cm) allows placing it directly in contact with the sample under investigation, maximizing that way the signal harvesting. Thanks to that, it is possible to increase the source detector distance up to 6 cm or more, therefore enhancing the penetration depth up to an impressive value of 4 cm and paving the way to the exploration of the deepest human body structures in a completely non-invasive approach

Measure-Based Inconsistency-Tolerant Maintenance of Database Integrity

[EN] To maintain integrity, constraint violations should be prevented or repaired. However, it may not be feasible to avoid inconsistency, or to repair all violations at once. Based on an abstract concept of violation measures, updates and repairs can be checked for keeping inconsistency bounded, such that integrity violations are guaranteed to never get out of control. This measure-based approach goes beyond conventional methods that are not meant to be applied in the presence of inconsistency. It also generalizes recently introduced concepts of inconsistency-tolerant integrity maintenance.Partially supported by FEDER and the Spanish grants TIN2009-14460-C03 and TIN2010-17139Decker, H. (2013). Measure-Based Inconsistency-Tolerant Maintenance of Database Integrity. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 7693:149-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36008-4_7S1491737693Abiteboul, S., Hull, R., Vianu, V.: Foundations of Databases. 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An Axiomatic Approach. In: Mellouli, K. (ed.) ECSQARU 2007. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 4724, pp. 103–114. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)Meyer, J., Wieringa, R. (eds.): Deontic Logic in Computer Science. Wiley (1994)Nicolas, J.M.: Logic for improving integrity checking in relational data bases. Acta Informatica 18, 227–253 (1982)Plexousakis, D., Mylopoulos, J.: Accommodating Integrity Constraints During Database Design. In: Apers, P.M.G., Bouzeghoub, M., Gardarin, G. (eds.) EDBT 1996. LNCS, vol. 1057, pp. 495–513. Springer, Heidelberg (1996)Rahm, E., Do, H.: Data Cleaning: Problems and Current Approaches. Data Engineering Bulletin 23(4), 3–13 (2000)Sadri, F., Kowalski, R.: A theorem-proving approach to database integrity. In: Minker, J. (ed.) Foundations of Deductive Databases and Logic Programming, pp. 313–362. Morgan Kaufmann (1988)Thimm, M.: Measuring Inconsistency in Probabilistic Knowledge Bases. In: Proc. 25th UAI, pp. 530–537. 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Kidney transplant in diabetic patients: modalities, indications and results

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes is a disease of increasing worldwide prevalence and is the main cause of chronic renal failure. Type 1 diabetic patients with chronic renal failure have the following therapy options: kidney transplant from a living donor, pancreas after kidney transplant, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant, or awaiting a deceased donor kidney transplant. For type 2 diabetic patients, only kidney transplant from deceased or living donors are recommended. Patient survival after kidney transplant has been improving for all age ranges in comparison to the dialysis therapy. The main causes of mortality after transplant are cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, infections and neoplasias. Five-year patient survival for type 2 diabetic patients is lower than the non-diabetics' because they are older and have higher body mass index on the occasion of the transplant and both pre- and posttransplant cardiovascular diseases prevalences. The increased postransplant cardiovascular mortality in these patients is attributed to the presence of well-known risk factors, such as insulin resistance, higher triglycerides values, lower HDL-cholesterol values, abnormalities in fibrinolysis and coagulation and endothelial dysfunction. In type 1 diabetic patients, simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant is associated with lower prevalence of vascular diseases, including acute myocardial infarction, stroke and amputation in comparison to isolated kidney transplant and dialysis therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Type 1 and 2 diabetic patients present higher survival rates after transplant in comparison to the dialysis therapy, although the prevalence of cardiovascular events and infectious complications remain higher than in the general population.</p

Mashing up search services

Mashup languages offer new graphic interfaces for service composition. Normally, composition is limited to simple services, such as RSS or Atom feeds, but users can potentially use visual mashup languages for complex service compositions, with typed parameters and well-defined I/O interfaces. Composing search services introduces new issues, however, such as determining the optimal sequence of search invocations and separately composing ranked entries into a globally ranked result. Enabling end users to mash up services through suitable abstractions and tools is a viable option for improving service-based computations