Resource Requirements of an Edge-based Digital Twin Service: An Experimental Study

Digital Twin (DT) is a pivotal application under the industrial digital transformation envisaged by the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). DT defines intelligent and real-time faithful reflections of physical entities such as industrial robots, thus allowing their remote control. Relying on the latest advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), namely Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Edge-computing, DT can be deployed as an on-demand service in the factories close proximity and offered leveraging radio access technologies. However, with the purpose of achieving the well-known scalability, flexibility, availability and performance guarantees benefits foreseen by the latest ICT, it is steadily required to experimentally profile and assess DT as a Service (DTaaS) solutions. Moreover, the dependencies between the resources claimed by the service and the relative demand and work loads require to be investigated. In this work, an Edge-based Digital Twin solution for remote control of robotic arms is deployed in an experimental testbed where, in compliance with the NFV paradigm, the service has been segmented in virtual network functions. Our research has primarily the objective to evaluate the entanglement among overall service performance and VNFs resource requirements, and the number of robots consuming the service varies. Experimental profiles show the most critical DT features to be the inverse kinematics and trajectory computations. Moreover, the same analysis has been carried out as a function of the industrial processes, namely based on the commands imposed on the robots, and particularly of their abstraction-level, resulting in a novel trade-off between computing and time resources requirements and trajectory guarantees. The derived results provide crucial insights for the design of network service scaling and resource orchestration frameworks dealing with DTaaS applications. Finally, we empirically prove LTE shortage to accommodate the minimum DT latency requirements

Slovakian students' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnology

This study examined university students' knowledge of and attitudes (N = 378) toward biotechnology in Slovakia, a conservative country where the distribution of genetically engineered products are banned by law. We found a significant positive correlation between attitudes and the level of knowledge; however, although students enrolled in biology courses have better knowledge of biotechnology, their attitudes toward genetic engineering were similar than those of students who do not study biology. Females showed poorer knowledge and lower acceptance of genetically engineered products than did males. Overall, Slovakian students have poor knowledge and numerous misunderstandings about what genetic engineering means, which suggests that science curriculum with respect to this topic should be greatly re-evaluated and teaching strategies should be improved accordingly

Down-regulation of the Lamin A/C in neuroblastoma triggers the expansion of tumor initiating cells

Tumor-initiating cells constitute a population within a tumor mass that shares properties with normal stem cells and is considered responsible for therapy failure in many cancers. We have previously demonstrated that knockdown of the nuclear envelope component Lamin A/C in human neuroblastoma cells inhibits retinoic acid-mediated differentiation and results in a more aggressive phenotype. In addition, Lamin A/C is often lost in advanced tumors and changes in the nuclear envelope composition occur during tumor progression. Based on our previous data and considering that Lamin A/C is expressed in differentiated tissues, we hypothesize that the lack of Lamin A/C could predispose cells toward a stem-like phenotype, thus influencing the development of tumor-initiating cells in neuroblastoma. This paper demonstrates that knockdown of Lamin A/C triggers the development of a tumor-initiating cell population with self-renewing features in human neuroblastoma cells. We also demonstrates that the development of TICs is due to an increased expression of MYCN gene and that in neuroblastoma exists an inverse relationship between LMNA and MYCN expression

Defeitos de fechamento de parede abdominal: estudo de casos atendidos no Ambulatório de Medicina Fetal do Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS = Abdominal wall defects: study of cases attended by the Fetal Medicine Outpatient Service of Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS

Objetivos: estudar casos de conceptos com malformações de parede abdominal de gestantes acompanhadas no Ambulatório de Medicina Fetal do Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS. Métodos: estudo longitudinal retrospectivo através da revisão de prontuários e protocolos preenchidos durante o seguimento das pacientes. Foram incluídas todas as gestantes de conceptos com malformações de parede abdominal que receberam assistência pré-natal e tiveram seus filhos na instituição, de 1995 a 2006. O prognóstico, a via de parto e correção cirúrgica após o nascimento eram abordados em todas as consultas por uma equipe multidisciplinar, constituída por obstetras, psicólogos, pediatras, geneticistas e, em alguns casos, cirurgiões pediátricos. Resultados: no período do estudo, foram atendidos no Ambulatório de Medicina Fetal 551 casos de malformações fetais, sendo que 35 fetos apresentaram defeitos no fechamento da parede abdominal. A malformação mais comum foi a gastrosquise, que ocorreu em 60% dos casos. A idade materna média foi de 23 anos. As pacientes, em sua maioria (51,4%), eram primigestas. A via de parto foi cesárea em 82,9%, sendo que em seis casos ocorreu óbito intra-uterino. Os recém-nascidos pesaram, em média, 2120g, sendo a média de idade gestacional ao nascimento de 35 semanas e o escore médio (mínimo-máximo) de Apgar no 1º e 5º minutos dos nascidos vivos, de 6 (1-9) e 8 (2-10), respectivamente. Dezessete recém-nascidos foram submetidos à correção cirúrgica pela equipe da cirurgia pediátrica. Conclusões: a importância do diagnóstico dessas malformações fetais reside no planejamento da via de parto, diagnóstico precoce de complicações intrauterinas e referência da gestante para um serviço terciário, no qual a assistência multidisciplinar possa ser realizad

The cognitive profile of type 1 Gaucher disease patients

BACKGROUND: The absence of neurological symptoms and signs is traditionally considered mandatory for a diagnosis of type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1), but in recent years many reports have emerged on neurological manifestations in GD1 patients. Nevertheless, it has been unclear whether cognitive deficits are part of the disease as well. METHODS: Cognitive function was assessed in a large cohort of GD1 patients with the use of the CDR system, a set of computerised cognitive tests. Testing was performed at baseline and every 6 months thereafter during a two-year study period. RESULTS: Our patient cohort (84 patients, median age 40 years, median time from diagnosis 15 years) showed mild deficits relative to healthy age-matched subjects on the composite scores: power of attention (Z-score (mean ± SD) -0.9 ± 1.37) and speed of memory (Z-score (mean ± SD) -1.39 ± 1.49). No decline in cognitive function was seen during the two-year period. Age correlated with the composite scores variability of attention and quality of working memory. Moreover, severely affected patients (Zimran severity score (SSI) ≥ 15) scored more poorly compared to mildly affected patients (SSI ≤ 5) on the composite measure power of attention, reflecting the ability to concentrate. CONCLUSIONS: GD1 patients exhibit mild deficits in power of attention and speed of memory, reflecting a decreased ability to focus attention and process information, together with a slowing in the speed of retrieval of items from memory. The clinical relevance of these findings is uncertain

AUTONOMIA DAS PESSOAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA VISUAL EM INSTITUIÇÕES DE ENSINO SUPERIOR

A deficiência visual é a deficiência mais prevalente no Brasil. Embora haja um incentivo por parte de políticas governamentais para que se amplie o acesso à educação, sabe-se que a adaptação de ambientes à estes indivíduos ainda é precária. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é discorrer sobre a importância das pessoas com deficiência visual no ensino superior e as diferentes ferramentas que podem ser implantadas nestas instituições com o objetivo de ampliar a acessibilidade a estes locais. Realizou-se uma revisão simples de literatura, com busca nas bases de dados Scielo, Lilacs e Google Acadêmico. Estes indivíduos necessitam de um ensino superior adaptado para que se possibilite maior inclusão e aumento da autonomia. Destaca-se o uso de dispositivos móveis, a presença de pisos táteis, materiais em formato eletrônico, o preparo dos educadores para trabalhar com este público, bem como o treinamento prévio do deficiente visual para fazer uso destas ferramenta

Perceived quality of life and associated factors in long COVID syndrome among older Brazilians: A cross‐sectional study

Funding information Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações - Brazil; Ministério da Saúde - Brazil; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico Tecnológico (CNPq) - Brazil, Grant/Award Number: 402882/2020–2; FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - Portugal: Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call, Grant/Award Number: CEECINST/00051/2018Aims and objectives This paper aims to: (a) determine the personal, sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural, and social characteristics of older Brazilians with clinical evidence of long COVID; (b) evaluate perceived quality of life and determine its association with personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical and social variables; and (c) assess significant predictors of high perceived QoL. Background Given the inherent vulnerabilities of the ageing process, the older people are an at-risk group for both contagion of SARS-CoV-2 and the perpetuation of residual symptoms after infection, the so-called long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. Design A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist. Methods Brazilian older people with long COVID syndrome (n = 403) completed a phone survey measuring personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical, and social characteristics, and perceived Quality of Life (QoL). Data were collected from June 2021–March 2022. A multiple linear regression model was performed to identify salient variables associated with high perceived QoL. Results The mean age of participants was 67.7 ± 6.6 years old. The results of the multivariate regression model showed that race, home ownership, daily screen time, musculoskeletal and anxiety symptoms, and work situation were the significant predictors of QoL among COVID-19 survivors. Conclusions Knowledge about the persistence of physical, emotional, and social symptoms of COVID-19 can help nurses and other healthcare providers to improve the management of survivors, bringing benefits to the whole society. Relevance to clinical practice Given the novelty of long-COVID and its heterogeneous trajectory, interventions focusing on the repercussions and requirements unique to more vulnerable older persons should be developed and these aspects should be included in public health recommendations and policymakers' concerns. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution was required to design, to outcome measures or undertake this research. Patients/members of the public contributed only to the data collection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London