The Water Properties of the Site in Capo Passero using the LED Beacon of the Prototype Tower

In that work we study the scattering parameters of the water on the KM3Net site in Capo Passero. To this purpose we compare the real data from the time calibration runs of the detector to the results of a simulations of the light emission, propagation and detection according to the expeimental apparatus

NaNet: a Low-Latency, Real-Time, Multi-Standard Network Interface Card with GPUDirect Features

While the GPGPU paradigm is widely recognized as an effective approach to high performance computing, its adoption in low-latency, real-time systems is still in its early stages. Although GPUs typically show deterministic behaviour in terms of latency in executing computational kernels as soon as data is available in their internal memories, assessment of real-time features of a standard GPGPU system needs careful characterization of all subsystems along data stream path. The networking subsystem results in being the most critical one in terms of absolute value and fluctuations of its response latency. Our envisioned solution to this issue is NaNet, a FPGA-based PCIe Network Interface Card (NIC) design featuring a configurable and extensible set of network channels with direct access through GPUDirect to NVIDIA Fermi/Kepler GPU memories. NaNet design currently supports both standard - GbE (1000BASE-T) and 10GbE (10Base-R) - and custom - 34~Gbps APElink and 2.5~Gbps deterministic latency KM3link - channels, but its modularity allows for a straightforward inclusion of other link technologies. To avoid host OS intervention on data stream and remove a possible source of jitter, the design includes a network/transport layer offload module with cycle-accurate, upper-bound latency, supporting UDP, KM3link Time Division Multiplexing and APElink protocols. After NaNet architecture description and its latency/bandwidth characterization for all supported links, two real world use cases will be presented: the GPU-based low level trigger for the RICH detector in the NA62 experiment at CERN and the on-/off-shore data link for KM3 underwater neutrino telescope

The laparoscopic treatment of perforated duodenal ulcer in Romania – a multicentric study

Clinica Chirurgie 2, Timișoara, România, Clinica Chirurgie, Spitalul de Urgență, București, Al XI-lea Congres al Asociației Chirurgilor „Nicolae Anestiadi” din Republica Moldova și cea de-a XXXIII-a Reuniune a Chirurgilor din Moldova „Iacomi-Răzeșu” 27-30 septembrie 2011Aims. This retrospective study was evaluated the results of laparoscopic treatment of the perforated duodenal ulcer (PDU) in 6 Romanian centres with an important experience in laparoscopic surgery.Methods. Between 2000 and 2010, 221 patients (38 females and 183 men) aged from 18 to 78 years, were operated laparoscopicaly for PDU, by using 3 (66.0%), 4 (27%) or 5 (7.0%) trocars. Forty six (20.8%) of them had a weak, 143(64.7%) an important and 32(14.5%) a grave peritonitis. Procedures performed were: simple suture 84(38.1%) patients, suture with epiplonoplasty 135(61.1%) patients, only epiplonoplasty 1(0.4%) patients, excision with suture 1(0.4%) patients. All patients had abundant peritoneal cavity washing and tub drainage (1-3 tubs).Results. The interventions lasted between 30 and 120 min, with an average of 63 min. No mortality was reported. Postoperative oral nutrition began after 24 hours for 114(51.6%) patients and after intestinal transit has restarted for 107(48.4%) patients. The intestinal transit has restarted after 1-6 days (average 3.5 days), depending of the gravity of peritonitis. Complications were: parietal infections 3 (1.3%), duodenal fistula 1 (0.4%), abdominal abcesses 1(0.4%), digestive haemorrhage 1(0.4%) and duodenal stenosis 1 (0.4%). Hospitalization lasted between 2 and 13 days (average 5.5 days). In comparison with open techniques, patients had the same intravenous perfusions, less pain, less antibiotics, less dressings, less complications during postoperative evolution. Conclusion. Laparoscopic treatment of PDU is safe even in case of severe peritonitis, with faster patient’s recovery. with less complications and with less postoperative medical care than open procedures. Aims. This retrospective study was evaluated the results of laparoscopic treatment of the perforated duodenal ulcer (PDU) in 6 Romanian centres with an important experience in laparoscopic surgery.Methods. Between 2000 and 2010, 221 patients (38 females and 183 men) aged from 18 to 78 years, were operated laparoscopicaly for PDU, by using 3 (66.0%), 4 (27%) or 5 (7.0%) trocars. Forty six (20.8%) of them had a weak, 143(64.7%) an important and 32(14.5%) a grave peritonitis. Procedures performed were: simple suture 84(38.1%) patients, suture with epiplonoplasty 135(61.1%) patients, only epiplonoplasty 1(0.4%) patients, excision with suture 1(0.4%) patients. All patients had abundant peritoneal cavity washing and tub drainage (1-3 tubs). Results. The interventions lasted between 30 and 120 min, with an average of 63 min. No mortality was reported. Postoperative oral nutrition began after 24 hours for 114(51.6%) patients and after intestinal transit has restarted for 107(48.4%) patients. The intestinal transit has restarted after 1-6 days (average 3.5 days), depending of the gravity of peritonitis. Complications were: parietal infections 3 (1.3%), duodenal fistula 1 (0.4%), abdominal abcesses 1(0.4%), digestive haemorrhage 1(0.4%) and duodenal stenosis 1 (0.4%). Hospitalization lasted between 2 and 13 days (average 5.5 days). In comparison with open techniques, patients had the same intravenous perfusions, less pain, less antibiotics, less dressings, less complications during postoperative evolution. Conclusion. Laparoscopic treatment of PDU is safe even in case of severe peritonitis, with faster patient’s recovery. with less complications and with less postoperative medical care than open procedures

Adherence to cervical and breast cancer programs is crucial to improving screening performance

Publicado onlineINTRODUCTION: Cervical and breast cancer are the most common malignancies among women worldwide. Effective screening can facilitate early detection and dramatically reduce mortality rates. The interface between those screening patients and patients most needing screening is complex, and women in remote areas of rural counties face additional barriers that limit the effectiveness of cancer prevention programs. This study compared various methods to improve compliance with mass screening for breast and cervical cancer among women in a remote, rural region of Brazil. METHODS: In 2003, a mobile unit was used to perform 10,156 mammograms and Papanicolaou smear tests for women living in the Barretos County region of São Paulo state, Brazil (consisting of 19 neighbouring cities). To reach the women, the following community outreach strategies were used: distribution of flyers and pamphlets; media broadcasts (via radio and car loudspeakers); and community healthcare agents (CHCAs) making home visits. RESULTS: The most useful intervention appeared to be the home visits by healthcare agents or CHCAs. These agents of the Family Health Programme of the Brazilian Ministry of Health reached an average of 45.6% of those screened, with radio advertisements reaching a further 11.9%. The great majority of the screened women were illiterate or had elementary level schooling (80.9%) and were of 'poor' or 'very poor' socioeconomic class (67.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Use of a mobile screening unit is a useful strategy in developing countries where local health systems have inadequate facilities for cancer screening in underserved populations. A multimodal approach to community outreach strategies, especially using CHCAs and radio advertisements, can improve the uptake of mass screening in low-income, low-educational background female populations

O espaço público e as pessoas: Baixa de Algés

As cidades concentram pessoas que circulam pelas ruas, um espaço público que tem o privilégio de permear toda a cidade e que é potencialmente um elemento integrador. As ruas têm resgatado uma importante função social, revelando-se um lugar de estadia e convívio, onde os citadinos podem interagir entre si e com o ambiente. Quando as ruas estão preparadas para adotarem essas funções, são estabelecidas novas dinâmicas que promovem as vertentes da sustentabilidade – a ambiental, a social, a económica e também a cultural. Neste contexto, este trabalho, aborda a escala humana do planeamento urbano, como elemento promotor do desenvolvimento sustentável. Procedeu-se ao estudo de caso de um trecho do espaço público da Baixa de Algés, no Concelho de Oeiras, em Portugal, no que respeita às transformações do seu uso e morfologia, durante a vigência do atual Plano Diretor Municipal (PDM), desde 1994 até 2014. A partir de um estudo exploratório, abarcado por visitas ao local, pesquisa documental e aplicação de inquéritos, foi possível perceber as suas caraterísticas, as intervenções realizadas e a perceção das pessoas relativamente às mesmas, e concluir que o desenho atual desse trecho do espaço público não fomenta dinâmicas que promovam o desenvolvimento sustentável.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Conformational spread as a mechanism for cooperativity in the bacterial flagellar switch

The bacterial flagellar switch that controls the direction of flagellar rotation during chemotaxis has a highly cooperative response. This has previously been understood in terms of the classic two-state, concerted model of allosteric regulation. Here, we used high-resolution optical microscopy to observe switching of single motors and uncover the stochastic multistate nature of the switch. Our observations are in detailed quantitative agreement with a recent general model of allosteric cooperativity that exhibits conformational spread—the stochastic growth and shrinkage of domains of adjacent subunits sharing a particular conformational state. We expect that conformational spread will be important in explaining cooperativity in other large signaling complexes