Maple Implementation of the Kirchhoff's ``Third and Fourth Laws''

International audienceThis paper proposes an implementation in Maple language of the Kirchhoff's third law and its dual, the so--called Kirchhoff's fourth law. These laws, stated in graph theory language, allows one to compute symbolically any network functions of linear passive circuits

Event-based control strategy for consensus of a group of VTOL-UAVs

International audienceThis paper presents the development of a collaborative event-based control applied to the problem of consensus and formation of a group of VTOL-UAVs (Vertical Takeoff and Landing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Each VTOL-UAV decides, based on the difference of its current state (linear position and velocity) and its latest broadcast state, when it has to send a new value to its neighbors. The asymptotic convergence to average consensus or desired formation is depicted via numerical simulations

Prevalence and risk factors of Strongyloides stercoralis in haemodialysis in Cochabamba, Bolivia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Strongyloidiasis is an infectious disease that can be fatal in immunocompromised patients. Patients with end-stage renal failure who are on dialysis have a considerably weakened immune system, and organ transplantation is a major risk factor for severe strongyloidiasis. Knowledge of the local epidemiology in tropical and subtropical areas is an essential prerequisite for designing an appropriate strategy to prevent this potentially lethal complication. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of S. stercoralis infection in patients on dialysis in Cochabamba, Bolivia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out among patients undergoing haemodialysis in Cochabamba (elevation 2,500 m, temperate climate), collecting information on socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical variables, and using one coproparasitological technique (the modified Baermann technique) and one serological (ELISA) test for S.stercoralis diagnosis. RESULTS In total, 149 patients participated in the study (mean age = 51.4 years, 48.3% male). End-stage renal disease was predominantly (59%) of hypertensive and/or diabetic origin. The positive serological prevalence was 18.8% (95% CI: 13.3%-25.9%). Based on the sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test, the estimate of the actual prevalence was 15.1% (95% CI: 9.4%-20.7%). Stool samples of 105 patients (70.5%) showed a coproparasitological prevalence of 1.9% (95% CI: 0.52%-6.68%). No potential risk factors were significantly associated with S. stercoralis infection. CONCLUSIONS We found a high seroprevalence of S. stercoralis in Bolivian patients undergoing haemodialysis in Cochabamba. We recommend presumptive antiparasitic treatment at regular intervals to avoid the potentially fatal complications of severe strongyloidiasis

ECPR for prolonged Pediatric Cardiac Arrest, an outcome without major neurological compromise

Pediatric in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) has been reported in 1–3% of pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and up to 6% of children admissions to the cardiac ICU. In the last 25 years, the survival to hospital discharge after pediatric IHCA has improved from 9% to 13.7% up to 35%. The improvement in outcomes was attributed in part to the application of ECMO as a rescue strategy when prolonged conventional CPR cannot restore spontaneous circulation. We report a case of a 4-month-old patient with a history of ventricular and septal defects, with left to right shunt and enlargement of left heart chambers that underwent surgery for the closure of the atrial and septal defects, and experienced complications that led to the use of ECMO in response to a prolonged cardiac arrest

Evidence for the formation of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko through gravitational collapse of a bound clump of pebbles

The processes that led to the formation of the planetary bodies in the Solar System are still not fully understood. Using the results obtained with the comprehensive suite of instruments on-board ESA’s Rosetta mission, we present evidence that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko likely formed through the gentle gravitational collapse of a bound clump of mm-sized dust aggregates (“pebbles”), intermixed with microscopic ice particles. This formation scenario leads to a cometary make-up that is simultaneously compatible with the global porosity, homogeneity, tensile strength, thermal inertia, vertical temperature profiles, sizes and porosities of emitted dust, and the steep increase in water-vapour production rate with decreasing heliocentric distance, measured by the instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft and the Philae lander. Our findings suggest that the pebbles observed to be abundant in protoplanetary discs around young stars provide the building material for comets and other minor bodies