3,451 research outputs found
Therapeutic decision making in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system in children.
ABSTRACT
Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Through the recognition of syndromes using diagnostic biomarkers, the clinician is now able to use immune suppressive therapies to improve outcomes. However, the therapeutic decision-making process is complex. The clinician has to balance the risk of disease, with the risk of treatment side effects. To achieve this balance, it is important to understand the natural history of disease, the risk of residual disability, the risk of relapse, and risk of a fatal outcome. It is also important to have some understanding of the pathological processes, as some of the entities have more reversible processes, whereas others have destructive processes. This review will assess the dynamic nature of this decision-making process, and compare some of the more severe diseases such as neuromyelitis optica, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis and opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome, with disorders with more favourable outcomes such as Sydenham chorea and post-infectious cerebellar ataxia
Therapeutic decision making in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system in children.
ABSTRACT
Autoimmune and inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Through the recognition of syndromes using diagnostic biomarkers, the clinician is now able to use immune suppressive therapies to improve outcomes. However, the therapeutic decision-making process is complex. The clinician has to balance the risk of disease, with the risk of treatment side effects. To achieve this balance, it is important to understand the natural history of disease, the risk of residual disability, the risk of relapse, and risk of a fatal outcome. It is also important to have some understanding of the pathological processes, as some of the entities have more reversible processes, whereas others have destructive processes. This review will assess the dynamic nature of this decision-making process, and compare some of the more severe diseases such as neuromyelitis optica, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis and opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome, with disorders with more favourable outcomes such as Sydenham chorea and post-infectious cerebellar ataxia
A Similarity Measure for GPU Kernel Subgraph Matching
Accelerator architectures specialize in executing SIMD (single instruction,
multiple data) in lockstep. Because the majority of CUDA applications are
parallelized loops, control flow information can provide an in-depth
characterization of a kernel. CUDAflow is a tool that statically separates CUDA
binaries into basic block regions and dynamically measures instruction and
basic block frequencies. CUDAflow captures this information in a control flow
graph (CFG) and performs subgraph matching across various kernel's CFGs to gain
insights to an application's resource requirements, based on the shape and
traversal of the graph, instruction operations executed and registers
allocated, among other information. The utility of CUDAflow is demonstrated
with SHOC and Rodinia application case studies on a variety of GPU
architectures, revealing novel thread divergence characteristics that
facilitates end users, autotuners and compilers in generating high performing
code
Review: revisiting the human cholinergic nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca
Although the nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (nvlDBB) is the second largest cholinergic nucleus in the basal forebrain, after the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM), it has not generally been a focus for studies of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the nvlDBB does have an important projection to the hippocampus and discrete lesions of the rostral basal forebrain have been shown to disrupt retrieval memory function, a major deficit seen in patients with Lewy body disorders. One reason for its neglect is that the anatomical boundaries of the nvlDBB are ill defined and this area of the brain is not part of routine diagnostic sampling protocols. We have reviewed the history and anatomy of the nvlDBB and now propose guidelines for distinguishing nvlDBB from other neighbouring cholinergic cell groups for standardising future clinicopathological work. Thorough review of the literature regarding neurodegenerative conditions reveals inconsistent results in terms of cholinergic neuronal loss within the nvlDBB. This is likely to be due to the use of variable neuronal inclusion criteria and omission of cholinergic immunohistochemical markers. Extrapolating from those studies showing significant nvlDBB neuronal loss in Lewy body dementia, we propose an anatomical and functional connection between the cholinergic component of the nvlDBB (Ch2) and the CA2 subfield in the hippocampus which may be especially vulnerable in Lewy body disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
The changing nature of risk and risk management: the challenge of borders, uncertainty and resilience
No abstract available
Simulating quantum statistics with entangled photons: a continuous transition from bosons to fermions
In contrast to classical physics, quantum mechanics divides particles into
two classes-bosons and fermions-whose exchange statistics dictate the dynamics
of systems at a fundamental level. In two dimensions quasi-particles known as
'anyons' exhibit fractional exchange statistics intermediate between these two
classes. The ability to simulate and observe behaviour associated to
fundamentally different quantum particles is important for simulating complex
quantum systems. Here we use the symmetry and quantum correlations of entangled
photons subjected to multiple copies of a quantum process to directly simulate
quantum interference of fermions, bosons and a continuum of fractional
behaviour exhibited by anyons. We observe an average similarity of 93.6\pm0.2%
between an ideal model and experimental observation. The approach generalises
to an arbitrary number of particles and is independent of the statistics of the
particles used, indicating application with other quantum systems and large
scale application.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete Flat Plate Buildings Subjected to Fire
El siguiente artĂculo se propone estudiar la poesĂa de Luis Hernández a partir de los problemas que surgen al intentar estudiar su obra reunida. Antes que ser valorada como una poesĂa “inacabada”, la deliberada asistematicidad de su poĂ©tica debe ser entendida como el resultado de un calculado y consciente ejercicio artĂstico, cuyas fuentes filosĂłficas tradicionalmente han pugnado por una ontologĂa del movimiento frente a una metafĂsica de la permanencia. Bajo esta perspectiva, la obra de Hernández se revela como un “plano de inmanencia”, desde el cual acontece el sentido de su poesĂa en el quehacer de la escritura.The article aims to study Luis Hernández’ poetry from the point of view of the problems that emerge when trying to analyze his Complete Works. Rather than being assessed as “unfinished”, the deliberate and unsystematic appearance of his poetic, should rather be understood as the result of a calculated and conscious artistic practice that stems from philosophical trends which traditionally have fostered an ontology of movement against a metaphysics of permanence. Under this view, Hernández work shows up as “plane of immanence” from where sense becomes an event for the creative writing process.El segĂĽent article es proposa estudiar la poesia de Luis Hernández a partir dels problemes que sorgeixen al tractar d’estudiar la seva obra reunida. Abans de ser valorada com una poesia “incabada”, la deliberada asistematicitat de la seva poètica deu ser entesa com el resultat d’un calculat i conscient exercici artĂstic, fonts filosòfiques de les quals han pugnat tradicionalment per una ontologia del moviment davant una metafĂsica de la permanència. Sota aquesta perspectiva, l’obra d’HernĂ ndez es revela com un “pla d’inmanència”, des del qual esdevĂ© el sentit de la seva poesia en el afer de l’escriptura
Clinicians' attitude towards a placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial investigating the effect of neuraminidase inhibitors in adults hospitalised with influenza
Background: The value of neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) in reducing severe clinical outcomes from influenza is debated. A clinical trial to generate better evidence is desirable. However, it is unknown whether UK clinicians would support a placebo controlled trial. A survey was conducted to determine the attitude of clinicians towards a clinical trial and their current practice in managing adults admitted to hospital with suspected influenza.
Methods: Senior clinicians (n=50) across the UK actively involved in the care of patients hospitalised with severe respiratory infections and/or respiratory infection research were invited to participate in an on-line survey. Participants were asked their opinion on the evidence for benefit of NAIs in influenza, their current practice in relation to: a) testing for influenza; b) treating empirically with NAIs; and c) when influenza infection is virolologically confirmed, prescribing NAIs.
Results: Thirty-five (70%) of 50 clinicians completed the survey. Respondents were drawn mainly from infectious diseases, intensive care and respiratory medicine. Only 11 (31%) of 35 respondents agreed that NAIs are effective at reducing influenza mortality;14(40%)disagreed, 10 (28.6%) neither agreed nor disagreed. When managing adults admitted to non-ICU wards with a respiratory infection during an influenza season, 15 (51.7%) clinicians indicated they would usually perform a test for influenza in greater than 60% of patients but only 9 (31%) would treat empirically with NAIs in greater than 60% of patients. Few clinicians would either test or empirically treat patients presenting with other (non-respiratory infection related) diagnoses. If influenza infection is confirmed, 17 (64.5%) clinicians would prescribe NAIs in greater than 80% of patients with a respiratory infection treated on non-ICU wards Thirty-one (89%) clinicians agreed that a placebo-controlled clinical trial should be conducted and 29 (85%) would participate in such a trial.
Conclusions: There is strong support from UK clinicians for a placebo-controlled trial of NAI treatment in adults hospitalised with suspected influenza. Current variation in medical opinion and clinical practice demonstrates collective equipoise, supporting ethical justification for a trial. Low use of NAIs in the UK suggests randomisation of treatment would not substantially divert patients towards placebo
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