Editorial

We use a linear FROG technique based on electro-optic modulation to fully characterise for the first time pulses from a 1.06 µm FP laser diode and design a grating to provide optimum pulse compression

Nationwide population-based cohort study of uterine rupture in Belgium : results from the Belgian Obstetric Surveillance System

Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence of uterine rupture in Belgium and to evaluate risk factors, management and outcomes for mother and child. Design: Nationwide population-based prospective cohort study. Setting: Emergency obstetric care. Participation of 97% of maternity units covering 98.6% of the deliveries in Belgium. Participants: All women with uterine rupture in Belgium between January 2012 and December 2013. 8 women were excluded because data collection forms were not returned. Results: Data on 90 cases of confirmed uterine rupture were obtained, of which 73 had a previous Caesarean section (CS), representing an estimated prevalence of 3.6 (95% CI 2.9 to 4.4) per 10000 deliveries overall and of 27 (95% CI 21 to 33) and 0.7 (95% CI 0.4 to 1.2) per 10000 deliveries in women with and without previous CS, respectively. Rupture occurred during trial of labour after caesarean section (TOLAC) in 57 women (81.4%, 95% CI 68% to 88%), with a high rate of augmented (38.5%) and induced (29.8%) labour. All patients who underwent induction of labour had an unfavourable cervix at start of induction (Bishop Score 7 in 100%). Other uterine surgery was reported in the history of 22 cases (24%, 95% CI 17% to 34%), including 1 case of myomectomy, 3 cases of salpingectomy and 2 cases of hysteroscopic resection of a uterine septum. 14 cases ruptured in the absence of labour (15.6%, 95% CI 9.5% to 24.7%). No mothers died; 8 required hysterectomy (8.9%, 95% CI 4.6% to 16.6%). There were 10 perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate 117/1000 births, 95% CI 60 to 203) and perinatal asphyxia was observed in 29 infants (34.5%, 95% CI 25.2% to 45.1%). Conclusions: The prevalence of uterine rupture in Belgium is similar to that in other Western countries. There is scope for improvement through the implementation of nationally adopted guidelines on TOLAC, to prevent use of unsafe procedures, and thereby reduce avoidable morbidity and mortality

Mutations in genes involved in nonsense mediated decay ameliorate the phenotype of sel-12 mutants with amber stop mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Presenilin proteins are part of a complex of proteins that can cleave many type I transmembrane proteins, including Notch Receptors and the Amyloid Precursor Protein, in the middle of the transmembrane domain. Dominant mutations in the human presenilin genes PS1 and PS2 lead to Familial Alzheimer's disease. Mutations in the <it>Caenorhabditis elegans sel-12 </it>presenilin gene cause a highly penetrant egg-laying defect due to reduction of signalling through the <it>lin-12</it>/Notch receptor. Mutations in six <it>spr </it>genes (for suppressor of presenilin) are known to strongly suppress <it>sel-12</it>. Mutations in most strong <it>spr </it>genes suppress <it>sel-12 </it>by de-repressing the transcription of the largely functionally equivalent <it>hop-1 </it>presenilin gene. However, how mutations in the <it>spr-2 </it>gene suppress <it>sel-12 </it>is unknown.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that <it>spr-2 </it>mutations increase the levels of <it>sel-12 </it>transcripts with Premature translation Termination Codons (PTCs) in embryos and L1 larvae. mRNA transcripts from <it>sel-12 </it>alleles with PTCs undergo degradation by a process known as Nonsense Mediated Decay (NMD). However, <it>spr-2 </it>mutations do not appear to affect NMD. Mutations in the <it>smg </it>genes, which are required for NMD, can restore <it>sel-12(PTC) </it>transcript levels and ameliorate the phenotype of <it>sel-12 </it>mutants with amber PTCs. However, the phenotypic suppression of <it>sel-12 </it>by <it>smg </it>genes is nowhere near as strong as the effect of previously characterized <it>spr </it>mutations including <it>spr-2</it>. Consistent with this, we have identified only two mutations in <it>smg </it>genes among the more than 100 <it>spr </it>mutations recovered in genetic screens.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>spr-2 </it>mutations do not suppress <it>sel-12 </it>by affecting NMD of <it>sel-12(PTC) </it>transcripts and appear to have a novel mechanism of suppression. The fact that mutations in <it>smg </it>genes can ameliorate the phenotype of <it>sel-12 </it>alleles with amber PTCs suggests that some read-through of <it>sel-12(amber) </it>alleles occurs in <it>smg </it>backgrounds.</p

An experience in modelling business process architecture

We present a mapping of a previously designed Business Process Architecture (BPA) meta-model onto ArchiMate, i.e., the de facto standard Enterprise Architecture (EA) modelling language. This construct mapping allows developing process maps, i.e., descriptions of (views of) the business process architecture of an organization. We demonstrate the development of these process maps using the Signavio Business Process Management (BPM) modelling platform. The developed process maps are part of the organization’s enterprise architecture model and are linked to BPMN process diagrams that detail the functional, control-flow, data and resource aspects of the business processes included in the process map. Our research contributes to the integration of BPM and EA by researching BPA as a concept common to both disciplines

All optical wavelength conversion via cross phase modulation in chalcogenide glass rib waveguides

We demonstrate all-optical wavelength conversion in a 5 cm As2S3 chalcogenide glass rib waveguide with 5.4 ps pulses over a wavelength range of 10 nm near 1550 nm. We present frequency resolved optical gating (FROG) measurements that show good converted pulse integrity in terms of amplitude and phase in the frequency and time domains. The short interaction length ensures that dispersion induced walkoff does not hinder the conversion range of the device

rac-(1S,2R)-Diethyl 6-hydr­oxy-1-(4-methoxy­phen­yl)-3-oxo-2,3-di­hydro-1H-benzo[f]chromen-2-yl]­phospho­nate

In the title compound, C24H25O7P, the δ-valerolactonyl ring exists in a distorted screw-boat conformation with the diethoxy­phosphoryl substituent occupying an axial position. The latter adopts an almost syn-periplanar conformation around the P—C bond. The mol­ecules form centrosymmetric dimers connected by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

Gaia Data Release 2: Short-timescale variability processing and analysis

The Gaia DR2 sample of short-timescale variable candidates results from the investigation of the first 22 months of Gaia photometry for a subsample of sources at the Gaia faint end. For this exercise, we limited ourselves to the case of suspected rapid periodic variability. Our study combines fast-variability detection through variogram analysis, high-frequency search by means of least-squares periodograms, and empirical selection based on the investigation of specific sources seen through the Gaia eyes (e.g. known variables or visually identified objects with peculiar features in their light curves). The progressive definition and validation of this selection criterion also benefited from supplementary ground-based photometric monitoring of a few preliminary candidates, performed at the Flemish Mercator telescope (Canary Islands, Spain) between August and November 2017. We publish a list of 3,018 short-timescale variable candidates, spread throughout the sky, with a false-positive rate up to 10-20% in the Magellanic Clouds, and a more significant but justifiable contamination from longer-period variables between 19% and 50%, depending on the area of the sky. Although its completeness is limited to about 0.05%, this first sample of Gaia short-timescale variables recovers some very interesting known short-period variables, such as post-common envelope binaries or cataclysmic variables, and brings to light some fascinating, newly discovered variable sources. In the perspective of future Gaia data releases, several improvements of the short-timescale variability processing are considered, by enhancing the existing variogram and period-search algorithms or by classifying the identified candidates. Nonetheless, the encouraging outcome of our Gaia DR2 analysis demonstrates the power of this mission for such fast-variability studies, and opens great perspectives for this domain of astrophysics

Advances in high power short pulse fiber laser systems and technology

We review recent advances in Yb fiber lasers and amplifiers for high power short pulse systems. We go on to describe associated recent developments in fiber components for use in such systems. Examples include microstructured optical fibers for pulse compression and supercontinuum generation, and advanced fiber grating technology for chirped-pulse amplifier systems

An evaluation of the intuitiveness of the PGA modeling language notation

The Process-Goal Alignment (PGA) modeling method is a domain-specific modeling language that aims to achieve strategic fit of the business strategy with the internal infrastructure and processes. To ensure the acceptance and correct understanding of PGA models by business-oriented end-users, an intuitively understandable notation is of paramount importance. However, the current PGA notation was not formally tested up to now. In the paper at hand, we apply an evaluation technique for testing the intuitiveness of domain-specific modeling languages to bridge that research gap. Based on an analysis of the tasks, we propose improvements to six elements of the initial PGA notation. Our research contributes a comprehensive description of the empirical modeling language evaluation, which enables the reproducibility of the evaluation procedure by the conceptual modeling community