Inertial manifolds and limit cycles of dynamical systems in Rn

We show that the presence of a two-dimensional inertial manifold for an ordinary differential equation in Rn permits reducing the problem of determining asymptotically orbitally stable limit cycles to the Poincaré–Bendixson theory. In the case n = 3 we implement such a scenario for a model of a satellite rotation around a celestial body of small mass and for a biochemical model

Combining left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: 2-year outcomes from a multinational registry

AIMS: Clinical practice guidelines do not recommend discontinuation of long-term oral anticoagulation in patients with a high stroke risk after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with Watchman has emerged as an alternative to long-term anticoagulation for patients accepting of the procedural risks. We report on the long-term outcomes of combining catheter ablation procedures for AF and LAAC from multicentre registries. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were pooled from two prospective, real-world

Combining Watchman left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Multicentre registry results of feasibility and safety during implant and 30 days follow-up

Aims Long-term results from catheter ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) remain uncertain and clinical practice guidelines recommend continuation of long-term oral anticoagulation in patients with a high stroke risk. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with Watchman has emerged as an alternative to long-term anticoagulation for patients accepting of the procedural risks. We report on the initial results of combining catheter ablation procedures for AF and LAAC in a multicentre registry. Methods and results Data were pooled from two prospective, real-world Watchman LAAC registries running in parallel in Europe/Middle-East/Russia (EWOLUTION) and Asia/Australia (WASP) between 2013 and 2015. Of the 1140 patients, 139 subjects at 10 centres underwent a concomitant AF ablation and LAAC procedure. The mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was 3.4 ± 1.4 and HAS-BLED score 1.5 ± 0.9. Successful Watchman implantation was achieved in 100% of patients. The overall 30-day serious adverse event (SAE) rate was 8.7%, with the device and/or procedure-related SAE rate of 1.4%. One pericardial effusion required percutaneous drainage, but there were no strokes, device embolization, or deaths at 30 days. The 30-day bleeding SAE rate was 2.9% with 55% of patients prescribed NOAC and 38% taking warfarin post-procedure. Conclusion The outcomes from these international, multicentre registries support the feasibility and safety of performing combined procedures of ablation and Watchman LAAC for patients with non-valvular AF and high stroke risk. Further data are needed on long-term outcomes for the hybrid technique on all-cause stroke and mortality

On Bipartite Circulant Graph Decompositions Based on Cartesian and Tensor Products with Novel Topologies and Deadlock-Free Routing

Recent developments in commutative algebra, linear algebra, and graph theory allow us to approach various issues in several fields. Circulant graphs now have a wider range of practical uses, including as the foundation for optical networks, discrete cellular neural networks, small-world networks, models of chemical reactions, supercomputing and multiprocessor systems. Herein, we are concerned with the decompositions of the bipartite circulant graphs. We propose the Cartesian and tensor product approaches as helping tools for the decompositions. The proposed approaches enable us to decompose the bipartite circulant graphs into many categories of graphs. We consider the use cases of applying the described theory of bipartite circulant graph decomposition to the problems of finding new topologies and deadlock-free routing in them when building supercomputers and networks-on-chip

Effect of Ionising Irradiation on Wheat Flour

Radiation processing suppresses the development of microorganisms and pests in food products. This method is safe and does not affect nutritional value; however, it may change the properties of starch and proteins. The research objective was to define the effect of ionization on the baking properties and safety indicators of wheat flour. The study featured wheat flour subjected to gamma irradiation at 0–47.52 kGy, as well as dough and bread made from this flour. The flour samples were tested for the radioactivity of radionuclides; a set of experiments revealed their microbiological indicators and falling-number values. The dough samples were studied on an Alveograph and a Mixolab analyzer to define their structural and mechanical properties. The quality of bread was evaluated by its specific volume, shape stability, and sensory profile. The flour proved safe in terms of residual gamma radiation after 24 and 72 h. At the maximal dose of gamma radiation, the total viable count of mesophyll aerobic and optional-anaerobic microorganisms decreased by fifteen times, whereas the amount of mold decreased by five times. The total strain energy, elastic properties, and elasticity index of the dough declined by more than 50%. The dough had a lower stability during kneading. Its gelatinization onset started earlier by 2.3–3.3°C. The falling number decreased by more than four times, probably, due to the changes in the state of wheat starch. The bread samples had a smaller specific volume and a lower dimensional stability. They also demonstrated signs of darkening, stickiness, and crumb crushing at the maximal irradiation dose (47.52 kGy). The microbiological safety indicators of wheat flour increased at the maximal irradiation dose. However, the baking properties of flour decreased. The sensory and physicochemical parameters of bread quality started to deteriorate at ≥ 23 kGy. Therefore, ionization cannot be recommended as a disinfection method for baking wheat flour production

АналитичЕскоЕ исслЕдованиЕ пускОвОгО токА стАторА асинхрОннОгО двигателЯ

Получена система уравнений асинхронного двигателя в трехфазной системе координат при неподвижном роторе, получено аналитическое решение уравнений асинхронного двигателя для данного режима работы. Уточнена теоретическая математическая модель пускового тока статора асинхронного двигателя. Установлено, что характер корней характеристического уравнения асинхронного двигателя и вид его переходной характеристики зависят от начального углового положения ротор

Analysis of Posit and Bfloat Arithmetic of Real Numbers for Machine Learning

Modern computational tasks are often required to not only guarantee predefined accuracy, but get the result fast. Optimizing calculations using floating point numbers, as opposed to integers, is a non-trivial task. For this reason, there is a need to explore new ways to improve such operations. This paper presents analysis and comparison of various floating point formats – float, posit and bfloat. One of the promising areas in which the problem of using such values can be considered to be the most acute is neural networks. That is why we pay special attention to algorithms of linear algebra and artificial intelligence to assess efficiency of new data types in this area. The research results showed that software implementations of posit16 and posit32 have high accuracy, but they are not particularly fast; on the other hand, bfloat16 is not much different from float32 in accuracy, but significantly surpasses it in performance for large amounts of data and complex machine learning algorithms. Thus, posit16 can be used in systems with less stringent performance requirements, as well as in conditions of limited computer memory; and also in cases when bfloat16 cannot provide required accuracy. As for bfloat16, it can speed up systems based on the IEEE 754 standard, but it cannot solve all the problems of conventional floating point arithmetic. Thus, although posits and bfloats are not a full fledged replacement for float, they provide (under certain conditions) advantages that can be useful for implementation of machine learning algorithms

Broadband Optical Properties of Atomically Thin PtS2 and PtSe2

Noble transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) such as PtS2 and PtSe2 show significant potential in a wide range of optoelectronic and photonic applications. Noble TMDCs, unlike standard TMDCs such as MoS2 and WS2, operate in the ultrawide spectral range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths; however, their properties remain largely unexplored. Here, we measured the broadband (245–3300 nm) optical constants of ultrathin PtS2 and PtSe2 films to eliminate this gap and provide a foundation for optoelectronic device simulation. We discovered their broadband absorption and high refractive index both theoretically and experimentally. Based on first-principle calculations, we also predicted their giant out-of-plane optical anisotropy for monocrystals. As a practical illustration of the obtained optical properties, we demonstrated surface plasmon resonance biosensors with PtS2 or PtSe2 functional layers, which dramatically improves sensor sensitivity by 60 and 30%, respectively

2017 Russian clinical practice guidelines for differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment

The Russian clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer is dedicated to the management of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. The guideline modifications 2016 include the following matters: indication for fine-needle aspiration biopsy, calcitonin screening, standards for biopsy results, new positions of postoperative risk stratification, indication for suppressive therapy and thyroid replacement therapy, targeted therapy in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer