Ivabradine: a preliminary observation for a new terapeutic role in patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

[No abstract available

A nonmonotone GRASP

A greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) is an itera- tive multistart metaheuristic for difficult combinatorial optimization problems. Each GRASP iteration consists of two phases: a construction phase, in which a feasible solution is produced, and a local search phase, in which a local optimum in the neighborhood of the constructed solution is sought. Repeated applications of the con- struction procedure yields different starting solutions for the local search and the best overall solution is kept as the result. The GRASP local search applies iterative improvement until a locally optimal solution is found. During this phase, starting from the current solution an improving neighbor solution is accepted and considered as the new current solution. In this paper, we propose a variant of the GRASP framework that uses a new “nonmonotone” strategy to explore the neighborhood of the current solu- tion. We formally state the convergence of the nonmonotone local search to a locally optimal solution and illustrate the effectiveness of the resulting Nonmonotone GRASP on three classical hard combinatorial optimization problems: the maximum cut prob- lem (MAX-CUT), the weighted maximum satisfiability problem (MAX-SAT), and the quadratic assignment problem (QAP)

Upward Tau Air Showers from Earth

We estimate the rate of observable Horizontal and Upward Tau Air-Showers (HORTAUs, UPTAUS) considering both the Earth opacity and the finite size of the terrestrial atmosphere. We calculate the effective target volumes and masses for Tau air-showers emerging from the Earth. The resulting model-independent masses for satellite experiments such as EUSO may encompass at E_nu_tau = 10^19 eV a very large volume, V= 1020 km^3. Adopting simple power law neutrino fluxes, E^-2 and E^-1, calibrated to GZK-like and Z-Burst-like models, we estimate that at E= 10^19 eV nearly half a dozen horizontal shower events should be detected by EUSO in three years of data collection by the "guaranteed" GZK neutrino flux. We also find that the equivalent mass for an Earth outer layer made of rock is dominant compared to the water, contrary to simplified all-rock/all-water Earth models and previous Montecarlo simulations. Therefore we expect an enhancement of neutrino detection along continental shelves nearby the highest mountain chains, also given the better geometrical acceptance for Earth skimming neutrinos. The Auger experiment might reveal such a signature at E_nu= 10^{18} eV (with 26 events in 3 yr) towards the Andes, if the angular resolution at the horizon (both in azimuth and zenith) would reach an accuracy of nearly one degree needed to disentangle tau air showers from common UHECR. The number of events increases at lower energies; therefore we suggest an extension of the EUSO and Auger sensitivity down to (or even below) E_nu = 10^19 eV and E_nu = 10^18 eV respectively.Comment: New version resubmitted to ApJ on the 6th April 2004; 55 Pages,20 figures, major changes following referee reques

The role of the occupational therapist in disaster areas: systematic review

Background. Disasters are increasingly more frequent events on our planet. During disaster the role of the occupational therapist will require a more specific operative framework within nongovernmental organizations and community health services. Design. Systematic review. Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate the evidence that highlight occupational therapist’s role in disaster area through a systematic review. Materials and Methods. Research on MEDLINE was performed. All articles from 2005 to 2015 concerning rehabilitation and occupational therapy in disaster areas were included. Results. Ten studies were selected to be included in this review. Four interesting points emerged: the importance of having rehabilitation intervention in postdisaster situations, the necessity to include a rehabilitation team in the early phase of disaster response, the need to provide a method to address the difficult evacuation, and finding the safest method of transport of people with preexisting disabilities and new injuries. Conclusions. The amount of evidence with respect to specific intervention of the occupational therapist’s role in a disaster situation is limited. However some evidence suggests that it could be a good means for reducing the number of medical complications and deaths of persons with preexisting disabilities. The evidences found highlight the necessity to create a multidisciplinary team addressing needs in disasters situation, in which the occupational therapist could certainly contribute

TE Wave Measurement and Modeling

In the TE wave method, microwaves are coupled into the beam-pipe and the effect of the electron cloud on these microwaves is measured. An electron cloud (EC) density can then be calculated from this measurement. There are two analysis methods currently in use. The first treats the microwaves as being transmitted from one point to another in the accelerator. The second more recent method, treats the beam-pipe as a resonant cavity. This paper will summarize the reasons for adopting the resonant TE wave analysis as well as give examples from CESRTA and DA{\Phi}NE of resonant beam-pipe. The results of bead-pull bench measurements will show some possible standing wave patterns, including a cutoff mode (evanescent) where the field decreases exponentially with distance from the drive point. We will outline other recent developments in the TE wave method including VORPAL simulations of microwave resonances, as well as the simulation of transmission in the presence of both an electron cloud and magnetic fields.Comment: Presented at ECLOUD'12: Joint INFN-CERN-EuCARD-AccNet Workshop on Electron-Cloud Effects, La Biodola, Isola d'Elba, Italy, 5-9 June 2012; CERN-2013-002, pp. 193-20

Equivalence of switching linear systems by bisimulation

A general notion of hybrid bisimulation is proposed for the class of switching linear systems. Connections between the notions of bisimulation-based equivalence, state-space equivalence, algebraic and input–output equivalence are investigated. An algebraic characterization of hybrid bisimulation and an algorithmic procedure converging in a finite number of steps to the maximal hybrid bisimulation are derived. Hybrid state space reduction is performed by hybrid bisimulation between the hybrid system and itself. By specializing the results obtained on bisimulation, also characterizations of simulation and abstraction are derived. Connections between observability, bisimulation-based reduction and simulation-based abstraction are studied.\ud \u

CT diagnosis of small bowel obstruction caused by internal hernia from persistent attachment of a Meckel's diverticulum to the umbilicus by the obliterated omphalomesenteric duct

We report a case of small bowel obstruction (SBO) caused by internal hernia from persistent attachment of a Meckel's diverticulum (MD) to the umbilicus by the obliterated omphalomesenteric duct that was diagnosed by multidetector CT and confirmed during laparoscopic surgery. Although clinical, pathological and radiological features of MD and its complications are well known, the diagnosis of MD is difficult to establish preoperatively. CT findings that allow the diagnosis of this very unusual cause of SBO are presented here with laparoscopic surgery correlation