OpenMP tasking model for Ada: safety and correctness

22nd International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies (Ada-Europe 2017). 12 to 16, Jun, 2017. Vienna, Austria.The safety-critical real-time embedded domain increasingly demands the use of parallel architectures to fulfill performance requirements. Such architectures require the use of parallel programming models to exploit the underlying parallelism. This paper evaluates the applicability of using OpenMP, a widespread parallel programming model, with Ada, a language widely used in the safety-critical domain. Concretely, this paper shows that applying the OpenMP tasking model to exploit fine-grained parallelism within Ada tasks does not impact on programs safeness and correctness, which is vital in the environments where Ada is mostly used. Moreover, we compare the OpenMP tasking model with the proposal of Ada extensions to define parallel blocks, parallel loops and reductions. Overall, we conclude that the OpenMP tasking model can be safely used in such environments, being a promising approach to exploit fine-grain parallelism in Ada tasks, and we identify the issues which still need to be further researched.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Epidemiology of cervical spine fractures in the US military

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The epidemiology of cervical spine fractures and associated spinal cord injury (SCI) has not previously been estimated within the American population. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of cervical spine fractures and associated SCI and identify potential risk factors for these injuries in a large multicultural military population. STUDY DESIGN: Query of a prospectively collected military database. PATIENT SAMPLE: The 13,813,333 military service members serving in the US Armed Forces between 2000 and 2009. OUTCOME MEASURES: The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) was queried to identify all service-members diagnosed with cervical spine fractures with and without SCI during the time period under investigation. Data were used to determine the incidence of cervical spine fractures and SCI as well as identify risk factors for their development. METHODS: The DMED was queried for the years 2000 to 2009 using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for cervical spine fractures with and without SCI (805.0, 805.1, 806.0, and 806.1). The database was also used to determine the total number of service-members within the military during the same period. The incidence of cervical spine fractures and fractures associated with SCI was determined, and unadjusted incidence rates were calculated for the demographic characteristics of sex, race, military rank, branch of service, and age. Adjusted incidence rate ratios were then determined using multivariate Poisson regression analysis to control for other factors in the model and identify significant risk factors for cervical spine fractures and cervical injuries associated with SCI. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2009, there were 4,048 cervical spine fractures in a population at risk of 13,813,333 service-members. The overall incidence of cervical spine fractures was 0.29 per 1,000 person-years, and the incidence of fracture associated SCI was 70 per 1,000,000. The cohorts at highest risk of cervical spine fracture were males, whites, Enlisted personnel, those serving in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, and servicemembers aged 20 to 29. Risk of fracture associated SCI was significantly increased in males, Enlisted personnel, service-members in the Army, Navy, or Marines, and those aged 20 to 29. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the largest population-based investigation to be conducted within the United States regarding the incidence of SCI and the only study addressing incidence and risk factors for cervical spine fractures. Male sex, white race, Enlisted military rank, service in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, and ages 20 to 29 were found to significantly increase the risk for cervical fractures and/or fracture associated SCI. Our findings support previously published data but also represent best available evidence based on the size and diversity of the population under study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic; Level II

Integrated stand for the fiber optics technique operations

W artykule przedstawiono zintegrowane stanowisko pozwalające wykonywać operacje spotykane w laboratoryjnej praktyce techniki światłowodowej i badać poprawność ich realizacji. W szczególności możliwe jest przygotowanie końcówki światłowodowej za pomocą cięcia, klejenia żywicą, szlifowania z polerowaniem czoła światłowodu. Dodatkowe wyposażenie pozwala również na montaż elementów optoelektronicznych ze światłowodami. W artykule zamieszczono wyniki badań wykonanych końcówek światłowodowych.In the paper a integrated stand for the optical fiber technique operations met in the laboratory practice is presented. The stand allows preparing the fiber ends using such operations as cutting, gluing with epoxy resin, end surface grinding and polishing as well as the quality study of prepared ends. An additional equipment makes possible to assemble optoelectronics elements with optical fibers. Some results of the prepared optical fiber ends are given

The Process of Natural and Styrene–Butadiene Rubbers Biodegradation by Lactobacillus plantarum

The ability of Lactobacillus plantarum to degrade different mixtures of styrene–butadiene and natural rubbers was investigated. In experiments, 12 various compositions of rubber waste mixtures were investigated. Lactobacillus plantarum cultivation was carried out in a medium with the addition of individual mixtures at the temperature of 30 °C for 14 days. The presence of cellulose on the surface of bioreactors indicated the activity of bacteria. After cultivation, the rubber mixtures were tested again. Analyses of the elemental composition and mass balance of waste were carried out. The experiments showed that the culture media supplemented by various natural rubber mixtures allowed bacteria to produce bacterial cellulose. The mean thickness of bacterial cellulose was 3–6 mm after 14 days of culturing. In samples where the cellulose appeared, about 4% average mass loss was observed. The average carbon content in the rubber material used as the carbon source for bacteria, before the culture process, was about 89.07–95.40%. After 14 days of culturing, the carbon content was reduced from 31.15% to 56.45–65.7%

Combined dermatan sulfate and endothelial progenitor cell treatment: action on the initial inflammatory response after arterial injury in c57bl/6 mice

Dermatan sulfate (DS), an anticoagulant and antithrombotic glycosaminoglycan, also has anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the effect of DS treatment in the presence or absence of bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNCs) or endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the vascular response to carotid artery lesion in C57BL6 mice. Thrombus formation, the expression of adhesion molecules and factors involved in vascular remodeling, inflammation or vascular tone were analyzed by histologic examination, Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunoassay 1 and 3 days after vascular injury. DS injections prevented thrombus formation and decreased P-selectin expression after 3 days of the injury. DS treatment also increased plasma SDF-1 levels but failed to rescue endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, which is responsible for vascular tone. Treatment with MNCs alone failed to prevent thrombus formation 1 day after injury and increased intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, likely because of the inflammatory nature of these cells. Treatment with EPCs with DS was the most efficient among all therapies studied. Dual administration of EPCs and DS promoted an increase in the expression of adhesion molecules and, at the same time, induced a higher expression of eNOS at the injury site. Furthermore, it stimulated an elevated number of EPCs to migrate and adhere to the vascular wall. Simultaneous treatment with EPCs and DS increased the expression of adhesion molecules, prevented thrombosis, rescued the expression of eNOS and increased migration of EPCs to the site of injury, thereby affecting thrombus remodeling and inflammation and can be involved in vessel hemostasis.Dermatan sulfate (DS), an anticoagulant and antithrombotic glycosaminoglycan, also has anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the effect of DS treatment in the presence or absence of bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNCs) or endothelial171014471464FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNQP - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO2010/01119-32012/23640-2307784/2013-4This work was supported by grants from Fundação deAmparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp)to J.A.P.G. (2010/01119-3) and C.P.V (2012/23640-2) and to C.C.W. (CNPq 307784/2013-4).We thank Drs. Irene Iorand-Metze and FernandaG. Pereira for their he

Hyperbaric oxygen affects endothelial progenitor cells proliferation in vitro

Hyperbaric oxygen is a clinical treatment that contributes to wound healing by increasing fibroblasts proliferation, collagen synthesis, and production of growth factors, inducing angiogenesis and inhibiting antimicrobial activity. It also has been shown that hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO), through the activation of nitric oxide synthase promotes an increase in the nitric oxide levels that may improve endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) mobilization from bone marrow to the peripheral blood and stimulates the vessel healing process. However, cellular mechanisms involved in cell proliferation and activation of EPC after HBO treatment remain unknown. Therefore, the present work aimed to analyze the effect of HBO on the proliferation of pre-treated bone marrow-derived EPC with TNF-alpha. Also, we investigated the expression of ICAM and eNOS by immunochemistry, the production of reactive species of oxygen and performed an in vitro wound healing. Although 1h of HBO treatment did not alter the rate of in vitro wound closure or cell proliferation, it increased eNOS expression and decreased ICAM expression and reactive oxygen species production in cells pre-treated with TNF-alpha. These results indicate that HBO can decrease the inflammatory response in endothelial cells mediated by TNF-alpha, and thus, promote vascular recovery after injury432136146CNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoFAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo2012/23640‐2308368/2016‐

The Effect of Daylight-Saving Time on Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients—Data from the Polish National Registry of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (ORPKI) in the Years 2014–2022

Introduction: Many factors related to the switch to summer/winter time interfere with biological rhythms. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the impact of time change on clinical outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients and methods: Electronic data of 874,031 patients with ACS who underwent invasive procedures were collected from the Polish National Register of Interventional Cardiology Procedures (ORPKI) between 2014 and 2021. We determined the number of patients undergoing PCI and periprocedural mortality during the day of spring or autumn time change and within the first 3 and 7 days after the time change. Results: We demonstrated the impact of time changes on the periprocedural mortality of ACS patients within 1 day and the period of 3 and 7 days from the time change. We observed that the occurrence of all ACS and NSTEMI on the first day was lower for both time changes and higher in the case of UA and spring time change. The autumn time change significantly reduced the occurrence of all types of ACS. A significant decrease in the number of invasive procedures was found after autumn transition in the period from the first day to 7 days for ACS, NSTEMI, and UA. Conclusions: The occurrence of ACS and the number of invasive procedures were lower for both changes over time. Autumn time change is associated with increased periprocedural mortality in ACS and a less frequent occurrence of UA and NSTEMI within 7 days

Interactive Displays for the Next Generation of Entity-Centric Bibliographic Models

The model of bibliographic entities defined in the IFLA Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) represents a major transition from the digital card catalog to databases containing a rich structure of entities and relationships with well-defined semantics. However, the question of how to best search and present this entitycentric bibliographic data remains a challenge. In this paper we present a system for entity-centric search and a user study on how the displays of the FRBR entities compare in their ability to support different user tasks

Indirect impact of the war in Ukraine on primary percutaneous coronary interventions for ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Poland

INTRODUCTION: The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in the displacement of approximately 12.5 million refugees to adjacent countries including Poland, that may have strained healthcare service delivery.OBJECTIVES: Using the ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) data, we aimed to evaluate whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine has indirectly impacted the delivery of acute cardiovascular care in Poland.PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed all adult patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) for STEMI across Poland between 25th February 2017 to 24th May 2022. Centers were allocated to regions of &lt;100km and &gt;100km of the Polish-Ukraine border. Mixed effect generalized linear regression models with random effects per hospital were used to explore the associations between the war in Ukraine starting with several outcomes of interest, and whether these associations differed across regions of &lt;/&gt;100km from the Polish-Ukraine border.RESULTS: A total of 90,115 procedures were included in the analysis. The average number of procedures per-month was similar to predicted volume for centers in the &gt;100km region, while the average number of PCI was higher than expected (by an estimated 15 (11-19)) for the &lt;100km region. There was no difference in adjusted fatality rate or quality of care outcomes pre- vs. during-war in both &lt;100 and &gt;100 km regions, with no evidence of a difference-in-difference across regions.CONCLUSIONS: Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was only a modest and temporary increase in primary PCI predominantly in centers situated within 100km of the border, although no significant impact on in-hospital fatality rate.</p