Programmed schedule holds for improving launch vehicle holds

Baseline definition and system optimization are used for the analysis of programmed holds developed through prelaunch system analysis. Identification of design specifications for ground support equipment and maintenance concepts, and design specifications are used to describe the functional utilization of the overall flow process

Guidance for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

This guidance document focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Efficient, cost effective diagnosis of VTE is facilitated by combining medical history and physical examination with pre-test probability models, D dimer testing and selective use of confirmatory imaging. Clinical prediction rules, biomarkers and imaging can be used to tailor therapy to disease severity. Anticoagulation options for acute VTE include unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin, fondaparinux and the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). DOACs are as effective as conventional therapy with LMWH and vitamin K antagonists. Thrombolytic therapy is reserved for massive pulmonary embolism (PE) or extensive deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Inferior vena cava filters are reserved for patients with acute VTE and contraindications to anticoagulation. Retrievable filters are strongly preferred. The possibility of thoracic outlet syndrome and May-Thurner syndrome should be considered in patients with subclavian/axillary and left common iliac vein DVT, respectively in absence of identifiable triggers. The optimal duration of therapy is dictated by the presence of modifiable thrombotic risk factors. Long term anticoagulation should be considered in patients with unprovoked VTE as well as persistent prothrombotic risk factors such as cancer. Short-term therapy is sufficient for most patients with VTE associated with transient situational triggers such as major surgery. Biomarkers such as D dimer and risk assessment models such the Vienna risk prediction model offer the potential to customize VTE therapy for the individual patient. Insufficient data exist to support the integration of bleeding risk models into duration of therapy planning

Guidance for the evaluation and treatment of hereditary and acquired thrombophilia

Thrombophilias are hereditary and/or acquired conditions that predispose patients to thrombosis. Testing for thrombophilia is commonly performed in patients with venous thrombosis and their relatives; however such testing usually does not provide information that impacts management and may result in harm. This manuscript, initiated by the Anticoagulation Forum, provides clinical guidance for thrombophilia testing in five clinical situations: following 1) provoked venous thromboembolism, 2) unprovoked venous thromboembolism; 3) in relatives of patients with thrombosis, 4) in female relatives of patients with thrombosis considering estrogen use; and 5) in female relatives of patients with thrombosis who are considering pregnancy. Additionally, guidance is provided regarding the timing of thrombophilia testing. The role of thrombophilia testing in arterial thrombosis and for evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss is not addressed. Statements are based on existing guidelines and consensus expert opinion where guidelines are lacking. We recommend that thrombophilia testing not be performed in most situations. When performed, it should be used in a highly selective manner, and only in circumstances where the information obtained will influence a decision important to the patient, and outweigh the potential risks of testing. Testing should not be performed during acute thrombosis or during the initial (3-month) period of anticoagulation

Infection and venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing colorectal surgery: what is the relationship?

BACKGROUND: There is evidence demonstrating an association between infection and venous thromboembolism. We recently identified this association in the postoperative setting; however, the temporal relationship between infection and venous thromboembolism is not well defined OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the temporal relationship between venous thromboembolism and postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using data for patients undergoing colorectal surgery in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project 2010 database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were the rate and timing of venous thromboembolism and postoperative infection among patients undergoing colorectal surgery during 30 postoperative days. RESULTS: Of 39,831 patients who underwent colorectal surgery, the overall rate of venous thromboembolism was 2.4% (n = 948); 729 (1.8%) patients were diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, and 307 (0.77%) patients were diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Eighty-eight (0.22%) patients were reported as developing both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Following colorectal surgery, the development of a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, organ space surgical site infection, or deep surgical site infection was associated with a significantly increased risk for venous thromboembolism. The majority (52%-85%) of venous thromboembolisms in this population occurred the same day or a median of 3.5 to 8 days following the diagnosis of infection. The approximate relative risk for developing any venous thromboembolism increased each day following the development of each type of infection (range, 0.40%-1.0%) in comparison with patients not developing an infection. LIMITATIONS: We are unable to account for differences in data collection, prophylaxis, and venous thromboembolism surveillance between hospitals in the database. Additionally, there is limited patient follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These findings of a temporal association between infection and venous thromboembolism suggest a potential early indicator for using certain postoperative infectious complications as clinical warning signs that a patient is more likely to develop venous thromboembolism. Further studies into best practices for prevention are warranted

French responses to the Prague Spring: connections, (mis)perception and appropriation

Looking at the vast literature on the events of 1968 in various European countries, it is striking that the histories of '1968' of the Western and Eastern halves of the continent are largely still written separately.1 Nevertheless, despite the very different political and socio-economic contexts, the protest movements on both sides of the Iron Curtain shared a number of characteristics. The 1968 events in Czechoslovakia and Western Europe were, reduced to the basics, investigations into the possibility of marrying social justice with liberty, and thus reflected a tension within European Marxism. This essay provides an analysis specifically of the responses by the French left—the Communist Party, the student movements and the gauchistes—to the Prague Spring, characterised by misunderstandings and strategic appropriation. The Prague Spring was seen by both the reformist and the radical left in France as a moderate movement. This limited interpretation of the Prague Spring as a liberal democratic project continues to inform our memory of it

Monitoring of drying kinetics evolution and hygrothermal properties of new earth-based materials using climatic chamber simulation

This study focuses on the drying kinetics of cob and light-earth layers comprising a hybrid walling system. Volumetric water content sensors are immersed and placed at different positions on the walls of a building to measure the drying kinetics. In addition, an experimental analysis of the effect of temperature, relative humidity (RH), and wind velocity variations on thermal conductivity in a climatic chamber under winter and summer conditions was conducted. The analysis of samples in laboratory aims to investigate the hygrothermal properties of cob and light-earth materials, and their dependency on the aforementioned parameters. The in situ drying kinetics of both materials involves water content reduction and stabilization; however, in the laboratory, although the water content of materials decreases, the drying is incomplete. Which may be due to the limited wind speed. The hydrothermal properties show that open porosity affects water vapor permeability and modifies the RH of cob and light-earth. At 23 °C, when the relative humidity (RH) range was 10–30%, the absorbed water vapor of cob and light earth was 0–2%. However, when the RH is 40–90%, the absorbed water vapor of light earth (2–9%) exceeds that of cob (0.5–2%). Moreover, the response to relative humidity (RH) with regard to the mixing law of components and samples differs. The resistance factor to water vapor diffusion values for cob and light-earth are 12.9 and 8.2, respectively. In this study, the thermal conductivity measurements under summer and winter conditions provide the relationship between the thermal conductivity, density, and water content of cob and light-earth materials

Machine Learning-Based Indoor Relative Humidity and CO2 Identification Using a Piecewise Autoregressive Exogenous Model: A Cob Prototype Study

The population of developed nations spends a significant amount of time indoors, and the implications of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) on human health are substantial. Many premature deaths attributed to exposure to indoor air pollutants result from diseases exacerbated by poor indoor air. CO2, one of these pollutants, is the most prevalent and often serves as an indicator of IAQ. Indoor CO2 concentrations can be significantly higher than outdoor levels due to human respiration and activity. The primary objective of this research was to numerically investigate the indoor relative humidity and CO2 in cob buildings through the CobBauge prototype, particularly during the first months following the building delivery. Both in situ experimental studies and numerical predictions using an artificial neural network were conducted for this purpose. The study presented the use of a piecewise autoregressive exogenous model (PWARX) for indoor relative humidity (RH) and CO2 content in a building constructed with a double walling system consisting of cob and light earth. The model was validated using experimental data collected over a 27-day period, during which indoor RH and CO2 levels were measured alongside external conditions. The results indicate that the PWARX model accurately predicted RH levels and categorized them into distinct states based on moisture content within materials and external conditions. However, while the model accurately predicted indoor CO2 levels, it faced challenges in finely classifying them due to the complex interplay of factors influencing CO2 levels in indoor environments