Validation by Measurements of a IC Modeling Approach for SiP Applications

The growing importance of signal integrity (SI) analysis in integrated circuits (ICs), revealed by modern systemin-package methods, is demanding for new models for the IC sub-systems which are both accurate, efficient and extractable by simple measurement procedures. This paper presents the contribution for the establishment of an integrated IC modeling approach whose performance is assessed by direct comparison with the signals measured in laboratory of two distinct memory IC devices. Based on the identification of the main blocks of a typical IC device, the modeling approach consists of a network of system-level sub-models, some of which with already demonstrated accuracy, which simulated the IC interfacing behavior. Emphasis is given to the procedures that were developed to validate by means of laboratory measurements (and not by comparison with circuit-level simulations) the model performance, which is a novel and important aspect that should be considered in the design of IC models that are useful for SI analysi

Five-year analysis from the ESPRIT 10-year postmarketing surveillance registry of adalimumab treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis

BackgroundESPRIT is an ongoing, 10-year, observational registry, evaluating long-term safety and effectiveness of adalimumab treatment in routine clinical practice for patients with moderate to severe, chronic plaque psoriasis.ObjectivesInitial 5-year results are reported.MethodsTwo populations were analyzed: the “all-treated” population received 1 or more adalimumab doses in registry, continuing adalimumab treatment from a current prescription or previous study participation, and included the “new-prescription” population initiating adalimumab 4 weeks or earlier preregistry entry.ResultsData were collected from September 26, 2008, through November 30, 2013, for all-treated (n = 6059), which included new-prescription (n = 2580, 42.6%); median registry exposure was 765 and 677 days, respectively. In all-treated, rate (events per 100 patient-years of total adalimumab exposure [E/100PY]) of serious treatment-emergent adverse events (inside or outside of the registry) was 4.3 E/100PY, serious infection 1.0 E/100PY, malignancies 0.9 E/100PY (nonmelanoma skin cancers 0.6 E/100PY; melanomas <0.1 E/100PY). Standardized mortality ratio was 0.30 (95% confidence interval 0.19-0.44). Physician Global Assessment clear or minimal (effectiveness parameter) was achieved by 57.0% at 12 months and 64.7% at 60 months of treatment.LimitationsObservational data are subject to outcome-reporting bias.ConclusionNo new safety signals were observed with adalimumab treatment during this initial 5-year registry review. Observed number of deaths was below expected. As-observed effectiveness remained stable through 60 months

On Quantum Effects in Soft Leptogenesis

It has been recently shown that quantum Boltzman equations may be relevant for leptogenesis. Quantum effects, which lead to a time-dependent CP asymmetry, have been shown to be particularly important for resonant leptogenesis when the asymmetry is generated by the decay of two nearly degenerate states. In this work we investigate the impact of the use of quantum Boltzman equations in the framework ``soft leptogenesis'' in which supersymmetry soft-breaking terms give a small mass splitting between the CP-even and CP-odd right-handed sneutrino states of a single generation and provide the CP-violating phase to generate the lepton asymmetry.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Replacement to match published versio

Pain assessment in surgical patients with impaired cognition

Pain is considered the 5th vital sign and its measurement/assessment and records are required and must be systematic. Ineffective pain management involves complications in clinical status of patients, longer hospitalization times and higher costs with health. In the surgical patient with impaired cognition, hetero measurements should be made, based on behavioural and physiological indicators. We used to determine the efficacy and efficiency of the Observer Scale, the Abbey Pain Scale and Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (PAINAD). Our study is an applied, non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive and analytical research. The data collection instrument consisted of patients’ sociodemographic and clinical data, the Observer Scale, the Abbey Pain Scale (Rodrigues, 2013) and PAINAD (Batalha et al., 2012). We assessed pain at an early phase and 45 minutes after an intervention for its relief. The sample is non-probabilistic for convenience, consisting of 76 surgical patients with impaired cognition, admitted to the surgery services of a central hospital, aged between 38 and 96 years. There was a positive correlation between the results of the three scales, most evident in the initial evaluation. Pain intensity in the same patient is higher when assessed with PAINAD (OM = 2.16) and lower when assessed with the Observer Scale (OM = 1.78). The most effective and efficient scale is PAINAD. Due to the small sample size, we suggest confirmatory studies so that the results can be generalized

Multi-target neuroprotective effects of herbal medicines for Alzheimer's disease

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, but its treatment options remain few and ineffective. To find new therapeutic strategies, natural products have gained interest due to their neuroprotective potential, being able to target different pathological hallmarks associated with this disorder. Several plant species are traditionally used due to their empirical neuroprotective effects and it is worth to explore their mechanism of action. Aim of the study: This study intended to explore the neuroprotective potential of seven traditional medicinal plants, namely Scutellaria baicalensis, Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum, Curcuma longa, Lavandula angustifolia, Trigonella foenum-graecum and Rosmarinus officinalis. The safety assessment with reference to pesticides residues was also aimed. Materials and methods: Decoctions prepared from these species were chemically characterized by HPLC-DAD and screened for their ability to scavenge four different free radicals (DPPH•, ABTS•+, O2•‒ and •NO) and to inhibit enzymes related to neurodegeneration (cholinesterases and glycogen synthase kinase-3β). Cell viability through MTT assay was also evaluated in two different brain cell lines, namely non-tumorigenic D3 human brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) and NSC-34 motor neurons. Furthermore, and using GC, 21 pesticides residues were screened. Results: Regarding chemical composition, chromatographic analysis revealed the presence of several flavonoids, phenolic acids, curcuminoids, phenolic diterpenoids, one alkaloid and one naphthodianthrone in the seven decoctions. All extracts were able to scavenge free radicals and were moderate glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibitors; however, they displayed weak to moderate acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition. G. biloba and L. angustifolia decoctions were the less cytotoxic to hCMEC/D3 and NSC-34 cell lines. No pesticides residues were detected. Conclusions: The results extend the knowledge on the potential use of plant extracts to combat multifactorial disorders, giving new insights into therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease

Daily cycling of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the hippocampus of pigeons (C. livia)

Background: Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is essential for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a non-conventional neurotransmitter with an important role in synaptic plasticity underlying processes of hippocampus-dependent memory and in the regulation of biological clocks and circadian rhythms. Many studies have shown that both the NOS cytosolic protein content and its enzymatic activity present a circadian variation in different regions of the rodent brain, including the hippocampus. The present study investigated the daily variation of NOS enzymatic activity and the cytosolic content of nNOS in the hippocampus of pigeons. Results: Adult pigeons kept under a skeleton photoperiod were assigned to six different groups. Homogenates of the hippocampus obtained at six different times-of-day were used for NOS analyses. Both iNOS activity and nNOS cytosolic protein concentrations were highest during the subjective light phase and lowest in the subjective dark phase of the circadian period. ANOVA showed significant time differences for iNOS enzymatic activity (p &lt; 0.05) and for nNOS protein content (p &lt; 0.05) in the hippocampus. A significant daily rhythm for both iNOS and nNOS was confirmed by analysis with the Cosinor method (p &lt; 0.05). The present findings indicate that the enzymatic activity of iNOS and content of nNOS protein in the hippocampus of pigeons exhibit a daily rhythm, with acrophase values occurring during the behavioral activity phase. Conclusions: The data corroborate the reports on circadian variation of NOS in the mammalian hippocampus and can be considered indicative of a dynamic interaction between hippocampus-dependent processes and circadian clock mechanisms

A longitudinalidade e a integralidade no cuidado às crianças menores de um ano: avaliação de cuidadores

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the attributes longitudinality and comprehensive care in Family Health Units in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil. Method: quantitative, cross-sectional study with data collected through the use of the Brazilian version of Primary Care Assessment Tool. This instrument covers the essential attributes of the Primary Health Care, including longitudinality and comprehensive care. We interviewed 271 caretakers of children under one year old who use the health facilities, from January to June 2012. Results: longitudinality scores were high (3.07±0.53), demonstrating good experience of caretakers regarding the actions derived from this attribute. On the other hand, the scores for comprehensive care related to available services and services provided were low (2.83±0.36 and 2.81±0.98). Such results demonstrate little awareness of caretakers related to available services, as well as services provided to children by health facilities. Conclusions: Family Health Strategy is a reference for most health needs of the child; it promotes the relationship between caretakers and health professionals, and enables the knowledge about children health status. However, despite the high coverage of the Family Health Strategy in the county, some children´s health actions are not experienced by caretakers. Managers and health professionals should have the priorities for child health in their agendas, as well as planning and implementation of actions which are related to the child health needs.Objetivo: avaliar os atributos longitudinalidade e integralidade da atenção em Unidades de Saúde da Família em Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil. Método: pesquisa quantitativa, transversal com dados coletados mediante uso do Instrumento de Avaliação da Atenção Primária, versão nacional Primary Care Assessment Tool. Este instrumento contempla os atributos essenciais da APS, dentre eles a longitudinalidade e a integralidade da atenção. Foram entrevistados 271 cuidadores de crianças menores de um ano, usuários dos serviços, no período de janeiro a junho de 2012. Resultados: a longitudinalidade apresentou escore elevado (3,07±0,53), demonstrando boa experiência dos cuidadores com as ações derivadas desse atributo. Por outro lado, os escores para integralidade, tanto para serviços disponíveis quanto para serviços prestados, foram baixos (2,83±0,36 e 2,81±0,98). Tais resultados apontam pouca percepção dos cuidadores sobre serviços disponíveis, como também serviços prestados à criança pelas unidades de saúde. Conclusões: A ESF constitui referência para a maioria das necessidades de saúde da criança, favorece a relação entre cuidadores e profissionais, além de possibilitar o conhecimento da situação de saúde desse público. Entretanto, apesar da alta cobertura da estratégia no município, algumas ações em saúde voltadas às crianças não são vivenciadas pelos cuidadores. Aos gestores e profissionais de saúde que atuam com esta clientela, cabe a sensibilização sobre as prioridades dentro de suas agendas, como também o planejamento e a implementação de ações que estejam dentro das necessidades de saúde da população infantil

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal