Integrated Detector Control and Calibration Processing at the European XFEL

The European X-ray Free Electron Laser is a high-intensity X-ray light source currently being constructed in the area of Hamburg, that will provide spatially coherent X-rays in the energy range between $0.25\,\mathrm{keV}$ and $25\,\mathrm{keV}$. The machine will deliver $10\,\mathrm{trains/s}$, consisting of up to $2700\,\mathrm{pulses}$, with a $4.5\,\mathrm{MHz}$ repetition rate. The LPD, DSSC and AGIPD detectors are being developed to provide high dynamic-range Mpixel imaging capabilities at the mentioned repetition rates. A consequence of these detector characteristics is that they generate raw data volumes of up to $15\,\mathrm{Gbyte/s}$. In addition the detector's on-sensor memory-cell and multi-/non-linear gain architectures pose unique challenges in data correction and calibration, requiring online access to operating conditions and control settings. We present how these challenges are addressed within XFEL's control and analysis framework Karabo, which integrates access to hardware conditions, acquisition settings (also using macros) and distributed computing. Implementation of control and calibration software is mainly in Python, using self-optimizing (py) CUDA code, numpy and iPython parallels to achieve near-real time performance for calibration application.Comment: Proceeding ICALEPS 201

Individualized Prediction of Drug Resistance in People with Post-Stroke Epilepsy: A Retrospective Study

Background: The study aimed to develop a model and build a nomogram to predict the probability of drug resistance in people with post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). Methods: Subjects with epilepsy secondary to ischemic stroke or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were included. The study outcome was the occurrence of drug-resistant epilepsy defined according to International League Against Epilepsy criteria. Results: One hundred and sixty-four subjects with PSE were included and 32 (19.5%) were found to be drug-resistant. Five variables were identified as independent predictors of drug resistance and were included in the nomogram: age at stroke onset (odds ratio (OR): 0.941, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.907–0.977), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR: 6.292, 95% CI 1.957–20.233), severe stroke (OR: 4.727, 95% CI 1.573–14.203), latency of PSE (>12 months, reference; 7–12 months, OR: 4.509, 95% CI 1.335–15.228; 0–6 months, OR: 99.099, 95% CI 14.873–660.272), and status epilepticus at epilepsy onset (OR: 14.127, 95% CI 2.540–78.564). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.893 (95% CI: 0.832–0.956). Conclusions: Great variability exists in the risk of drug resistance in people with PSE. A nomogram based on a set of readily available clinical variables may represent a practical tool for an individualized prediction of drug-resistant PSE

Essential oils from Argentinean native species reduce in vitro methane production

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Argentinean essential oils (EO) on methane production during in vitro fermentation compared to EO with proven effects as rumen fermentation modifiers. A complete randomized block design was used and the treatments included EO from Aloysia gratissima (50, 100, 150 and 300 mg/L), Eucalyptus globulus (5, 50, 150 and 300 mg/L), Lippia turbinata (30, 60, 120 and 240 mg/L), Mentha x piperita var. vulgaris (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/L), Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum cv. Compacto (0.5, 5, 50 and 250 mg/L) and cv. Mendocino (50, 150, 250 and 350 mg/L), Rosmarinus officinalis (100, 300, 500 and 700 mg/L), Schinus molle (75, 150, 300 and 600 mg/L), Tagetes minuta (5, 50, 125 and 250 mg/L), and Thymus vulgaris (5, 50, 150 and 300 mg/L). Two controls were included: control (not containing EO) and monensin (1.87 mg/L). Variables measured were: digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, gas and methane production. Compared to the control, monensin reduced methane production by 44%, but with a 15% reduction in fiber digestibility. Except for E. globulus and L. turbinata, each variable measured was significantly reduced with the higher level of inclusion compared to the control, representing that overall microbial activity was affected. L. turbinata (60.8% limonene) reduced methane by half compared to control, and by 35 to 85% when compared to monensin, without affecting digestibility of the fiber. Some essential oils from native Argentinean plants exhibited great potential to reduce enteric methane production without affecting digestibility, of which L. turbinata was the most promising alternative.El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de aceites esenciales (AE) de plantas nativas de Argentina en la producción de metano durante la fermentación in vitro, en comparación con AE con efectos comprobados como modificadores de la fermentación ruminal. Se realizó un diseño en bloque completos al azar y los AE y dosis evaluados fueron: Aloysia gratissima (0,5, 5, 50 y 250 mg/L) , Eucalyptus globulus (5, 50, 150 y 300 mg/L), Lippia turbinata (30, 60, 120 y 240 mg/L), Mentha x piperita var. vulgaris (50, 100, 200 y 400 mg/L), Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum cv. Compacto (0,5, 5, 50 y 250 mg/L) y cv. Mendocino (50, 150, 250 y 350 mg/L), Rosmarinus officinalis (100, 300, 500 y 700 mg/L), Schinus molle (75, 150, 300 y 600 mg/L), Tagetes minuta (5, 50, 125 y 250 mg/L), y Thymus vulgaris (5, 50, 150 y 300 mg/L). Se incluyeron dos controles: control (sin AE) y monensina (1,87 mg/L). Las variables evaluadas fueron: digestibilidad in vitro de la fibra en detergente neutro, producción de gas y metano. En comparación al control, la monensina redujo la producción de metano en un 44%, pero con una reducción de un 15% en la digestibilidad de la fibra. Con excepción a E. globulus y L. turbinata, todas las variables fueron reducidas significativamente con el mayor nivel de inclusión comparado con el control, lo cual representa que la actividad microbiana se vio afectada. L. turbinata (60,8% limoneno) redujo la producción de metano a la mitad comparado al control, y entre un 35 y 85% en comparación a la monensina, sin que la digestibilidad de la fibra se vea afectada. Algunos aceites esenciales de plantas nativas de Argentina demostraron gran potencial para reducir la producción de metano entérico sin afectar la digestibilidad, de los cuales L. turbinata fue la alternativa más promisoria.EEA ManfrediFil: García, F. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Brunetti, Maria Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Lucini, Enrique I. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias,; ArgentinaFil: Scorcione Turcato, M.C. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Maria Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Frossasco, Georgina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Colombatto, Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomia; Argentina.Fil: Martinez, Maria Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Ferrer, Jorge. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentin

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and increased risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac hospital readmissions in elderly patients admitted for acute heart failure

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging risk factor for heart failure (HF). Although some progress has been made in improving survival among patients admitted for HF, the rates of hospital readmissions and the related costs continue to rise dramatically. We sought to examine whether NAFLD and its severity (diagnosed at hospital admission) was independently associated with a higher risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization in patients admitted for acute HF. We studied 212 elderly patients who were consecutively admitted with acute HF to the Hospital of Negrar (Verona) over a 1-year period. Diagnosis of NAFLD was based on ultrasonography, whereas the severity of advanced NAFLD fibrosis was based on the fibrosis (FIB)-4 score and other non-invasive fibrosis scores. Patients with acute myocardial infarction, severe valvular heart diseases, endstage renal disease, cancer, known liver diseases or decompensated cirrhosis were excluded. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for the associations between NAFLD and the outcome(s) of interest. The cumulative rate of 1-year all-cause re-hospitalizations was 46.7% (n = 99, mainly due to cardiac causes). Patients with NAFLD (n = 109; 51.4%) had remarkably higher 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization rates compared with their counterparts without NAFLD. Both event rates were particularly increased in those with advanced NAFLD fibrosis. NAFLD was associated with a 5-fold increased risk of 1-year all-cause re-hospitalization (adjusted-hazard ratio 5.05, 95% confidence intervals 2.78-9.10, p<0.0001) after adjustment for established risk factors and potential confounders. Similar results were found for 1-year cardiac re-hospitalization (adjusted-hazard ratio 8.05, 95% confidence intervals 3.77-15.8, p<0.0001). In conclusion, NAFLD and its severity were strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of 1-year all-cause and cardiac re-hospitalization in elderly patients admitted with acute HF

Clinical phenotype and functional characterization of CASQ2 mutations associated with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

BACKGROUND: Four distinct mutations in the human cardiac calsequestrin gene (CASQ2) have been linked to catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT). The mechanisms leading to the clinical phenotype are still poorly understood because only 1 CASQ2 mutation has been characterized in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified a homozygous 16-bp deletion at position 339 to 354 leading to a frame shift and a stop codon after 5aa (CASQ2(G112+5X)) in a child with stress-induced ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest. The same deletion was also identified in association with a novel point mutation (CASQ2(L167H)) in a highly symptomatic CPVT child who is the first CPVT patient carrier of compound heterozygous CASQ2 mutations. We characterized in vitro the properties of CASQ2 mutants: CASQ2(G112+5X) did not bind Ca2+, whereas CASQ2(L167H) had normal calcium-binding properties. When expressed in rat myocytes, both mutants decreased the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-storing capacity and reduced the amplitude of I(Ca)-induced Ca2+ transients and of spontaneous Ca2+ sparks in permeabilized myocytes. Exposure of myocytes to isoproterenol caused the development of delayed afterdepolarizations in CASQ2(G112+5X). CONCLUSIONS: CASQ2(L167H) and CASQ2(G112+5X) alter CASQ2 function in cardiac myocytes, which leads to reduction of active sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and calcium content. In addition, CASQ2(G112+5X) displays altered calcium-binding properties and leads to delayed afterdepolarizations. We conclude that the 2 CASQ2 mutations identified in CPVT create distinct abnormalities that lead to abnormal intracellular calcium regulation, thus facilitating the development of tachyarrhythmias

Beam Test of Silicon Strip Sensors for the ZEUS Micro Vertex Detector

For the HERA upgrade, the ZEUS experiment has designed and installed a high precision Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) using single sided micro-strip sensors with capacitive charge division. The sensors have a readout pitch of 120 microns, with five intermediate strips (20 micron strip pitch). An extensive test program has been carried out at the DESY-II testbeam facility. In this paper we describe the setup developed to test the ZEUS MVD sensors and the results obtained on both irradiated and non-irradiated single sided micro-strip detectors with rectangular and trapezoidal geometries. The performances of the sensors coupled to the readout electronics (HELIX chip, version 2.2) have been studied in detail, achieving a good description by a Monte Carlo simulation. Measurements of the position resolution as a function of the angle of incidence are presented, focusing in particular on the comparison between standard and newly developed reconstruction algorithms.Comment: 41 pages, 21 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in NIM

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #26 to #36

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 1510*, 2130*, 2250*, 3180*, 3260, 5230*, 6410, 7140, 7220*, 9320 are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 14 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 20 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria