131 research outputs found
Managing Dynamic User Communities in a Grid of Autonomous Resources
One of the fundamental concepts in Grid computing is the creation of Virtual
Organizations (VO's): a set of resource consumers and providers that join
forces to solve a common problem. Typical examples of Virtual Organizations
include collaborations formed around the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
experiments. To date, Grid computing has been applied on a relatively small
scale, linking dozens of users to a dozen resources, and management of these
VO's was a largely manual operation. With the advance of large collaboration,
linking more than 10000 users with a 1000 sites in 150 counties, a
comprehensive, automated management system is required. It should be simple
enough not to deter users, while at the same time ensuring local site autonomy.
The VO Management Service (VOMS), developed by the EU DataGrid and DataTAG
projects[1, 2], is a secured system for managing authorization for users and
resources in virtual organizations. It extends the existing Grid Security
Infrastructure[3] architecture with embedded VO affiliation assertions that can
be independently verified by all VO members and resource providers. Within the
EU DataGrid project, Grid services for job submission, file- and database
access are being equipped with fine- grained authorization systems that take VO
membership into account. These also give resource owners the ability to ensure
site security and enforce local access policies. This paper will describe the
EU DataGrid security architecture, the VO membership service and the local site
enforcement mechanisms Local Centre Authorization Service (LCAS), Local
Credential Mapping Service(LCMAPS) and the Java Trust and Authorization
Manager.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
(CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 7 pages, LaTeX, 5 eps figures. PSN
TUBT00
Optimising pain management in children with acute otitis media through a primary care-based multifaceted educational intervention: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Whilst current guidelines highlight the importance of pain management for children with acute otitis media (AOM), there is evidence to suggest that this is not implemented in everyday practice. We have developed a primary care-based multifaceted educational intervention to optimise pain management in children with AOM, and we trial its clinical and cost effectiveness
Substantial burden of non-medically attended RSV infection in healthy term infants â an international prospective birth cohort study
Background: During the first year of life, one in four infants develops a symptomatic respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, yet only half seek medical attention. The current focus on medically attended RSV, therefore, underrepresents the true societal burden of RSV. We assessed the burden of non-medically attended RSV infections and compared them with medically attended RSV.
Methods: We performed active RSV surveillance until the age of one year in a cohort (n=993) nested within RESCEU, a prospective birth cohort study enrolling healthy term-born infants in five European countries. Parent-reported daily symptoms, medication use, wheezing and impact on family life were analyzed.
Results: For 97 of 120 (80.1%) non-medically attended RSV episodes sufficient data were available for analysis. In 50.5% (49/97), symptoms lasted â„15 days. Parents reported impairment in usual daily activities in 59.8% (58/97), worries in 75.3% (73/97), anxiety in 34.0% (33/97), and work absenteeism in 10.8% (10/93) of episodes. Compared with medically attended RSV (n=102, 9 hospital admissions), ReSViNET severity scores were lower (3.5 vs. 4.6, p<0.001), whereas durations of respiratory symptoms and impairment of usual activities were comparable.
Conclusion: Even when medical attendance is not required, RSV infection poses a substantial burden to infants, families and society at large. These findings are important for policymakers when considering the implementation of RSV immunization in national programs
The ANTARES Optical Beacon System
ANTARES is a neutrino telescope being deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. It
consists of a three dimensional array of photomultiplier tubes that can detect
the Cherenkov light induced by charged particles produced in the interactions
of neutrinos with the surrounding medium. High angular resolution can be
achieved, in particular when a muon is produced, provided that the Cherenkov
photons are detected with sufficient timing precision. Considerations of the
intrinsic time uncertainties stemming from the transit time spread in the
photomultiplier tubes and the mechanism of transmission of light in sea water
lead to the conclusion that a relative time accuracy of the order of 0.5 ns is
desirable. Accordingly, different time calibration systems have been developed
for the ANTARES telescope. In this article, a system based on Optical Beacons,
a set of external and well-controlled pulsed light sources located throughout
the detector, is described. This calibration system takes into account the
optical properties of sea water, which is used as the detection volume of the
ANTARES telescope. The design, tests, construction and first results of the two
types of beacons, LED and laser-based, are presented.Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth. Phys. Res.
Panel 7: otitis media:treatment and complications
Objective: We aimed to summarize key articles published between 2011 and 2015 on the treatment of (recurrent) acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, tympanostomy tube otorrhea, chronic suppurative otitis media and complications of otitis media, and their implications for clinical practice. Data Sources: PubMed, Ovid Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Clinical Evidence (BMJ Publishing). Review Methods: All types of articles related to otitis media treatment and complications between June 2011 and March 2015 were identified. A total of 1122 potential related articles were reviewed by the panel members; 118 relevant articles were ultimately included in this summary. Conclusions: Recent literature and guidelines emphasize accurate diagnosis of acute otitis media and optimal management of ear pain. Watchful waiting is optional in mild to moderate acute otitis media; antibiotics do shorten symptoms and duration of middle ear effusion. The additive benefit of adenoidectomy to tympanostomy tubes in recurrent acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion is controversial and age dependent. Topical antibiotic is the treatment of choice in acute tube otorrhea. Symptomatic hearing loss due to persistent otitis media with effusion is best treated with tympanostomy tubes. Novel molecular and biomaterial treatments as adjuvants to surgical closure of eardrum perforations seem promising. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of complementary and alternative treatments. Implications for Practice: Emphasis on accurate diagnosis of otitis media, in its various forms, is important to reduce overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and antibiotic resistance. Children at risk for otitis media and its complications deserve special attention
Autonomic Management of Large Clusters and Their Integration into the Grid
We present a framework for the co-ordinated, autonomic management of multiple clusters in a compute center and their integration into a Grid environment. Site autonomy and the automation of administrative tasks are prime aspects in this framework. The system behavior is continuously monitored in a steering cycle and appropriate actions are taken to resolve any problems. All presented components have been implemented in the course of the EU project DataGrid: The Lemon monitoring components, the FT fault-tolerance mechanism, the quattor system for software installation and configuration, the RMS job and resource management system, and the Gridification scheme that integrates clusters into the Grid
Strategies in a metallophyte species to cope with manganese excess
The effect of exposure to high Mn concentration
was studied in a metallophyte species, Erica
andevalensis, using hydroponic cultures with a range
of Mn concentrations (0.06, 100, 300, 500, and
700 mg L-1). At harvest, biomass production, element
uptake, and biochemical indicators of metal
stress (leaf pigments, organic acids, amino acids,
phenols, and activities of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide
dismutase) were determined in leaves and roots.
Increasing Mn concentrations led to a decrease in
biomass accumulation, and tip leaves chlorosis was
the only toxicity symptom detected. In a similar way,
photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls a and b, and
carotenoids) were affected by high Mn levels. Among
organic acids, malate and oxalate contents in roots
showed a significant increase at the highest Mn
concentration, while in leaves, Mn led to an increasing
trend in citrate and malate contents. An increase of Mn also induced an increase in superoxide dismutase
activity in roots and catalase activity in leaves. As
well, significant changes in free amino acids were
induced by Mn concentrations higher than
300 mg L-1, especially in roots. No significant
changes in phenolic compounds were observed in
the leaves, but root phenolics were significantly
increased by increasing Mn concentrations in treatments.
When Fe supply was increased 10 and 20 times
(7â14 mg Fe L-1 as Fe-EDDHA) in the nutrient
solutions at the highest Mn concentration
(700 mg Mn L-1), it led to significant increases in
photosynthetic pigments and biomass accumulation.
Manganese was mostly accumulated in the roots, and
the species was essentially a Mn excluder. However,
considering the high leaf Mn concentration recorded
without toxicity symptoms, E. andevalensis might be
rated as a Mn-tolerant speciesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Neutrophil and Eosinophil Responses Remain Abnormal for Several Months in Primary Care Patients With COVID-19 Disease
IntroductionNeutrophil and eosinophil activation and its relation to disease severity has been understudied in primary care patients with COVID-19. In this study, we investigated whether the neutrophil and eosinophil compartment were affected in primary care patients with COVID-19.MethodsCOVID-19 patients, aged â„ 40 years with cardiovascular comorbidity presenting to the general practitioner with substantial symptoms, partaking in the COVIDSat@Home study between January and April 2021, were included. Blood was drawn during and 3 to 6 months after active COVID-19 disease and analyzed by automated flow cytometry, before and after stimulation with a formyl-peptide (fNLF). Mature neutrophil and eosinophil markers at both time points were compared to healthy controls. A questionnaire was conducted on disease symptoms during and 3 to 6 months after COVID-19 disease.ResultsThe blood of 18 COVID-19 patients and 34 healthy controls was analyzed. During active COVID-19 disease, neutrophils showed reduced CD10 (p = 0.0360), increased CD11b (p = 0.0002) and decreased CD62L expression (p < 0.0001) compared to healthy controls. During active COVID-19 disease, fNLF stimulated neutrophils showed decreased CD10 levels (p < 0.0001). Three to six months after COVID-19 disease, unstimulated neutrophils showed lowered CD62L expression (p = 0.0003) and stimulated neutrophils had decreased CD10 expression (p = 0.0483) compared to healthy controls. Both (un)stimulated CD10 levels increased 3 to 6 months after active disease (p = 0.0120 and p < 0.0001, respectively) compared to during active disease. Eosinophil blood counts were reduced during active COVID-19 disease and increased 3 to 6 months after infection (p < 0.0001). During active COVID-19, eosinophils showed increased unstimulated CD11b (p = 0.0139) and decreased (un)stimulated CD62L expression (p = 0.0036 and p = 0.0156, respectively) compared to healthy controls. Three to six months after COVID-19 disease, (un)stimulated eosinophil CD62L expression was decreased (p = 0.0148 and p = 0.0063, respectively) and the percentage of CD11bbright cells was increased (p = 0.0083 and p = 0.0307, respectively) compared to healthy controls.ConclusionAutomated flow cytometry analysis reveals specific mature neutrophil and eosinophil activation patterns in primary care patients with COVID-19 disease, during and 3 to 6 months after active disease. This suggests that the neutrophil and eosinophil compartment are long-term affected by COVID-19 in primary care patients. This indicates that these compartments may be involved in the pathogenesis of long COVID
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