Towards supporting multiple semantics of named graphs using N3 rules

Semantic Web applications often require the partitioning of triples into subgraphs, and then associating them with useful metadata (e.g., provenance). This led to the introduction of RDF datasets, with each RDF dataset comprising a default graph and zero or more named graphs. However, due to differences in RDF implementations, no consensus could be reached on a standard semantics; and a range of different dataset semantics are currently assumed. For an RDF system not be limited to only a subset of online RDF datasets, the system would need to be extended to support different dataset semantics—exactly the problem that eluded consensus before. In this paper, we transpose this problem to Notation3 Logic, an RDF-based rule language that similarly allows citing graphs within RDF documents. We propose a solution where an N3 author can directly indicate the intended semantics of a cited graph— possibly, combining multiple semantics within a single document. We supply an initial set of companion N3 rules, which implement a number of RDF dataset semantics, which allow an N3-compliant system to easily support multiple different semantics

Supporting the Mobile Querying of Existing Online Semantic Web Data for Context-Aware Applications

[EN] Mobile devices are increasingly multifunctional and personal, providing mobile applications with the necessary user information to achieve personalization. At the same time, detection technologies let such devices find nearby physical entities and thus map the user's environment. By exploiting existing online Semantic Web sources about these detected entities, mobile applications can further improve personalization. SCOUT is a mobile application framework that supports linking physical entities to online semantic data sources. It provides applications with an integrated, query-able view on these sources and the user's environment. The authors developed a tailored data management approach to efficiently access these distributed online semantic sources.Sven Casteleyn is supported by EC Marie Curie grant FP7- PEOPLE-2009-IEF, number 254383.Van Woensel, W.; Casteleyn, S.; Paret, E.; De Troyer, O. (2011). Supporting the Mobile Querying of Existing Online Semantic Web Data for Context-Aware Applications. IEEE Internet Computing. 15(6):32-39. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIC.2011.108323915

Paediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Neuromuscular Blockade study (PAN-study):a phase IV randomised controlled trial of early neuromuscular blockade in moderate-to-severe paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome

BACKGROUND: Paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is a manifestation of severe, life-threatening lung injury necessitating mechanical ventilation with mortality rates ranging up to 40–50%. Neuromuscular blockade agents (NMBAs) may be considered to prevent patient self-inflicted lung injury in PARDS patients, but two trials in adults with severe ARDS yielded conflicting results. To date, randomised controlled trials (RCT) examining the effectiveness and efficacy of NMBAs for PARDS are lacking. We hypothesise that using NMBAs for 48 h in paediatric patients younger than 5 years of age with early moderate-to-severe PARDS will lead to at least a 20% reduction in cumulative respiratory morbidity score 12 months after discharge from the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: This is a phase IV, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial performed in level-3 PICUs in the Netherlands. Eligible for inclusion are children younger than 5 years of age requiring invasive mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ≥ 5 cm H(2)O for moderate-to-severe PARDS occurring within the first 96 h of PICU admission. Patients are randomised to continuous infusion of rocuronium bromide or placebo for 48 h. The primary endpoint is the cumulative respiratory morbidity score 12 months after PICU discharge, adjusted for confounding by age, gestational age, family history of asthma and/or allergy, season in which questionnaire was filled out, day-care and parental smoking. Secondary outcomes include respiratory mechanics, oxygenation and ventilation metrics, pulmonary and systemic inflammation markers, prevalence of critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy and metrics for patient outcome including ventilator free days at day 28, length of PICU and hospital stay, and mortality DISCUSSION: This is the first paediatric trial evaluating the effects of muscular paralysis in moderate-to-severe PARDS. The proposed study addresses a huge research gap identified by the Paediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Collaborative by evaluating practical needs regarding the treatment of PARDS. Paediatric critical care practitioners are inclined to use interventions such as NMBAs in the most critically ill. This liberal use must be weighed against potential side effects. The proposed study will provide much needed scientific support in the decision-making to start NMBAs in moderate-to-severe PARDS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.govNCT02902055. Registered on September 15, 2016

Seroepidemiology of Human Bocavirus Infection in Jamaica

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified human parvovirus. HBoV is associated with upper and lower respiratory tract infections and gastroenteritis in children. Little is known about the seroepidemiology of HBoV in populations in the Caribbean.In a cross-sectional study conducted at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, 287 blood samples were collected from pediatric patients and tested for the presence of HBoV-specific antibody using a virus-like-particle based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).HBoV-specific antibodies were found to be present in 220/287 (76.7%) of samples collected from the pediatric population. Seroprevalence of HBoV was highest in those ≥2 years old. The seroepidemiological profile suggests that most children are exposed to HBoV during the first two years of life in Jamaica.HBoV infection is common in children in Jamaica. HBoV seroprevalence rates in the Caribbean are similar to those previously reported in other areas of the world

mini me swift the first mobile owl reasoner for ios

Mobile reasoners play a pivotal role in the so-called Semantic Web of Things. While several tools exist for the Android platform, iOS has been neglected so far. This is due to architectural differences and unavailability of OWL manipulation libraries, which make porting existing engines harder. This paper presents Mini-ME Swift, the first Description Logics reasoner for iOS. It implements standard (Subsumption, Satisfiability, Classification, Consistency) and non-standard (Abduction, Contraction, Covering, Difference) inferences in an OWL 2 fragment. Peculiarities are discussed and performance results are presented, comparing Mini-ME Swift with other state-of-the-art OWL reasoners

Effective Treatment of Respiratory Alphaherpesvirus Infection Using RNA Interference

BACKGROUND: Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae, is spread via nasal secretions and causes respiratory disease, neurological disorders and abortions. The virus is a significant equine pathogen, but current EHV-1 vaccines are only partially protective and effective metaphylactic and therapeutic agents are not available. Small interfering RNAs (siRNA's), delivered intranasally, could prove a valuable alternative for infection control. siRNA's against two essential EHV-1 genes, encoding the viral helicase (Ori) and glycoprotein B, were evaluated for their potential to decrease EHV-1 infection in a mouse model. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FNDINGS: siRNA therapy in vitro significantly reduced virus production and plaque size. Viral titers were reduced 80-fold with 37.5 pmol of a single siRNA or with as little as 6.25 pmol of each siRNA when used in combination. siRNA therapy in vivo significantly reduced viral replication and clinical signs. Intranasal treatment did not require a transport vehicle and proved effective when given up to 12 h before or after infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: siRNA treatment has potential for both prevention and early treatment of EHV-1 infections

Cleavage of von Willebrand Factor by Granzyme M Destroys Its Factor VIII Binding Capacity

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a pro-hemostatic multimeric plasma protein that promotes platelet aggregation and stabilizes coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in plasma. The metalloproteinase ADAMTS13 regulates the platelet aggregation function of VWF via proteolysis. Severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 is associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, but does not always correlate with its clinical course. Therefore, other proteases could also be important in regulating VWF activity. In the present study, we demonstrate that VWF is cleaved by the cytotoxic lymphocyte granule component granzyme M (GrM). GrM cleaved both denaturated and soluble plasma-derived VWF after Leu at position 276 in the D3 domain. GrM is unique in that it did not affect the multimeric size and pro-hemostatic platelet aggregation ability of VWF, but instead destroyed the binding of VWF to FVIII in vitro. In meningococcal sepsis patients, we found increased plasma GrM levels that positively correlated with an increased plasma VWF/FVIII ratio in vivo. We conclude that, next to its intracellular role in triggering apoptosis, GrM also exists extracellularly in plasma where it could play a physiological role in controlling blood coagulation by determining plasma FVIII levels via proteolytic processing of its carrier VWF

Aquaponics and global food challenges

As the world’s population grows, the demands for increased food pro- duction expand, and as the stresses on resources such as land, water and nutrients become ever greater, there is an urgent need to find alternative, sustainable and reliable methods to provide this food. The current strategies for supplying more produce are neither ecologically sound nor address the issues of the circular econ- omy of reducing waste whilst meeting the WHO’s Millennium Development Goals of eradicating hunger and poverty by 2015. Aquaponics, a technology that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics, provides part of the solution. Although aquaponics has developed considerably over recent decades, there are a number of key issues that still need to be fully addressed, including the development of energy-efficient systems with optimized nutrient recycling and suitable pathogen controls. There is also a key issue of achieving profitability, which includes effective value chains and efficient supply chain management. Legislation, licensing and policy are also keys to the success of future aquaponics, as are the issues of education and research, which are discussed across this book