Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (AGORA)

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs

Manual measurement of retinal bifurcation features

This paper introduces a new computerized tool for accurate manual measurement of features of retinal bifurcation geometry, designed for use in investigating correlations between measurement features and clinical conditions. The tool uses user-placed rectangles to measure the vessel width, and lines placed along vessel center lines to measure the angles. An analysis is presented of measurements taken from 435 bifurcations. These are compared with theoretical predictions based on optimality principles presented in the literature. The new tool shows better agreement with the theoretical predictions than a simpler manual method published in the literature, but there remains a significant discrepancy between current theory and measured geometry

A Biomechanical Model for the Development of Myoelectric Hand Prosthesis Control Systems

Advanced myoelectric hand prostheses aim to reproduce as much of the human hand's functionality as possible. Development of the control system of such a prosthesis is strongly connected to its mechanical design; the control system requires accurate information on the prosthesis' structure and the surrounding environment, which can make development difficult without a finalized mechanical prototype. This paper presents a new framework for the development of electromyographic hand control systems, consisting of a prosthesis model based on the biomechanical structure of the human hand. The model's dynamic structure uses an ellipsoidal representation of the phalanges. Other features include underactuation in the fingers and thumb modeled with bond graphs, and a viscoelastic contact model. The model's functions are demonstrated by the execution of lateral and tripod grasps, and evaluated with regard to joint dynamics and applied forces. Finally, additions are suggested with which this model can be of use in mechanical design and patient training as well

Contractions, Hopf algebra extensions and cov. differential calculus

We re-examine all the contractions related with the ${\cal U}_q(su(2))$ deformed algebra and study the consequences that the contraction process has for their structure. We also show using ${\cal U}_q(su(2))\times{\cal U}(u(1))$ as an example that, as in the undeformed case, the contraction may generate Hopf algebra cohomology. We shall show that most of the different Hopf algebra deformations obtained have a bicrossproduct or a cocycle bicrossproduct structure, for which we shall also give their dual `group' versions. The bicovariant differential calculi on the deformed spaces associated with the contracted algebras and the requirements for their existence are examined as well.Comment: TeX file, 25 pages. Macros are include

Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino cross section with IceCube using Earth absorption

Neutrinos interact only very weakly, so they are extremely penetrating. However, the theoretical neutrino-nucleon interaction cross section rises with energy such that, at energies above 40 TeV, neutrinos are expected to be absorbed as they pass through the Earth. Experimentally, the cross section has been measured only at the relatively low energies (below 400 GeV) available at neutrino beams from accelerators \cite{Agashe:2014kda, Formaggio:2013kya}. Here we report the first measurement of neutrino absorption in the Earth, using a sample of 10,784 energetic upward-going neutrino-induced muons observed with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. The flux of high-energy neutrinos transiting long paths through the Earth is attenuated compared to a reference sample that follows shorter trajectories through the Earth. Using a fit to the two-dimensional distribution of muon energy and zenith angle, we determine the cross section for neutrino energies between 6.3 TeV and 980 TeV, more than an order of magnitude higher in energy than previous measurements. The measured cross section is $1.30^{+0.21}_{-0.19}$ (stat.) $^{+0.39}_{-0.43}$ (syst.) times the prediction of the Standard Model \cite{CooperSarkar:2011pa}, consistent with the expectation for charged and neutral current interactions. We do not observe a dramatic increase in the cross section, expected in some speculative models, including those invoking new compact dimensions \cite{AlvarezMuniz:2002ga} or the production of leptoquarks \cite{Romero:2009vu}.Comment: Preprint version of Nature paper 10.1038/nature2445

Large NN Matrix Models and qq-Deformed Quantum Field Theories

Recently it was shown that an asymptotic behaviour of $SU(N)$ gauge theory for large $N$ is described by q-deformed quantum field. The master fields for large N theories satisfy to standard equations of relativistic field theory but fields satisfy $q$-deformed commutation relations with $q=0$. These commutation relations are realized in the Boltzmannian Fock space. The master field for gauge theory does not take values in a finite-dimensional Lie algebra however there is a non-Abelian gauge symmetry. The gauge master field for a subclass of planar diagrams, so called half-planar diagrams, is also considered. A recursive set of master fields summing up a matreoshka of 2-particles reducible planar diagrams is briefly described.Comment: 17 pages, latex. To appear in "From Field Theory to Quantum Groups", World Scientific. Proceedings to honor J.Lukierski in his 60th birthda

The Renormalization Group Method and Quantum Groups: the postman always rings twice

We review some of our recent results concerning the relationship between the Real-Space Renormalization Group method and Quantum Groups. We show this relation by applying real-space RG methods to study two quantum group invariant Hamiltonians, that of the XXZ model and the Ising model in a transverse field (ITF) defined in an open chain with appropriate boundary terms. The quantum group symmetry is preserved under the RG transformation except for the appearence of a quantum group anomalous term which vanishes in the classical case. This is called {\em the quantum group anomaly}. We derive the new qRG equations for the XXZ model and show that the RG-flow diagram obtained in this fashion exhibits the correct line of critical points that the exact model has. In the ITF model the qRG-flow equations coincide with the tensor product decomposition of cyclic irreps of $SU_q(2)$ with $q^4=1$.Comment: LATEX file, 21 pages, no figures. To appear in "From Field Theory to Quantum Groups", World Scientific. Proceedings to honor J.Lukierski in his 60th birthda

B + B BARCELONA

Tématem projektu je stavba nového gymnázia v Barceloně, v místě, které je typické svými pravidelnými bloky navrženými architektem Cerdou. Stavbu jsem navrhla s respektem k tvaru parcely. Mým cílem bylo, nevytvořit jen vzdělávací budovu pro studenty, ale také kulturní a společenské centrum pro lidi z okolí. Urbanisticky je parcela koncipovaná jako město samo o sobě, které zve kolemjdoucí k návštěvě. Zůstalo příjemné měřítko pro život.The subjekt of the project is the building of a new secondary school in Barcelona, the place, which is typical with his regular piles designed by architekt Cerda. I projected the building with the respect of the shape of site. My tendency was to not only make a educational building for students, but also the cultural and social centre for local inhabitants. The site is conceived as a small city, which invites passers-by to a visit. The pleasant scale factor stayed on.